CEC Policy Insider

Universal Design for Learning Gaining Steam; Professional Development and Resources to Support Implementation Viewed as Barriers

A report issued today by the National Center on Universal Design for Learning titled  Understanding the Impact of the Race to the Top and ARRA Funding on the Promotion of Universal Design for Learning indicated that many states are pursuing implementation of UDL principles to support student learning. 

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an educational framework that focuses on three areas:

1. Multiple means of representation (i.e. Present information and content in different ways) 
2. Multiple means of action and expression (Differentiate the ways that students can express what they know
3. Multiple means of engagement (Stimulate interest and motivation for learning)

While the report reflects many examples of states that are moving forward, it also identifies many barriers to full implementation of UDL, such as: a need for additional professional development; need for greater resources and investment from the state and federal level; and the need to have UDL better infused into general and special education laws (i.e. the Elementary and Secondary Education Act/No Child Left Behind and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act).

The 14 states surveyed in the report had all used the terms “universal design” or “universal design for learning” in their Race to the Top applications.  Four of the 14 states surveyed received RTTT grants. 

CEC is a member of the National UDL Taskforce, a group of 40 organizations that promote the use of UDL and its inclusion in various federal education policies. 

Learn more about UDL, including accessing the UDL Guidelines, implementation tips, and much more at: www.udlcenter.org.

Check out CEC's book on UDL and other resources here.

CEC Convention to Unite Thousands of Special Educators; Lawmakers to Address Top Education Reform Issues

We hope you will be joining us and thousands of special educators next week in Denver, Colorado for CEC’s Annual Convention and Expo!

As CEC celebrates its 90^th anniversary, the Convention will provide us all with an opportunity to reflect on how far the special education field has come and what more we need to learn to advance the profession and support better outcomes for children and youth with disabilities and gifts and talents.  This year’s convention will offer over 900 professional development sessions featuring the most pressing issues in the field – autism, co-teaching, response-to-intervention, instructional design and strategies, and much more! 

U.S. Department of Education releases Civil Rights Data

Last week, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights released their Civil Rights Data Collection for the 2009-2010 school year. The data is disaggregated by race and ethnicity, English learner status, sex and by disability under the IDEA and Section 504 statues, focusing on areas such as success in college and career-ready courses, teacher equity, retention, bullying and harassment and discipline.

The numbers presented demonstrate inequalities in the American public school systems, pointing out that students covered under IDEA and Section 504 are twice as likely to face out of school suspension. Additionally, though students covered under IDEA represent 12% of the students in the sample, they represent almost 70% of students who are physically restrained by adults in their schools. The report also highlights statistics that show that over three fourths of students in Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) programs are either white or Asian, while African American students are disproportionately under represented.

To read the full summary of the OCR data, click here.

26 States and D.C. Seek Waivers from NCLB Requirements

States are lining up to receive a reprieve from some of No Child Left Behind’s most stringent requirements. 

This week, the U.S. Department of Education announced that 26 states and the District of Columbia have submitted NCLB waiver requests, joining 11 states that have already been approved.  According to the Department, if these requests are approved States will:

• Set performance targets based on whether students graduate from high school ready for college and career rather than having to meet NCLB's 2014 deadline based on arbitrary targets for proficiency.
• Design locally tailored interventions to help students achieve instead of one-size-fits-all remedies prescribed at the federal level.
• Be free to emphasize student growth and progress using multiple measures rather than just test scores.
• Have more flexibility in how they spend federal funds to benefit students.

 

House Committee Votes to Approve Key ESEA Bills; CEC Opposes Measures

On Tuesday, the House Education and the Workforce Committee voted to approve two bills central to the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, recently known as the No Child Left Behind Act, over the opposition of some education groups including CEC.

The Student Success Act (H.R. 3989) and the Encouraging Innovation and Effective Teachers Act (H.R. 3990)  seek to overhaul key elements of ESEA/NCLB  including the accountability and teacher quality systems by proposing a system of state-driven accountability and teacher evaluation systems linked to student test scores.

CEC opposed both bills, which if enacted, will lower standards for children and youth with disabilities.Of particular concern, the bill will

• Eliminate requirements that every student have a teacher who is fully prepared on day one.
• Fail to require and support ongoing professional development for teachers.
• Increase privatization and move resources away from public schools.
• Reduce, cap and eliminate funding.
• Eliminate important protections that ensure students with disabilities are held to high standards.
• Reduce accountability for students with disabilities.