PURPOSE

Accommoda

tions and Modiﬁ cations

? ?

or Students with Disabilities

? ?

in Car

eer Education and

? ?

Adult Gener

al Education

? ?

Revised 2005

Florida Department of Education

Bur

eau of Exceptional Education and Student Services

and

Division of Community Colleges and W

orkforce Education

This is one of many publications available thr

ough the Florida Department

of Education designed to assist school districts, state agencies which support

educational pr

ograms, and parents in the provision of special programs. For

additional in

for ma tion on this publication, contact the Clearinghouse In for ma tion

Center, Room 628 Turlington Bldg., 325 W. Gaines Street, Tallahassee, Florida

32399-0400.

telephone: (850) 245-0477

FAX (850) 245-0897

Suncom: 205-0477

email: cicbiscs@ﬂ

doe.org

website:

http://www

.myﬂoridaeducation.com/commhome/

Accommoda

tions and Modiﬁ cations

? ?

or Students with Disabilities

? ?

in Car

eer Education and

? ?

Adult Gener

al Education

? ?

Marty Beech, Ph.D.

Learning Systems Institute

Florida State University

Revised 2005

Florida Department of Education

Bur

eau of Exceptional Education and Student Services

and

Division of Community Colleges and W

orkforce Education

This pr

oduct was developed by Dr. Marty Beech through the Pan han dle Area

Edu ca tion al Con sor tium/Wash ing ton Coun ty School Board fund ed by the State of

Flori da, De part ment of Education, Bu reau of Exceptional Education and Student

Services, thr

ough federal as sis tance under the In di vid u als with Dis abil i ties

Edu ca tion Act (IDEA), Part B.

Appreciation is extended to the following people who participated in the

development and r

eview of the original product.

Janet

Adams

Div.ision of Workforce Development

Florida Dept. of Education

Leatricia

A. Williams

Division of W

orkforce Development

Florida Dept. of Education

Meryl Eisenber

Adults with Disabilities

Broward County Schools

Madeline Hoke

Adults with Disabilities

Hillsbor

ough County Schools

Dale Kite

George Stone Technical Center

Escambia County Schools

Diane Long

L. Walker Institute of Technology

Collier County Schools

Janet Moulton

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For

est High School

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Marion County Schools

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Diane Pr

oeschel

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Sarasota County T

echnical Inst.

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Sarasota County Schools

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eronica Sehrt

? ?

Adult Education

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Leon County Schools

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Michele Polland

? ?

Division of Public Schools

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Florida Dept. of Education

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Rick Casey

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Consultant

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New Symrna Beach, FL

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Chuck France

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George Stone Technical Center

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Escambia County Schools

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Debra Husted

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Exceptional Student Education

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Okaloosa County Schools

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Trenna Lackey

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OTEC: Westside Center

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Orange County Schools

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Jean McCormick

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Stud. Affrs Plng. & Disab. Svs.

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Broward Community College

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Pat Mulvihill

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Transition Specialist

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Broward County Schools

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Diana Ross

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Adult Education

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Miami-Dade County Schools

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Joy Suldo

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Exceptional Student Education

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Osceola County Schools

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State of Florida

Department of State

2005

Nancy Benda

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Equal Educ. Opportunities Prog.

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Florida Dept. of Education

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Catherine Conover

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Administrative Resource Teacher

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Hillsborough County Schools

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Sheila Gritz

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Career Develop. and Training

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University of Florida

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Rochelle Kenyon

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Bridges to Practice

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Rockledge, FL

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Judy Lewis

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Parent

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Tallahassee, FL

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Kathy Mignerey

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Career Development Coordinator

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Fla. Sch. for the Deaf & the Blind

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Larry Pippen

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Vernon High School

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Washington County Schools

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Walter Schoenig

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State Advisory Committee

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Clearwater, FL

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Linda Van Dalen

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Disabled Student Services

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Gulf Coast Community College

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Authorization for r

eproduction is hereby granted to the state system of public ed u ca tion

consis tent with 1006.39(2), Florida Statutes. No authorization is grant ed for dis tri bu tion or

re pro duc tion outside the state system of public education with out prior ap prov al in writing.

able of Contents

? ?

Chapter 1 Important Information

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Educational Pr

ograms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Support for Students with Disabilities

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Legal Basis

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Eligibility

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Decisions about

Accommodations and Modiﬁcations

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Student Responsibilities

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Summary

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

? ?

Chapter 2 Instructional Strategies

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Understanding the Needs of Individuals with Disabilities

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Managing T

ime and Classroom Activities

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

eaching Techniques

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

? ?

Assessment Practices

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Summary

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

? ?

Chapter 3 Accommodations

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

General Factors

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

? ?

Assistive Technology

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Instr

uction and Assessment

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Learning and W

ork Environment

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Job Requir

ements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Summary

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

? ?

Chapter 4 Modiﬁ

cations

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Impact of Modiﬁ

cations

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Modiﬁ

ed Occupational Completion Points

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Summary

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Chapter 5

Getting Started

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Start with the Individual

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

? ?

Anticipate Students’ Needs

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Plan for Each

Activity

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Collaborate with Others

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

For

Additional Information

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

? ?

Appendices

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

? ?

ppendix

A—State Board of Education Rules and Florida Statutes

. . . . . .

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Appendix B—Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

? ?

References

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

? ?

Chapter 1

? ?

Important Information

? ?

Educational Programs

Support for Students with

Disabilities

Legal Basis

Eligibility

Decisions

Student Responsibilities

Many youth and adults with disabilities are enrolled in career

(vocational) education and adult general education programs offered

in high schools, technical institutes (career and technical centers), adult

and community education centers, and community colleges. This

manual is written to help instructors in these programs understand two

important features of services available to students with disabilities:

accommodations and modiﬁcations.

Simply stated,

accommodations

change to the way the student is

instructed or tested.

Modiﬁcations

change the outcomes or what the

student is expected to learn.

In this manual, you’ll learn more about these two words. You’ll see

many examples of accommodations and learn about the role and

impact of modiﬁcations. You’ll also read about how determinations

are made about the students’ needs for accommodations and

modiﬁcations. Finally, you’ll learn about the importance of continuous

planning and collaboration to prepare students for success.

This chapter provides a brief explanation of the career education

and adult general education programs available for youth and adult

students with disabilities. Deﬁnitions are used to clarify the difference

between accommodations and modiﬁcations. The legal basis, eligibility,

and the decision-making process are described.

Important Information

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Educational Programs

Youth and adults with disabilities have access to a wide range of

secondary and postsecondary education programs. Many are enrolled

Important Information

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in traditional college preparatory programs in high school and go on

to a community college or university to earn degrees. Students may

choose to pursue a career goal that begins in high school and continues

in a technical institute (career and technical center) or community

college. Adult students with disabilities may also choose to further

their education and enhance their optimal functioning by enrolling

in an adult general education or a specialized adult program. Both

high school and adult students with disabilities who are enrolled

in secondary and postsecondary programs must be provided the

accommodations, aids, and services they need.

Career Education in K-12 and Postsecondary Programs

Career education provides a range of programs for students with and

without disabilities. These programs begin with exploratory instruction

in courses at the middle school level that give all students exposur

to occupations and assist them in preparing their academic and

career plans. In high school, practical arts courses are offered to help

students develop generic skills that apply to many occupations. High

schools also provide job-preparatory instruction to prepare students

for entry into speciﬁc occupations. These programs may include work

experience, directed study, on-the-job training, and leadership skills.

Student involvement in a career organization is often an integral part of

this instruction.

At the postsecondary level, courses and programs of study enable

students to master career and technical competencies needed for entry

into speciﬁc occupations or for advancement within an occupation.

Students in both high school and postsecondary levels may be

enrolled in a course or a program of study leading to an occupational

completion point, a career certiﬁcate, an applied technology diploma,

or an associate of applied science (A.A.S.) or associate of science (A.S.)

degree. Occupational completion points (OCPs) represent established

groups of competencies and skills designed for a speciﬁc occupational

outcome. Specialized programs for students with disabilities are

available at the postsecondary level. Students may enroll in vocational

education for students with disabilities or supported competitive

employment. The outcomes that must be mastered for the OCP or

the speciﬁc jobs must be speciﬁed in the student's adult individual

education plan (AIEP). The components of the AIEP are similar to those

of the K-12 transition individual education plans (IEPs).

? ?

Secondary students with disabilities may enroll in regular career

education programs, specialized career education (vocational

education) courses for students with disabilities, or exceptional

student education (ESE)/vocational education courses. The regular job

preparatory curriculum may be modiﬁed for secondary students with

disabilities resulting in an individualized program leading to speciﬁc

jobs. These curriculum modiﬁcations, known as modiﬁed occupational

completion points (MOCPs) apply only to high school students with

disabilities including those who are dual enrolled or those who are

seeking a special diploma. MOCPs may not be used in programs

requiring licensure or certiﬁcation.

Adult General Education

Adult general education programs are comprehensive instructional

programs designed to improve the employability of the state’s

workforce through programs in adult basic education, adult secondary

education, English for speakers of other languages, vocational

preparatory instruction, and instruction for adults with disabilities.

Four programs are authorized by Florida’s Program Plan for Adult

Education and Family Literacy. Literacy completion points (LCPs) are

used to document student improvement and represent a student’s

attainment of academic and workforce readiness skills, which qualify a

student for further basic and/or career education and employment.

Adult Basic Education (ABE)

includes courses for academic instruction

in reading, mathematics, and language, and workplace readiness at a

grade level equivalency of 0-8.9. Each course has LCPs corresponding

to grade-level equivalencies. The outcomes that must be mastered for

the LCP for adult students with disabilities enrolled in specialized

courses for adults with disabilities must be speciﬁed in the student’s

AIEP. In adult general education programs, AIEPs are only required for

students enrolled in specialized programs for adults with disabilities

(adult education for adults with disabilities).

The

Adult High School Credit Program

provides courses of study

leading to completion of credits and passing of state-mandated

assessments necessary to qualify for a standard, adult education or

special diploma. Students who are currently enrolled in a 9-12 high

school program may take courses in the adult high school credit

program. Completion of LCPs in this program means that the student

has mastered competencies to earn .5 credits in an academic discipline.

Special needs of students with disabilities are speciﬁed in their IEPs,

AIEPs, or 504 plans.

The Vocational Preparatory Instruction Program

is an adult education

program through which individuals acquire academic and workforce Important Information

? ?

readiness skills at a functional literacy level of 6.0-8.9 grade level or

higher. This program prepares individuals to pursue a certiﬁcate or

higher-level career education. LCPs are achieved when a student

masters the basic skills requirements for completion of the career

certiﬁcate program in which the student is enrolled.

Important Information

? ?

The General Educational Development (GED) Testing Program

designed to prepare students to take the GED Tests and earn a state

of Florida high school diploma. LCPs can be awarded after students

have taken instruction and passed any subtest of the ofﬁcial GED Test.

Test accommodations are allowed for individuals with disabilities

and include ﬂexible scheduling, ﬂexible setting, ﬂexible recording of

answers, use of mechanical aids, revised format, and ﬂexible timing.

Diploma Options for K-12 Students

Students in K-12 programs must meet state and district credit, grade

point average (GPA), and testing requirements to earn a diploma

upon graduation from high school. Florida offers all students several

options regarding the type of diploma they may earn. In addition to

these choices, students with disabilities are eligible to earn a special

diploma. However, some students may complete the required high

school courses but fail to meet all of the graduation requirements.

These students may receive a certiﬁcate of completion. This certiﬁes

that a student attended high school but did not meet all graduation

requirements for a diploma.

Traditional 24-Credit Standard Diploma

Students must earn a minimum of 24 credits (15.5 in required courses),

have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale, and achieve passing scores

on the grade 10 Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT).

Students who do not pass the FCAT must receive intensive remediation

and may retake the test.

In 2003, the Florida Legislature passed a law regarding general

requirements for high school graduation that allows students with

disabilities who have an IEP to have the FCAT requirement waived

under speciﬁc circumstances. The student must be a senior who is

enrolled in high school seeking a standard diploma and has taken the

FCAT at least twice with allowable accommodations. The student

must have participated in intensive remediation if passing scores

were not earned on the FCAT. To help evaluate the effectiveness of the

remediation and ensure that each student has had every opportunity

to pass the FCAT, the student must participate in the March

administration of the FCAT during his or her senior year. The student

must have demonstrated mastery of the grade 10 Sunshine State

Standards. The student must be progressing toward meeting the

? ?

24 credit and 2.0 grade point average (GPA) requirement and any other

district graduation requirements. The IEP team may then determine

that the FCAT is not an accurate measure of the student’s ability and

that the passing score of one or both parts of the FCAT may be waived.

Students with disabilities are also eligible for a special exemption

from the FCAT graduation requirement under Rule 6A-6.09431, FAC,

under extraordinary circumstances that create a situation where

the results of administration of the graduation test would reﬂect a

student’s impaired sensory, manual, or speaking skills rather than the

student’s achievement. Such an exemption requires approval from the

Commissioner of Education.

Certiﬁcate of Completion—College Placement Test Eligible

This certiﬁcate is available to students who pass all required

coursework for a traditional 24-credit standard diploma, have a 2.0

GPA but did not pass the grade 10 FCAT, and are notiﬁed by the district

of the consequences of the failure to receive a standard high school

diploma. Such students must be allowed to take the College Placement

Test and be admitted to remedial or credit courses at a state community

college, as appropriate. Students will not be eligible to enroll directly in

the state universities without the standard high school diploma or its

equivalent.

Certiﬁcate of Completion

The regular certiﬁcate of completion is available to students who

have not met all credit or GPA requirements and did not make a

passing score on the FCAT. The regular certiﬁcate of completion is not

accepted as a credential for admission to community college credit

programs (A.A., A.A.S., and A.S. degree programs), state universities,

or applied technology diploma programs. However, students with

a regular certiﬁcate of completion may be eligible for admission to

postsecondary career certiﬁcate programs offered at community

colleges.

Three-Year 18-Credit College or Career Preparatory Program

Two accelerated programs are available for high school students:

a three year college preparatory program and a three-year career

preparatory program. Students must earn a minimum of 18 credits,

a 3.0 cumulative GPA, and passing scores on the grade 10 FCAT. To

select a three-year program, a student must have achieved at least

an FCAT achievement level 3 in reading, mathematics, and writing.

The FCAT waiver for students with disabilities is not available for

either accelerated program. The Certiﬁcate of Completion—College

Placement Test Eligible is also not available to students in either

accelerated program.

Important Information

Special Diploma, 2 Options

Students with disabilities may elect to work toward a special diploma,

unless they are solely identiﬁed as visually impaired or speech

Important Information

? ?

impaired. For special diploma, option 1, students must earn the

number of course credits speciﬁed by the local school board by taking

exceptional student education (ESE) classes and/or basic education

(regular academic) or career education classes. Students must also

master the Sunshine State Standards for Special Diploma at the level

speciﬁed by their IEP. Requirements for special diploma, option 2

are based on mastery of a set of competencies developed for each

individual student related to employment and community living.

These competencies are speciﬁed in the student’s graduation training

plan. The state also requires a student to be successfully employed at or

above minimum wage for at least one semester.

Students who have earned a special diploma are eligible to enroll in

the career certiﬁcate programs in technical institutes or community

colleges.

Special Certiﬁcate of Completion

A special certiﬁcate of completion is available to students with

disabilities who are unable to meet all of the graduation requirements

for a special diploma. It certiﬁes that the student passed the required

ESE courses in high school but failed to master the Sunshine State

Standards for Special Diploma.

Students with disabilities who have not earned a standard diploma

may stay in school until they are 22 years old. This also applies to

students with disabilities who have been awarded a special diploma,

certiﬁcate of completion, or special certiﬁcate of completion before

they turned 22. The district must continue to offer services until the

student is 22 years old or until the student earns a standard diploma,

whichever comes ﬁrst.

Support for Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities must be provided with the support and

services they need to fully participate in career education and adult

general education programs. Individuals with disabilities frequently

require only small changes in the way their work is accomplished to be

succesful in their instruction or training program. Accommodations can

"level the playing ﬁeld" and remove barriers to successful adult living

and employment. Modiﬁcations in program outcomes may enable a

student with a disability to reach his or her full potential.

? ?

Accommodations

? ?

Accommodations involve a wide range of techniques and support

systems that help individuals with disabilities work around limitations

that result from their disability. Persons who are blind may need to

use braille books or books-on-tape. Persons who use wheelchairs

may need a ramp or elevator to be able to move independently

around the community or in buildings. Individuals who are deaf

or hard-of-hearing may need to have a sign language interpreter.

Accommodations remove barriers to assure individuals with

disabilities the opportunity to fully participate in career education

and adult general education programs and ultimately complete

requirements for a speciﬁc occupation, diploma, or certiﬁcate.

Accommodations provide access for individuals with disabilities to

educational and training programs and opportunities for successful

employment. Expectations and performance standards do not have

to be lowered when accommodations are provided. For example, a

student with a disability may only need more time to complete course

requirements for a speciﬁc occupational training program. Individuals

with disabilities often require accommodations in three general areas.

•

instruction and assessment

•

learning and work environment

•

job and task requirements.

Modiﬁcations

Modiﬁcations are not the same as accommodations. Modiﬁcations

involve changes to program outcomes that relate to the speciﬁc content,

level of skill, or number of skills required by the program.

Requirements for academic or basic education high school courses may

not be modiﬁed for students with disabilities if the courses are to be

used to meet the graduation requirements for a standard diploma. Rule

6A-6.0312(1) FAC states that “[m]odiﬁcations to basic courses shall

not include modiﬁcations to the curriculum frameworks or student

performance standards.” However, if a student is working toward a

special diploma, modiﬁed academic courses are acceptable.

Career education courses are different at the high school level. Rule 6A-

6.0312(1) FAC authorizes the use of modiﬁcations for career education

programs. Modiﬁed occupational completion points (MOCPs) may be

developed for students in conjunction with their transition IEP. Each

district must develop an approach to MOCPs that meets the needs of

their local communities and students. Secondary students, including

those who are dual enrolled, may use modiﬁed career education

courses to meet requirements of a standard diploma.

Important Information

? ?

Course outcomes and student performance standards may not be

modiﬁed for adult students enrolled in postsecondary career education

or adult general education. However, when students are enrolled

in programs in vocational education for students with disabilities,

supported competitive employment for adults with disabilities, or

adult general education for adults with disabilities, the particular

outcomes and student performance standards which the student must

master for an LCP or OCP must be documented in the student’s AIEP.

Important Information

? ?

Legal Basis

Over the past 30 years, educational institutions and communities have

opened their doors to individuals with disabilities in many ways. T

ensure that individuals with disabilities have access to an appropriate

educational program and are able to participate fully in all aspects of

society, federal and state laws and regulations have been adopted.

•

The

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

(IDEA, 2004)

provides a clear mandate for identifying, assessing, and

serving all students with disabilities, ages 3 - 21. Students

who meet eligibility criteria for one or more of the disabilities

deﬁned in the act must be provided special education and

related services and supplementary aids and program

modiﬁcations at no cost to the parents or student.

•

Section 504

of the

Rehabilitation Act of 1973

guarantees that

a person with a disability will not be discriminated against

in any program, educational service, or activity receiving

federal funds. The educational institution must provide

supplementary aids and services needed by the person with a

disability. These rights extend to all students with disabilities

as deﬁned by Section 504.

•

The

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)

emphasizes

the protections of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. ADA supports

individuals with disabilities to be able to participate fully in all

aspects of society. This full service act prohibits discrimination

in employment and requires reasonable accommodations

in hiring practices, access to training and programs, and

promotion policies that apply to individuals with disabilities.

Auxiliary aids and services must be provided when necessary.

ADA also addresses the accessibility of services, commercial

buildings and operations, and telecommunications.

•

Florida’s state laws and regulations support the mandates of

the federal laws. Rule 6A.6.0312, FAC, Course Modiﬁcations;

Rule 6A-1.0943, FAC, Statewide Assessment for Students

with Disabilities; and Rule 6A-1.09431, FAC, Procedures for

Special Exemption from Graduation Test Requirement for

Students with Disabilities, specify allowable accommodations

and modiﬁcations in public school programs. Section

1003.43(11)(b), Florida Statutes, provides a process for

determining if a student with a disability who has an IEP is

eligible for a waiver from the graduation test requirement.

The Florida Educational Equity Act and Chapter 6A-19,

FAC prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, national

origin, sex, handicap, or marital status against a student or an

employee in the state system of public education and support

equal access to programs. (See appendix A).

Eligibility

The criteria used to determine eligibility for aids and services for

an individual with disabilities differs for students in K-12 and adult

programs. In K-12 programs, students must meet the eligibility criteria

for one or more of the categories speciﬁed in State Board of Education

rules to be eligible for ESE programs under IDEA, 2004. Students may

also be provided accommodations if they are determined to have a

physical or mental impairment according to the deﬁnition of disability

in Section 504 and ADA. In postsecondary programs a student with a

disability must request accommodations and may be asked to provide

supporting documentation of their disability under Section 504 and

ADA.

Disability Categories under IDEA

A brief description of the categories used in K-12 ESE programs funded

under IDEA, 2004 in Florida is provided to clarify terminology and

acronyms.

Speciﬁc Learning Disabilities (SLD)

By deﬁnition, students who have speciﬁc learning disabilities have

normal intelligence. They have learning problems that result from their

difﬁculties with psychological or information processing. They may

have signiﬁcant problems in learning basic skills in language, reading,

writing, or mathematics. These students may be quite capable in some

academic or skill areas but have signiﬁcant deﬁciencies in others.

Mentally Handicapped (MH)

Students who have signiﬁcant cognitive disabilities are classiﬁed as

mentally handicapped. They have difﬁculty learning the necessary

skills and behaviors needed for daily living. Students with mild

cognitive deﬁcits are classiﬁed as educable mentally handicapped

(EMH). They are generally able to learn basic academic and

Important Information

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employment skills and ultimately will be able to function fairly

independently as adults. Students with moderate cognitive deﬁcits are

classiﬁed as trainable mentally handicapped (TMH). They are generally

able to learn basic daily living skills, but will require ongoing support

and supervision throughout their lives. Students with severe cognitive

deﬁcits are classiﬁed as profoundly mentally handicapped (PMH).

These students are able to participate in life’s activities including

employment but will require extensive assistance and support

throughout their lives.

Important Information

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Emotionally Handicapped (EH)

Students with signiﬁcant behavioral and emotional dysfunction

are included in this category. Often these students have normal

intelligence, but their lack of self-control or poor mental health inhibits

their success in an academic environment. Students who are severely

emotionally disturbed (SED) require a comprehensive therapeutic

educational program.

Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing (DHH)

Students with substantial hearing impairments are classiﬁed as deaf or

hard of hearing. These students may require the use of sign language

or a total communication system to be able to obtain information that

others gain by listening. Individual students may need technology such

as real-time captioning, ampliﬁers, or hearing aids. Students who are

deaf or hard-of-hearing often have difﬁculties with reading, writing,

and communication skills that are related to their hearing loss.

Blind or Visually Impaired (VI)

Students who are blind or visually impaired have signiﬁcant loss in

the use of their functional vision. These students may need to use

braille, large print, or magniﬁcation for reading and writing or learn

how to rely on other types of technology or assistance to help them

obtain information. Orientation and mobility training is also critical for

students with visual impairments so they are able to move and travel

independently.

Physically Impaired (PI)

Students with physical disabilities or motor impairments may require

the use of a wheelchair or walker to get around in school. Some

students with motor disabilities require the use of special assistive

technology to be able to write and communicate. Students with

traumatic brain injury or other chronic or acute health impairments

who require special education services are also included in this

category.

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Speech and Language Impaired (SLI)

Students with speech and language impairments may have problems

articulating sounds and words and using ﬂuent speech. Some students

have more severe receptive and expressive language disorders.

Students with speech and language disorders may have difﬁculty

saying what they mean or understanding what has been said. For some

students, these impairments also affect their ability to read and write.

Autism

Students with autism generally exhibit impaired social interaction

skills and communication skills. They sometimes engage in activities,

behaviors, and interests that are repetitive, restricted, and stereotyped.

In addition, they often experience unusual reactions to sensory stimuli.

Many students with autism also exhibit signiﬁcant cognitive disabilities

(mental handicaps), although some have normal or above normal

intelligence.

Disability Deﬁnition under Section 504, ADA, and the Florida

Education Equity Act

Two federal laws, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the

Americans with Disabilities Act, ensure the rights of individuals with

disabilities regarding access to programs and prohibit discrimination

on the basis of the disabling condition. The Florida Education Equity

Act supports the provisions of these laws. The deﬁnition of disabilities

speciﬁed by the Florida Education Equity Act is consistent with the

ADA and Section 504.

Any person who has a physical or mental impairment which

substantially limits one or more major life activities; has a record of

such an impairment; or is regarded as having such an impairment.

Individuals with disabilities include persons with conditions,

diseases, and infections, such as orthopedic, visual, speech, and

hearing impairments; mental retardation, mental illness, speciﬁc

learning disabilities; epilepsy, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis;

cancer, heart disease; diabetes; and infections with the human

immunodeﬁciency virus (HIV).

Some students may not meet the eligibility criteria under IDEA but are

qualiﬁed as having a disability under Section 504 and ADA. However,

a student may have a disability according to both deﬁnitions (IDEA

and Section 504 and ADA) but not require special education services

provided under IDEA. For example, a student who uses a wheelchair

may only require accommodations under Section 504. The educational

institution develops 504 plans for these students. Copies of these plans

are maintained for the student. Teachers may obtain information about Important Information

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these plans from the coordinator of exceptional student education,

student services, or services for students with disabilities.

Important Information

Like IDEA, Section 504 requires identiﬁcation, evaluation, provision

of appropriate services, notiﬁcation of parents for students under the

age of 18, an individualized accommodation plan, and procedural

safeguards. These activities must be performed in accordance with

Section 504 regulations, which have some requirements that differ from

those of IDEA.

Decisions about Accommodations and Modiﬁcations

Students with disabilities are eligible for accommodations and

modiﬁcations in their education programs. In K-12 programs, a team of

professionals, family members, and the student develop an individual

educational plan (IEP) or a 504 plan. If you are a teacher who is

responsible for teaching a student with a disability, you may also be

a member of the team. Your knowledge of the requirements of your

program is very important. The team decides what accommodations or

modiﬁcations the student needs for his or her educational program and

for the state and district testing programs. In elementary and secondary

programs, teachers or other school specialists provide the support

services for students.

If adults with disabilities meet the admissions standards of a

postsecondary education program, they must be ensured equal

opportunity for participation in the program. This includes program

accessibility, use of auxiliary aids and services, and academic

accommodations. Adults with disabilities must provide notice of their

need for services based on their disability and assist in identifying

needed accommodations. The educational institution may request

documentation of the disabling condition, including diagnostic test

results and professional prescriptions for auxiliary aids. The student

must give permission to request conﬁdential records from previous

institutions that are asked to provide information about the student’s

learning needs. Adult students must directly notify the coordinator

of student services for students with disabilities or the 504/ADA

coordinator that they have a need for certain accommodations. In

addition, the institution may obtain its own professional determination

of whether the requested aids or services are necessary.

Ideally, a student’s need for accommodations is addressed shortly

after admission. The student can be directed to sources of aids and

assistance. However, adult students are not required to reveal their

disability. They may want to see if they are able to succeed without any

special assistance. They may later self-identify and request services.

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Adult individual education plans (AIEPs) are required for adult

students with disabilities who participate in specialized vocational

instruction, specialized adult general education, or supported

employment. AIEPs are also required for adults with disabilities

who participate in specially funded programs for adults who do not

have work as their goal. Other postsecondary programs incorporate

a planning process similar to the AIEP. Whether a formal document

exists or not, it’s a good idea to discuss the need for accommodations

with each student with a disability. In a private conference with the

student, you may discuss the student’s personal goals, strengths, and

accommodations. Students will need to learn about the particular

course or program requirements and the typical methods used for

instruction and assessment. Remember that all information about

the individual needs of a student with disabilities must remain

conﬁdential.

Here are some questions that may be discussed.

What prerequisite skills and background are necessary for

this course or program? Which skills are critical for success?

In what areas will the student need additional preparation or

support?

Will specialized or adapted equipment and tools be needed by

the student?

What assistance will the student need to obtain resources and

complete assignments?

How well can the student stay on track and adapt to routines

and changes?

What accommodations have been successful in the past?

Can the student use the same kind of books, tools, and

instructional resources as other students?

Will the instructional management system require adaptations

to support the student’s need for structure and limits?

Decisions about accommodations for an individual student should be

based on the following principles:

•

Accommodations must be necessary for the student to be able

to participate in and beneﬁt from the educational programs,

services, and activities.

•

Accommodations should be based on documented individual

needs.

•

Accommodations should not compromise the essential

requirements of a course or program.

Important Information

•

Accommodations must not provide the student with an unfair

advantage or interfere with the validity of tests. Changes to

any standardized test procedure must only include those

explicitly allowed in the test manual.

Important Information

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Student Responsibilities

All students need to be able to stand up for themselves, to expr

ess their

needs and desires, and to function independently as adults. Students

with disabilities, just as their nondisabled peers, need to understand

their own strengths and weaknesses and learn how to apply their

strengths to their learning and performance on the job. Students with

disabilities must become aware of effective coping mechanisms and

accommodations that can help them succeed. Most important, they

must know when and how to communicate their needs when making

decisions and when functioning in the learning or employment

environment. These self-advocacy skills are critical for all students.

High school students with disabilities are responsible for participating

in their own IEP meetings. The IEP team develops an annual plan that

documents the decisions about the student’s progress and need for

special education and related services that are made at the meeting.

The right to participate on the team as an adult and act on their own

behalf is transferred to students with disabilities who have reached the

age of 18.

Adult students have greater responsibilities. They must advocate

for their own needs. Some adult students may be reluctant to talk

about their own learning needs. They may not even be aware that

accommodations can be provided in postsecondary programs.

Admissions counselors, coordinators of services for students with

disabilities, and instructors need to make all students aware of the

availability of services. They must also assure students that personal

information will remain conﬁdential.

After admission to the institution, adults are responsible for

maintaining their own records that document their disabling condition

and allow access to information that is maintained by other agencies.

Summary

Individuals with disabilities are entitled to full participation in all

aspects of society, including career education, adult general education

and employment. They have the right to reasonable accommodations

to assist them to work and learn successfully. The IEP, AIEP, or 504 plan

addresses accommodations or modiﬁcations needed by an individual

student. Students have responsiblities for participating in the decision

making and planning processes and for advocating for their own

special needs.

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Chapter 2

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Instructional Strategies

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Understanding the Needs of

Individuals with Disabilities

Managing Time

and Classroom Activities

Teaching Techniques

Assessment Practices

All students in career education and adult general education programs

beneﬁt from the use of effective instructional practices. This chapter

describes general techniques and strategies for instruction that reﬂect

a broad base of research. These techniques have been proven to be

effective with diverse groups of learners, including students with

disabilities, students with limited English proﬁciency, and others. This

chapter also describes assessment practices that are required in career

education. Accommodations, alternative assessment procedures, and

exemptions are discussed.

After reading this chapter, you may want to examine your own

teaching and assessment practices. You may ﬁnd that you are

overlooking some of these techniques. You may feel there is not enough

time to use all of these strategies. However, the opposite is true. When

you incorporate these techniques into your daily teaching activities,

you will ﬁnd that more students are able to succeed. You will spend

less time reteaching.

Understanding the Needs of Individuals with Disabilities

While much attention is paid to the unique characteristics of students

with disabilities, it is also important to remember that students with

disabilities have the same basic needs and desires as students without

disabilities. They need to be challenged, to be accepted, and to be

successful. They do not wish to be stereotyped or singled out because

they have a disability. If you have not had much experience with

individuals with disabilities, here are some tips from a handbook from

the Erwin Technical Center in Hillsborough County Schools.

Instructional Strategies

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Instr

uctional Strategies

Learning Styles

Many instructors ﬁnd it helpful to use learning style inventories to

identify individual preferences of all students. These inventories

can help both instructors and students to understand why certain

kinds of learning experiences are more difﬁcult than others. A wide

variety of instruments are available commercially. Some have been

speciﬁcally designed for adolescent and adult learners. In general, the

assessments help to identify preferences for sensory input (auditory,

visual, and kinesthetic), mode of expression (oral or written), and

social and environmental characteristics (alone or in a group, room and

workspace design, lighting and sound, time of day, and temperature).

Many teachers have found success using instructional practices that

address a variety of learning styles. A list of instruments is included in

appendix B of this manual.

Managing Time and Classroom Activities

Many teachers feel that having students with disabilities increases their

workload. You may worry that you don’t have enough time to attend

to individual needs and to provide the one-on-one assistance. You will

ﬁnd that employing the following classroom management techniques

can help students assume more responsibility for their own learning.

•

Many people feel awkward or uncomfortable when they

interact with persons with a disability. The best way to handle

these fears is to accept people for who they are and use

common sense and courtesy.

•

It’s a good idea to avoid calling unnecessary attention to the

disability. Some students with disabilities are uncomfortable

being identiﬁed and labeled as being different. Offer help

when asked or when the need seems obvious, but don’t insist.

Do not promote helplessness. Support the student’s use of

critical thinking skills and self-initiative.

•

Use “person ﬁrst” language. Avoid saying things such as “

a learning disabled student.” Instead say, “a student with

learning disabilities.” References to the blind, the deaf, or the

retarded are considered to devalue the person and may be

offensive.

•

Speak directly to someone who is deaf or hard of hearing or

visually impaired. Don’t shout. Speak clearly.

•

Give all students in your classes an opportunity to discuss any

special needs privately at the beginning of the term. As the

class progresses, monitor their progress and address concerns

individually.

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Routines and Structure

Use regular instructional routines and structure to provide a

predictable learning environment and increase independence of

students. For example, using consistent beginning and ending

procedures helps students know what to expect and how to proceed.

Giving students a voice in making class rules and setting up routines

can help to increase ownership and cooperation.

Some career education classes can be run like a business, with a chief

executive ofﬁcer (CEO) and support staff who have identiﬁed job

requirements and descriptions. Students switch leadership positions so

they have an opportunity to learn and practice all essential skills.

Individualized Responsibilities and Schedules

Individualized learning enables you to provide challenging activities

for advanced learning as well as remedial activities. Students can work

on their own when class assignments are provided on an individual

basis. Students will need to be able to access learning materials and

supplies independently. Computer-assisted learning programs may be

available to supplement instruction and practice opportunities.

Students will need opportunities for individual feedback and

progress reports. You may wish to provide students with a checklist

of curriculum framework competencies for the speciﬁc occupational

program or a list of skills and concepts for an academic course.

Students can keep track of their own accomplishments.

Cooperative Learning and Teaming

Allowing students to work in pairs, small groups, or teams is an

effective way of managing a class with diverse learners. Buddies can

contact each other for support or help to reinforce what has been

taught. Volunteers may also be used to provide tutoring or additional

practice.

Physical Layout

Flexible use of classroom space helps to provide individuals with quiet

areas or special corners for group cooperative learning. Arranging

independent work areas so that materials and equipment are readily

available can facilitate the ﬂow of instruction and practice activities.

Safety issues are critical in programs where the use of power

equipment and tools or chemicals is required. Students must be taught

the proper procedures for the use, maintenance, and storage of these

properties. Individual accommodations may be needed for certain

tasks. Warning lights may need to be supplemented with auditory or

vibrating signals. Poison signs may need to be color coded or pr

ovided

Instructional Strategies

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in braille. Storage areas with clearly marked containers or outlines

showing where particular tools should be hung on the wall are easier

for students to manage.

Instr

uctional Strategies

Teaching Techniques

You can increase the effectiveness and efﬁciency of instruction by using

the teaching techniques described in this chapter. These descriptions

generally follow the categories described by Kaméenui and Carnine

in their book,

Effective Teaching Strategies That Accommodate Diverse

Learners

(1998). A variety of speciﬁc instructional techniques are

described for each category. These techniques have been proven by

research to increase the likelihood that all students, including those

with disabilities and those who are at risk for failure, will have a more

successful learning experience.

Focus on the Essentials

The terms “key concepts” or “essential skills” are sometimes used

by educators to convey the importance of helping students to learn

concepts and skills that will generalize and serve as links to future

learning. You can use the concept of essential skills to plan instruction

more efﬁciently.

Once you have identiﬁed the essential skills, you can plan learning

activities that will help all students meet these expectations. In Florida,

the Sunshine State Standards (1996) describe what students must learn

and be able to do in the K-12 program. Curriculum frameworks with

student performance standards are provided for career education and

adult general education programs.

Focusing on the essentials of learning begins with the planning process

used by the teacher. The University of Kansas Center for Research on

Learning has developed three planning routines that use a combination

of graphic organizers and speciﬁc implementation strategies (Lenz,

1997). These help secondary teachers lay out the key concepts and

critical skills as they plan a whole course (course organizer), a unit

of instruction (unit organizer), or a single lesson (lesson organizer).

Teachers and students use the graphic organizers to guide learning and

monitor understanding of the instructional content. Examples of unit

organizers shown on the next page illustrate how this can be used in

both career education and adult general education programs.

By laying out the important ideas and critical details graphically, you

can help students see how the ideas are connected to each other. Don’t

forget to label the lines between the ideas to show how the ideas link

together.

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This diagram is part of a unit organizer for learning about trusses and

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rafters adapted from one used by Diane Roberts from Manatee County.

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Layout for Trusses

and Rafters

pp. 233-271

is about

layout

terms and

principles

types of

rafters

types of

roofs

types of

trusses

geometry

formula

framing square

step off

super square

slope and pitch

common

hip

valley

jack

gable

hip

shed

ﬂat

standard W

bracing trusses

steel roof

Methods

Previous Unit

Current Unit

Next Unit

is used

includes

is based on

gambre

mansard

Wall and Ceiling Framing ------>Roof Framing--------->Rooﬁng Materials and

Property

Personal

This diagram is part of a unit organizer for comparing different kinds

of insurance. It will be completed in partnership with students.

Previous Unit

Current Unit

Next Unit

Budgets and Savings ----------->Insurance----------->Retirement Planning

is about

Comparing Types

of Insurance

involves these factors

Type

Covers

Excludes

Costs

Beneﬁts

Health

Long-Term

Care

Life

Homeowners

Renters

Automobile

Instructional Strategies

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Use Explicit Strategies

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You can help students learn a new concept or skill more easily by

teaching them to follow a set of procedures or steps. The steps should

Instr

uctional Strategies

reﬂect an efﬁcient and effective way to complete a task or apply

a concept, much as an expert would do. For example, if you want

students to learn how to enter data into an accounting system or

how to develop plans for constructing a roof, teach a set of steps or

procedures to follow using vocabulary students can understand. As

appropriate, start with a concrete model and demonstrate and describe

how each step is accomplished.

When a new concept or procedure is introduced, the steps should be

modeled using a think-aloud technique in which you describe the

mental processes and physical actions. As students are expected to

apply the new learning, the steps can be prompted by using a cue card,

a verbal reminder, or job aid.

Some steps and strategies are too broad. Telling students to

“brainstorm before writing” does not provide enough guidance. A

more useful strategy provides speciﬁc direction in determining the

purpose of the communication, using different ways to generate ideas,

applying techniques for elaboration, and evaluating the writing plan.

You will need to look at your own instructional materials and

evaluate the use of explicit steps and strategies. If explicit strategies

are included, are they clearly described? Do they have narrow or

broad applications? Think of the needs of new students. Would they

be able to use the strategies that are included? Would they need more

assistance? You may need to modify the instructional materials and

add steps and strategies, or you may need to change the ones that ar

included. Finding strategies that are just right is not an easy task. Try

them out with students and revise them if they don’t work.

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning has

developed the Strategic Instruction Model with Content Enhancement

Routines and Learning Strategies to help teachers and students.

Several routines center around the learning of concepts (e.g., Concept

Mastery, Concept Comparison, Framing Routine), while others

help teachers learn how to make information easier to remember

(e.g., Recall Enhancement). Students can also be taught strategies

to help them with writing assignments (e.g., Sentence Writing,

Paragraph Writing, Error Monitoring), reading comprehension (e.g.,

Paraphrasing, Self-Questioning), and tests (Test Taking). These routines

and strategies can work well in both career education and adult

general education programs. Contact your local Florida Diagnostic

and Learning Resource System (FDLRS) Associate Center for more

information about obtaining training in this model.

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Provide Temporary Support

The term “scaffolding” has been used by educators to describe

the types of support needed when students are ﬁrst acquiring

new knowledge and skills. In the same way scaffolding is used in

the building industry, scaffolding in learning provides temporary

structure and support for the learner until the concept or competency

is completely mastered. Scaffolding for learning may be provided

through verbal prompts and cues, visual highlighting and diagrams,

or other types of assistance used by students to begin to build their

knowledge and proﬁciency. Students need support to help them until

they are able to use the knowledge and skills on their own. The key to

the use of scaffolding in teaching is that it is temporary. Prompting and

guidance needed at the beginning must be removed if students are to

be more independent.

Use a continuum of maximum/minimum to think about scaffolding

and support. A maximum amount of support is provided when

students are given total physical assistance or completed copies of

assignments. For motor skills, this is quite often the case. You might

position a student’s hand and arm and guide them through the

correct movements for hammering a nail. New computer users may

need physical assistance in getting the mouse to move the cursor in

the desired direction. Giving the students copies of the lecture notes

instead of requiring them to take notes is another example of providing

maximum support.

As students gain more proﬁciency, the amount of support can and

should be reduced. Providing outlines for note taking or study guides,

identifying the page numbers for the answers to textbook questions,

or showing students examples of expected responses are types of

minimum support.

Modeling provides minimum support. You may frequently use

examples in your instructions to model the expected responses for

students. Students can make effective use of a model if they are able to

identify the key features or critical processes used to perform the skill

or understand the concept exempliﬁed in the model. Modeling can be

used, for example, to teach students the steps for calling an employer

if they are not coming to work or how to conduct oneself in a job

interview.

Here are additional examples of scaffolding techniques.

•

Provide starters or incomplete statements and have the

students add the rest.

•

Give students an outline, diagram, or study guide.

•

Use structured patterns or plans to help students learn.

Instructional Strategies

Instr

uctional Strategies

Prime Background Knowledge

The ability to learn new information often depends on how easily and

effectively students are able to relate it to what they already know.

Helping students to see how the new knowledge or skills ﬁt with what

they have previously learned makes it much easier to learn. These

techniques can be used to help students make associations with what

they already know.

Relating to prior knowledge is sometimes difﬁcult for students. They

may have difﬁculty remembering what they have learned. They may

not understand how to connect their new learning with what they

already know. If students lack the necessary background knowledge,

•

Use oral reading and embedded questions to help students

process material in textbooks.

•

Identify page numbers where topics are discussed or answers

to questions can be found.

•

Use color-coding or underlining to highlight important ideas

or key steps.

•

Use peer tutoring or cooperative learning to provide support

for students.

•

Incorporate activities that provide guided practice before

expecting students to perform skills or use knowledge

independently.

•

Use a synonym or antonym to make comparisons.

This is the same as…. This is the opposite of….

•

Use simple or extended comparisons.

A life cycle is just like the....

•

Give symbolic examples to help form a mental image.

The Food Guide Pyramid represents one way to plan what we eat.

•

Use a personal example or story to make associations.

I ﬁrst began to understand the value of savings when....

•

Relate the topic to a current or past event that the students

already know about.

Public awareness of the need for voting reform in the United States

was heightened when the Florida recount delayed the presidential

election results in 2000.

•

Relate the concept to a ﬁctional story or scenario.

The story of Romeo and Juliet helps us to understand how family

conﬂicts can….

then you must provide instruction and experiences so that students

will have the critical prerequisites.

Review for Fluency and Generalization

The need for review is very critical for students with disabilities.

Students need a variety of opportunities to practice what they have

learned. Many students may have difﬁculty generalizing newly

acquired knowledge and skills in subsequent classroom situations

and in situations outside the classroom. Here are guidelines about the

importance of review.

Conduct multiple

performance

reviews.

Students will become more aware of

what they are doing correctly and what

they need to change when observations

and assessments occur frequently.

Provide guided

and independent

practice.

Guided practice involving the use

of prompts and assistance will help

students remember what they are

supposed to do.

Work towards

mastery.

Reducing the use of prompts or

reminders is necessary when students

are ready to perform independently.

Give meaningful

feedback.

Feedback will help students become

aware of what they are doing correctly

and what needs to be changed.

Practice skills in a

Opportunities to promote

generalization in different settings as

well as maintenance of the desired

variety of contexts.

level of proﬁciency and ﬂuency must

be provided

Single exposures are

never sufﬁcient to attain proﬁciency.

Assessment Practices

The development and monitoring of appropriate career education or

adult general education programs for individuals with disabilities

requires the use of effective assessments. Traditional assessment

practices may not be appropriate for individuals with disabilities

because of their unique needs. Accommodations are permitted for

assessments used in these programs. They include ﬂexible scheduling, Instructional Strategies

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ﬂexible setting, ﬂexible recording of answers, use of mechanical aids,

revised format, and ﬂexible timing. In chapter 3, accommodations for

testing procedures are discussed further.

Instr

uctional Strategies

Students with disabilities should have every opportunity to discuss

their needs for accommodations for testing. Documentation of the need

for speciﬁc accommodations should be maintained in the student’s

conﬁdential records and revealed only on a need-to-know basis.

Career Education

Curriculum-based vocational assessment (CBVA) is one approach that

has been successfully implemented in Florida’s high school career

education programs for students with disabilities. CBVA is a process

for determining career development and career education instructional

needs of students based on their performance in existing courses and

curriculum. CBVA helps to identify the student’s skills and preferences

and provides information about work-related behaviors, generalized

instructional outcomes, and speciﬁc skill outcomes. The information

gathered through CBVA can be used for evaluation and planning

purposes. CBVA data can also be used in conjunction with other

assessment information in the development of a transition IEP for high

school students or for individual plans in career education or adult

education programs. CBVA also serves as a performance-based method

to assess a student’s need for modiﬁed occupational completion points

(MOCPs) and to document mastery.

Students who are enrolled in a postsecondary career certiﬁcate

program must complete a basic skills examination within the ﬁrst six

weeks after admission. In addition to the adult basic skills assessment

instruments listed for adult general education, the Computerized

Placement Test (CPT) or Multiple Assessment Placement Service

(MAPS) (as authorized) may be used. Accommodations for students

with disabilities are permitted for these assessments. Alternate

assessment instruments may be used if the above testing instruments

are not appropriate for an individual adult student.

The basic skills requirement for career certiﬁcate programs are exit

requirements. A student may enter the program before reaching

minimum basic skills levels. Students who complete OCPs of less

than 450 hours that are not the terminal OCP of a program are exempt

from meeting the basic skills exit requirement. Adult students with

disabilities may also be exempted from this requirement in accordance

with local testing policies.

Some career education programs require certiﬁcation and/or licensure

examinations to meet state or national regulations for employment

? ?

(e.g., nursing, cosmetology, real estate). The speciﬁc agency responsible

for administering the examinations authorizes the provision of

reasonable and appropriate accommodations for individuals with

documented disabilities who demonstrate a need.

Adult General Education

Every adult student is assessed for placement into the appropriate

literacy level according to the requirements of Rule 6A-6.014(4) FAC.

Possible assessments include the Adult Measure of Essential Skills

(AMES), Tests of Adult Basic Education (TABE)—Complete Battery

or Survey, Tests of Adult Basic Education—Work-Related Foundation

Skills (TABE-WR), and Wonderlic Basic Skills Tests (WBST).

Accommodations for students with disabilities are permitted for these

assessments. In addition alternative assessment instruments may be

used if these testing instruments are not appropriate for an individual

adult student. Student progress on an LCP is documented by use of

criterion and/or norm-referenced tests, checklists or inventories based

on the Adult Basic Education (ABE) Curriculum Frameworks, or

performance-based portfolios.

When assessing adults with developmental disabilities, other types of

instruments may be used. The Vocational Assessment and Curriculum

Guide (VACG) has norms for students with moderate mental

disabilities. It addresses entry-level expectations for light industrial,

janitorial, and other service occupations. The summary proﬁle

provides a percent of competitive employment standards. The VACG

curriculum contains objectives that correlate with the assessment.

Summary

Teachers can increase the effectiveness and efﬁciency of instruction

by using the instructional techniques described in this chapter.

These techniques have been proven to increase the likelihood that

all students can achieve their goals. Using appropriate assessment

procedures can help to ensure that the progress of students with

disabilities is accurately and adequately documented.

Instructional Strategies

? ?

CHAPTER 3

? ?

Accommoda

tions

? ?

General Factors

Assistive T

echnology

Instruction and

Assessment

Learning and W

ork Environment

Job Requirements

General Factors

oviding accommodations for individuals with disabilities means

that changes may be needed in the way you teach or test. The student

may need to use dif

ferent instructional ma te ri als or require changes in

the learn

ing en vi ron ment. When you think about accommodations for

learning and working, it makes sense to consider these general fac

tors

(Deschenes, Ebeling, & Sprague, 1994).

INPUT

Can

and materials as his or her peers?

If not, how can the individual successfully acquir

e the

OUTPUT

Can the individual participate in activities and be

evaluated in the same ways as his or her peers?

If not, how can the individual successfully participate and be

assessed?

Can the individual work and make pr

the r

est of the students or workers? Does the individual

If not, how can the schedule and practice op

adapted?

SUPPORT

Can the individual manage independent assignments and

teamwork as well as his or her peers?

If not, what kinds of adjustments ar

e needed?

Accommodations

the individual learn from the same kinds of in struc tion

for ma tion and skills to be learned?

ogress as fast as

equire the same amount of feedback and practice?

por tu ni ties be

? ?

Accommodations

? ?

Assistive T

echnology

Implementing accommodations involves anticipating pr

oblems

students with disabilities may have with instr

uction or assessment

activities. Students may need to use some type of as

sis tive technology

to over

come or mitigate the effects of their disability. As sis tive

technology encompasses a wide range of tools and tech

niques. Some

low-tech tools include pencil and tool grips, color

-coding, or picture

diagrams. High-tech tools in

clude elec tron i cal ly operated equipment

such as a talking calculator

, computer with word prediction software,

or variable speech contr

ol tape recorder for playing back audio

taped material. The need for speciﬁ

c types of assistive technology is

determined thr

ough an evaluation process. In K-12 programs, this is

addressed in the IEP. Specially trained personnel are available in the

school district, FDLRS

Associate Centers, and the Assistive Technology

Educational Network (A

TEN). In postsecondary programs, the

student may assist in identifying needed technology with help fr

the institution. The Florida

Alliance for Assistive Technology and

Services (F

AAST) is a private, not-for-proﬁt corporation that provides a

statewide system of technology-r

elated assistance for individuals of all

ages. Ther

e are many ideas for using assistive technology included in

the examples of accommodations in this chapter

It is important to r

emember that accommodations and use of assistive

technology only change the way the student practices or demonstrates

what has been learned. The expectations and criteria for evaluation of

the ﬁnal product or performance should be similar to what is used to

evaluate the performance of individuals without disabilities.

Instruction and

Assessment

The ﬁ

rst step when considering accommodations for a student with

disabilities is to think of how the student will be ex

pect ed to learn and

demonstrate new knowledge and skills. Fr

e quent ly, small chang es in

the way instr

uction is delivered can have a powerful impact on student

learning.

Suggestions for accommodations in speciﬁ

c areas of instruction and

assessment ar

e found on the following pages:

• reading (p. 29)

• completing assignments (p. 33)

• listening (p. 30) • test preparation (p. 34)

• writing (p. 31)

• taking tests (pp. 35-36)

• mathematics (p. 32)

Reading

Many students with disabilities do not r

ead well. Some

may still str

uggle with word identiﬁcation or reading

comprehension. Others may be able to understand

information when they listen to it but cannot r

ead materials

required for class assignments.

Some students have difﬁ

culty

deciding what is important to r

emember in passages or

textbooks they ar

e reading. Students with sensory impairments have

special needs r

elated to reading.

Students who have r

eading disabilities may need

√

books-on-tape or someone to make a recording or read the text

? ?

aloud

? ?

√

a card or frame to focus on the words and block out parts of the

? ?

text

? ?

√

assistive devices that translate text to speech—reading pen,

? ?

Kurzwiel r

eader, scanner with character recognition software

? ?

√

videotapes or movies that present the same information

? ?

√

interactive CDs or computer-assisted training with auditory and

? ?

visual cues rather than written descriptions.

? ?

Students who have difﬁ

culties understanding important ideas may need

√

sticky notes or highlighter to mark key points in the textbook or

? ?

manual

? ?

√

a list of important vocabulary with deﬁnitions

? ?

√

a demonstration of steps and procedures

? ?

√

a study guide to follow for independent reading

? ?

√

complex information divided into chunks or sections

? ?

√

? ?

hands-on activities, visual aids, pictures, or diagrams to

? ?

ovide alternate ways of learning abstract concepts or complex

? ?

information.

? ?

Students who ar

e blind or visually impaired may need

√√√

? ?

books-on-tape or lar

ge-print versions of text

books-on-tape or large-print versions of text

√

? ?

speaking computers with books on disk

√

? ?

books and instructional materials in braille

√

? ?

class handouts and materials in an embossed format

√

? ?

a special tilt-top desk or book stand to hold materials for easier

reading

? ?

√

specialized equipment—optical enhancer, magniﬁer, tape

? ?

ecorder.

? ?

Accommodations

? ?

messages conveyed thr

ough natural speech and nonverbal

Accommodations

? ?

Listening

In many classr

ooms, teachers present instruction

by lec

turing or by facilitating discussion among

students. Some students with disabilities may

need accommodations due to difﬁ

culties with

maintaining attention, following ideas, and

interpr

eting information presented orally.

Students who have difﬁ

culty listening may need

√

new vocabulary introduced prior to a

lesson, a glossary of terms

√ overview of lessons or advance organizers

√ material presented in a logical manner and with explicit cues to

shift fr

om one aspect to the next

√ information broken down into steps or key components

√ important ideas written on the board or overhead transparencies

with dif

ferent colors for emphasis or coding

√ active involvement with the content through discussion, small

group interaction, or problem solving activities

√ repetition and summarization of important points, particularly

at the con

clusion of the lecture or discussion

√ structured organizers for notetaking, such as a copy of

overheads, outline of lecture, or graphic organizer

√ copies of notes taken by other students in the class

√ to record class lectures and discussions using a tape recorder

√ time to meet with the instructor after class for clariﬁcation.

Students who ar

e blind or visually impaired may need

√

descriptions of demonstrations

√

real-life examples and concrete materials

√ to record the class lectures and discussions using a tape recorder

√ copies of class notes taken by other students in the class.

Students who ar

e deaf or hard of hearing may need

√√√

messages conveyed through natural speech and nonverbal

communications

√ visual information (words, charts, graphics) and repetition

√ a sign language interpreter or notetaker

√ ampliﬁcation or FM system.

graph paper for writing to help align the numbers in

riting

Some students lack small muscle coor

dination

and contr

ol needed for handwriting. Others

need accommodations in ﬁ

nding words, forming

sentences, or

ganizing thoughts, and using the

standard conventions of grammar and spelling

because they have expr

essive language disorders.

When making decisions about accommodations for pr

oblems with

writing, it is important to consider the causes of the pr

oblem.

Students with handwriting difﬁ

culties may need

√

? ?

adaptive devices—pencil grips or special pen or pencil holders,

erasable pens, or special paper with raised or color

-coded line

indicators

√ worksheets and tests with ample space for writing answers

√ two copies of a worksheet or test—one to work on as a draft and

one to use as a ﬁ

nal copy

√

graph paper for writing to help align the numbers in

computation pr

oblems or organize information

√

access to word-processor or typewriter to prepare written

assignments

√

an assistant or classmate to write down what the student

dictates.

Students with expr

essive language difﬁculties may need

√√√

? ?

a thesaurus to ﬁnd words to write or say

√

? ?

special word processing software that anticipates what the

student is trying to write

? ?

√

a structured outline or graphic organizer to plan written

? ?

assignments or pr

esentations

? ?

√

to use demonstrations or video-recorded responses for

? ?

classr

oom assignments.

? ?

Students with grammar and spelling difﬁ

culties may need

√

a spelling dictionary or electronic spelling aid with speech

capabilities

√

peer editing or teacher assistance in the revision process

√ content and mechanics graded separately in written

assignments

√ a chance to correct identiﬁed spelling and grammar errors.

Accommodations

? ?

Accommodations

? ?

Mathematics

Some students with disabilities have pr

oblems with

mathematical concepts and pr

ocesses. They may

use poor pr

ocedural skills and continue to rely on

immature strategies, like counting on their ﬁngers.

Poor memory capabilities may r

esult in problems

retrieving basic facts. Many students with math

disabilities also have r

eading disabilities and have

trouble with instruction or problems presented in

written form.

Students with difﬁ

culties in mathematics may need

√

concrete materials and manipulatives or computer-based

models to understand abstract math concepts

√ a calculator for computation tasks

√ a talking calculator or on-screen computer calculator

√ ﬂowcharts to plan strategies for problem solving

√ assistance with specialized vocabulary and mathematical

symbols

√ additional examples and explanations

√ use of graph paper or color coding to organize answers to math

problems

√ review within a day or two of the initial learning of difﬁcult

skills and supervised practice to pr

event misconceptions

√ practice of subskills explicitly related to the performance of the

whole task and what the student has alr

eady learned

√ additional independent practice until ﬂuent responses are

possible.

Students who ar

e blind or visually impaired may need

√

? ?

special media, assistive technology, and materials

The American Printing House for the Blind Inc. (website:

http://

sun1.aph.org)

provides the following at a nominal cost:

•

Geometry Tactile Graphics Kit—raised-line drawings which

depict concepts, ﬁ

gures, and relationships in geometry

•

? ?

Graph Sheets—bold-line and embossed-line graph sheets

•

? ?

Abacuses

•

Measurement Aids—braille rulers, glue-down rulers, ﬂexible

rulers, etc.

•

? ?

Tactile Graphics Starter Kit.

Completing

Assignments

Completing assignments r

equires an array of skills

and capabilities. Individuals must be able to follow

directions, obtain resources, sustain effort, and

monitor ef

fectiveness.

Individuals with disabilities may have difﬁ

culty

following instr

uctions because they to understand the

directions or cannot read fast enough. Some students cannot identify

the critical be

haviors when viewing a model or demonstration. Some

individuals with disabilities have tr

ouble sustaining the physical and

mental ef

fort needed to complete assignments. This may be because

they work very slowly and r

un out of time. They may not be able

to anticipate needed r

esources and materials. Students sometimes

are reluctant to ask for help or they may lose interest and refuse to

continue.

Students who have difﬁ

culty following directions may need

√

an agenda or outline of the assignments for each day

√

oral dir

ections combined with pictur

es, wor

ds, or diagrams

oral directions combined with pictures, words, or diagrams

√ a description of critical features when watching a demonstration

√ directions that are repeated or simpliﬁed

√ step-by-step instructions with the steps outlined in writing or

shown in pictur

e sequences

√

assistance from another student

√ a description of expected behaviors or the criteria (rubric) to be

used for evaluation.

Students who have difﬁ

culty initiating and sustaining effort may need

√√√

assignments divided into parts with corresponding due dates

√ an individual responsibility checklist with checkpoints along the

way

√ a reward system to motivate assignment completion—let the

student engage in an activity of choice following the completion

of a r

equired assignment

√ access to learning resources and instructional materials outside

of class

√ ﬂexible scheduling practices

√ additional time for assignments and assessments

√ assignments given ahead of time so the student can get started.

Accommodations

? ?

Accommodations

? ?

est Preparation

Many students feel anxious when they ar

being tested. Sometimes students worry

about the scor

e and its impact on their

grade or passing the course. Students

with disabilities need to learn how to take

speciﬁc types of tests and how to deal with

any special cir

cumstances in the testing

pro ce dures that may be different from

working on classr

oom assignments. Often

students may be able to get help fr

om the

teacher or peer when working on a classr

oom assignment but are not

allowed to ask for help when taking a test. Pr

eparing students for tests

can alleviate their anxiety

. After testing is over, make sure students

review how they did and identify any problem areas that need to be

addressed.

o help students prepare for tests, teachers may need to provide

√

instruction in test-taking skills—practice tests can help stu dents

learn some of the strategies ef

fective test-takers use

√ practice with the testing format—use of sample questions and

explanations of the scoring r

ubric or procedures

√ study guides and review of the knowledge and skills to be

tested

√ lists of competencies for each instructional goal, such as

occupational completion points that students can check of

o provide constructive feedback to students after tests, teachers may need to

provide

√

a review of corrected tests

√ additional instruction on areas of need identiﬁed on the test

√ assistance to help students evaluate their own performance on

the test by asking themselves these questions.

•

Did I study the right things?

• Did I make use of clues in the test?

• Did I survey the test and plan my response?

• Did I use the time allowed effectively?

• Did I answer the questions I knew ﬁrst?

• Did I correct mistakes?

•

Did I have to guess?

aking Tests

In general, students with disabilities need the same types of

accommodations for both instr

uction and assessment. If a student

needs extended time to complete assignments, he or she may also need

extended time for classr

oom assessments.

Accommodations provided for standardized tests must be consistent

with what is speciﬁ

ed in the test manuals. This applies to tests such

as the Florida Compr

ehensive Assessment Test

(FCAT) or the Tests of

Adult Basic Education (T

ABE) used to meet the basic skills assessment

requirement for students in postsecondary career education and

adult general education pr

ograms. The Tests of General Educational

Development (GED) and examinations r

equired for licensure or

certiﬁ

cation administered by the Department of Business and

Professional Regulations or the Department of Health also allow

accommodations for individuals with disabilities. The student must

provide documentation of the need for such accommodations prior to

test administration.

Alternative testing techniques may be needed to pr

ovide the

oppor tu ni ty for students with dis abil i ties to demonstrate mastery of

knowledge and skills.

Assistive technology typically used by students

for classr

oom instruction may be used for classroom assessments,

provided that the purpose of the test is not violated. It must be ensur

that the test r

esponses are the independent work of the student.

The accommodations listed below ar

e provided as examples. Many

of these accommodations ar

e similar to the accommodations that are

allowed on standar

dized tests. However, some accommodations may

not be allowed on standar

dized tests. It is important for students to

be aware of accommodations they are using in the classroom that are

not allowed on speciﬁ

c standardized tests they may have to take. For

example, having a test r

ead aloud is accommodation used by many

students with disabilities. However

, the FCAT reading test does not

allow the r

eading passages or test items to be read aloud to students.

Students who have difﬁ

culty with reading may need

√

directions and test items read aloud or on audiotape, except for

tests of r

eading skills

√ repetition or paraphrasing of the directions

√ important words in the directions underlined or highlighted

√ use of text to speech technology to communicate directions or

test items other than tests of r

eading skills

√ permission to read test items aloud to him or herself as he or she

works on the assessment.

Accommodations

? ?

increased space allowed for test answers

Accommodations

? ?

Students who have difﬁ

culty with writing may need

√√√

increased space allowed for test answers

√ to dictate, tape record, or sign answers on a test

√ a typewriter or word processor to write answers to the test items

√ to write on the test itself instead of an answer sheet

√ webs, diagrams, or charts and outlines to plan and respond to

open-ended or essay questions

√ alternate demonstrations of knowledge and skills.

Students who have difﬁ

culty within the required time or schedule may need

√

additional time to complete tests

√ the test separated into sections and taken over a period of days

√ breaks during the test period.

Students who have difﬁ

culty with speciﬁc types of test procedures may need

√

extra examples for practice

√ elimination of one of the choices in multiple-choice items

√ fewer questions that measure all required content and skills

√ grading separately for content and mechanics

√ open book tests unless memorization of content is required

√ a calculator to recheck or complete computations

√ partial credit for answers that are partly correct

√ use of white noise or headphones to reduce auditory

distractions

√

administration of the test individually or in a small group

√

an enclosed study carrel to take the test.

Students who ar

e blind or visually impaired may need

√

copies of the test on audiotape, in braille, or in large print format

√ assistive technology for magniﬁcation

√ use of a braille writer

√ use of an abacus or adapted calculator.

Students who ar

e deaf or hard of hearing may need

√√√

assistive technology for ampliﬁcation

√

a sign language interpreter for oral directions or test items.

Assistive technology typically used by students for classr

oom

instr

uction may be used for classroom assessments and the FCAT,

provided that the purpose of the test is not violated. It must be ensur

that the test r

esponses are the independent work of the student.

? ?

Learning and W

ork Environment

Accommodations may be needed that involve

changes to the physical featur

es or organization

of the school or classr

oom to assist students with

disabilities. Changes to the learning en

vi ron ment

may include alterations to the physical setting,

group ing ar range ments, or behavioral expectations

and class

room man age ment procedures.

Behavior Management

All students need clear r

ules and consistent enforcement in the

classr

oom. Some individuals with disabilities need accommodations

to help them contr

ol their own behavior. Individuals who have trouble

managing their own behavior may need positive be

hav ior al support.

The use of pr

edictable routines for daily activities is generally very

helpful to such students. Special behavioral plans or counseling

services might be needed for some students with disabilities.

Accommodations for gr

ouping arrangements may be needed for

students who r

equire increased personal attention and support from

school per

son nel. Students may require additional assistance and

guidance on tasks thr

ough small group instruction or tutoring.

Students who cannot work in gr

oups may need

√

an assistant who can help the student maintain attention and

understanding

√ a speciﬁc role and responsibility when working in a group.

Students who ar

e easily distracted or who have difﬁculty controlling their

own behavior may need

√

a copy of rules and expectations

? ?

√

positive reinforcement for fol low ing class rules

? ?

√

a hierarchy of consequences for rule infractions

? ?

√

a person who can help the student when the teacher is

? ?

unavailable

√

a seat away from distractions such as windows, air vents, doors,

resource areas, and other individuals who may disrupt the

student

? ?

√

a quiet place to complete independent work

? ?

√

tasks that can be completed in short periods of time

? ?

√

legitimate opportunities to get up and move.

? ?

Accommodations

? ?

Accommodations

? ?

Physical Facilities

Accommodations may be needed that involve changes to the physical

featur

es of the school or workplace. When an off-campus site is

selected, it is important that students with disabilities be pr

ovided the

opportunity for activities with nondisabled people.

An accessible or barrier

-free environment is necessary to enhance

the mobility of students with disabilities. Many buildings ar

e well-

equipped with nonslip surfaces, guide rails, ramps, elevators, and

automatic doors for students who have difﬁ

culty getting around.

Accessibility standar

ds are included in the Americans with Disabilities

Act (ADA) mentioned in the ﬁ

rst chapter of this manual. The standards

describe r

equirements for el e ments such as parking and exterior

routes, entries into buildings and rooms, alarms, telephones, drinking

fountains, and r

est rooms.

Some special accommodations may be needed for individual students.

Special lighting and tilt-top desks may be needed by students who ar

blind or visually impair

ed. Students who use wheelchairs may need

to have raised desks or countertops. Students who ar

e deaf or hard of

hearing may need classr

ooms that have special acoustical treatments.

Students with autism may need specialized visual supports, such as

pictur

e symbols or clear visual and physical boundaries, to help them

make sense of their envir

onment.

If a student with a disability needs these types of

accom mo da tions and they are not readily available

in the school, teachers must advocate for this

student. The pr

ogram may need to be moved to

an accessible location. Have a meeting with the

appropriate ad min is tra tor to see what can be done.

Teachers can also contact other school or district

staf

f for information and assistance.

? ?

Job Requirements

Job accommodations must be deﬁ

ned on an individual basis. Some

accom mo da tions involve simple adaptations,

while others r

equire more sophisticated

equipment or adjustments to physical facilities.

The instr

uctor and employer will need to analyze

job tasks, basic qualiﬁ

cations and skills needed to

perform the tasks, and the kinds of adjustments

that can be made to ensur

e that performance

standards will be met.

A dynamic source of information is the Job Accommodations Network

(JAN) at the University of W

est Virginia. The information provided

in this section of the manual is adapted fr

om materials available from

JAN. This network is funded by the federal government to assist

individuals thr

oughout the country. Teachers can contact the network

for assistance by calling 1-800-526-7234 or on the web

http://www

.jan.wvu.edu.

Job

Accommodations Come in Groups of One*

Problem:

A receptionist who is blind can’t see the lights on the phone

console.

Solution:

The employer provided a light probe that detects a lighted button.

Problem:

A grill cook can only recognize the ﬁrst letter of words and can’t

read orders.

Solution:

The condiment bins were coded with the ﬁrst letter of the item

and he was taught to recognize three key words, “only

,” “none,”

and “plain” using ﬂ

ash cards.

*Adapted from JAN

Job and T

ask Analysis

The place to begin is to conduct a job and task analysis. Thr

ough this

process, the purpose, essential tasks and functions, job setting, and

worker qualiﬁ

cations are carefully analyzed by this process. A job and

task analysis describes the job, not the person. The form on the next

page will help you consider the critical aspects of the job.

Once the job and task analysis is complete, the instr

uctor or employer

can then identify ways to accommodate the needs of the individual

with disabilities. Naturally

, it doesn’t end there. Ongoing monitoring

and follow-up ar

e necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of the

accommodations and to determine if additional changes ar

e required.

Accommodations

? ?

General Description:

PURPOSE

1) What is the purpose of the job? How does it contribute to the overall objectives of the

work unit?

1) What activities or tasks actually constitute the job? Is each necessary?

3) What capabilities does each activity or task require (e.g., standing, writing, talking,

analyzing, etc.)?

4) Can other employees perform the same job functions?

5) How much time is spent on each function? How frequently are tasks performed?

6) What happens if a task is not completed on time?

7) Can the job be altered by removing or reassigning one or more of the tasks?

SETTING

1) Where are the essential functions of the job carried out?

and supplies?

3) What movement is required to accomplish the functions of the job?

supervision, deadlines, etc.) conditions of the job?

1) What are the physical requirements (driving, lifting, cleaning)?

2) What general skills are required (reading, writing, typing, customer relations etc.)?

4) What experience can replace or substitute for training requirements?

JOB AND TASK ANALYSIS*

Job Title: __________________________ Department: ___________________________

TASKS AND FUNCTIONS

What is the relationship between each activity or task? Is there a spe

cial sequence?

How is the work organized for safety and efﬁciency? How do em ploy ees get equipment

What are physical (temperature, indoor/outdoor, etc.) and social (alone, with others,

WORKER QUALIFICATIONS

What speciﬁc training is necessary? Can it be obtained on the job?

Questions adapted fr

om Job and Task Analysis, JAN.

The following examples of accommodations ar

e taken from the

Searchable Online Accommodation Resource (SOAR), a database

available on the JAN website.

You will notice that many of the job

accommodations listed her

e may be useful for academic activities and

were also included in previous sections.

orkers with reading difﬁculties may need

√

locator dots to assist with identiﬁcation of letters/numbers on

keyboard

√ voice output software that highlights and reads text on the

computer scr

een

√ an electronic reading pen

√ tape recorded directives, instructions, and messages

√ color-coded or highlighted manuals, outlines, and maps

√ written materials in type or print—do not use cursive or

italicized writing.

orkers with writing difﬁculties may need

√

speech recognition software that changes the user’s voice to text

on scr

een

√ word processing software with spelling and grammar check

√ form-producing software

√ a copy holder with a line guide to help keep place.

orkers with mathematics difﬁculties may need

√

calculators, including those with specialized functions

√ large screen displays for calculators and adding machines

√ computer-assisted drawing (CAD) software for engineering.

orkers with time management and organization difﬁculties may need

√

labeling, color coding, checklists, ﬂowcharts, or pictures to

prioritize, sequence, and initiate tasks

√ memory aids, checklists, prompts, or timers/watches

√ directions and training given verbally, in writing, or by

diagrams

√ private work areas or panels that reduce audible and visual

distractions

√ watches and timers with prompts

√ permission to listen to music or environmental sound machine

to block distractions.

Accommodations

? ?

Accommodations

? ?

orkers who have difﬁculty completing projects and meeting deadlines may

need

√

daily to-do list

? ?

√

calendars to mark meetings and deadlines

? ?

√

personal digital assistants or electronic organizers

? ?

√

tasks divided into smaller tasks and steps.

? ?

orkers who have difﬁculty communicating with customers may need

√

counseling or training on social skills

? ?

√

models of appropriate communication

? ?

√

mentor or job coaches.

? ?

orkers who have difﬁculty communicating with supervisors may need

√

communication on a one-to-one basis or through e-mail

√ mediation and employee assistance

√ regular meetings to discuss workplace issues and productivity.

orkers who have ﬁne motor limitations may need

√

page turners and book holders

√ grip aids or reachers

√ ﬁling modiﬁcations such as modiﬁed trays, lazy susan carousels,

auto mat ed systems

√ alternative telephone access (speaker phone, automated dialing)

√ ergonomic workstation design, adjustable keyboard trays,

glare guards, monitor risers, foot rests, adjustable chairs and

workstations, antifatigue matting

√ alternative input devices, ergonomic keyboards, one-handed

keyboards, miniature keyboards.

orkers who have difﬁculty maintaining stamina or working at full

productivity may need

√

self-paced work load, ﬂexible hours

? ?

√

longer or more frequent work breaks

? ?

√

job sharing

? ?

√

backup coverage for breaks.

? ?

orkers may require personal assistant services for

√

transportation

? ?

√

sign language interpreting

? ?

√

reading for the blind

? ?

√

job coaching or supervision.

? ?

Summary

The accommodations described in this chapter ar

e intended to

help you identify ways to support the achievement of all students

in your pr

ogram, including those with disabilities. The value of

any accommodation can be measur

ed in terms of its impact on the

performance and attitude of the student with disabilities in the

classr

oom and in the workplace.

? ?

Accommodations

? ?

Cha

pter 4

? ?

Modiﬁ

cations

? ?

Impact of Modiﬁ

cations

Modiﬁed Occupational Completion Points

Modiﬁ

cations

to the expectations or outcomes of the curriculum

may be necessary for a student with a disability

. Modiﬁcations may

include modiﬁ

ed program or course requirements, concepts or skills

signiﬁ

cantly below the targeted grade level, or alternate curriculum

goals. Modiﬁ

cations to curriculum outcomes should be considered

only after all appr

opriate accommodations have been tried.

Impact of Modiﬁ

cations

When considering modiﬁ

cations, it is important to evaluate the long-

range impact of changing expectations. Students with disabilities who

are not challenged to reach the same level of achievement as their

nondisabled peers may not be able to earn a standar

d diploma in high

school

or a career certiﬁcate or degree from a postsecondary institution.

They may also limit the types of car

eers and occupations in which they

can ﬁnd work.

Secondary Programs

In high school pr

ograms, academic or basic education course

requirements may not be modiﬁed if that course is required for a

standard diploma. Requirements for a traditional 24-credit standard

diploma include passing a set of r

equired courses, having a “C”

average, and passing the state’s graduation test. Some students

with disabilities may be granted an exemption or waiver fr

om the

FCAT requirement for a standard diploma. (See chapter 1 for more

information.) If the stu

dent is not work ing toward a stan dard di plo ma

and the IEP

team de ter mines that the student will beneﬁt from

partic i pat ing in the regular course, then re quire ments may be modiﬁed

on an individual basis. However

, a modiﬁed basic education course

will not meet grad

u a tion re quire ments for a stan dard diploma.

Modiﬁ

cations

Modiﬁ

cations

? ?

If a high school student with disabilities r

equires signiﬁcant

modiﬁcations in the curriculum, a special diploma may be a good

choice. For a special diploma, the local school district speciﬁ

es the

required courses. Students must master the Sunshine State Standards

for Special Diploma and may use modiﬁ

ed courses to meet special

diploma r

equirements.

Postsecondary Programs

In general, r

equirements in postsecondary programs can not be

modiﬁed. Districts and community colleges may vary up to ten percent

of the intended outcomes for the frameworks for job pr

eparatory

programs; although this does not apply to frameworks requiring

federal or state licensur

e or certiﬁcation. Adult general education

program course standards may also vary up to ten percent of the

intended outcomes. These changes, however

, apply for all students, not

just students with disabilities.

As described in the ﬁ

rst chapter in this manual, there are a variety

of pr

ograms for adults designed to address their learning needs. In

specialized pr

ograms for adults with disabilities, student performance

standards are selected on an individual basis for the customized

program. Through the AIEP, the student’s individual needs are

identiﬁ

ed and individualized goals and objectives are determined.

Modiﬁ

ed Occupational Completion Points

Car

eer education programs are different at the high school level. The

requirements may be modiﬁed as long as they are aimed at fulﬁlling

the speciﬁ

c job preparation re quire ments se lect ed by the in di vid u al

student. Teams may modify the curriculum and identify a completion

point that falls between established completion points, known as

modiﬁed occupational completion points (MOCPs). These selected

standards will enable the student to develop marketable skills leading

to competitive employment.

Secondary students with disabilities (including those who ar

e dual

enrolled) pursuing a standard or special diploma are eligible for

MOCPs. MOCPs for a student must be determined on an individual

basis thr

ough the transition IEP and reﬂected in the student’s

postschool outcome statement. The particular outcomes and student

performance standar

ds for the student must be speciﬁed on an

individual basis and maintained in the student’s ﬁ

le. MOCPs provide

an opportunity to match the inter

ests, abilities, and special needs of the

student to a job in the community

Districts have the option of developing MOCPs. Car

eer education and

exceptional student educators must ﬁ

rst establish a commitment of

? ?

the district administration to implement MOCPs. They must develop

district policy

, procedures, and technical assistance materials related

to the speciﬁ

c needs of students and the local community. District

job charts/competency lists ar

e also developed by a team with

representation from career education, exceptional student education,

business/industry

, guidance, and vocational rehabilitation, as well as

vocational evaluators, par

ents, and others to reﬂect local job market

needs. Licensur

e/certiﬁcation career and technical programs such as

cosmetology

, licensed practical nursing, and child care do not allow

modiﬁed occupational completion points.

Samples of locally developed MOCPs can be found in publications

listed under the topic, Car

eer Education, in appendix B, Resources, and

on the Florida Department of Education, Ofﬁ

ce of Workforce Education

website at

http://www

.ﬁrn.edu/doe/workforce/.

Planning for Individual Students

Deciding whether to modify the content of a student’s car

eer education

job pr

eparatory program must be based on a review of the student’s

strengths, experiences, and needs. It's important to review vocational

evaluation information including academic levels as well as student

progress in prevocational experiences, exploratory courses, practical

arts courses, and work experiences. If prior vocational experiences ar

limited for students, give them opportunities to experience several

training pr

ograms. Short-term career shadowing may be used, or

students may experience a sample of assignments and activities

in dif

ferent areas of training within each program. The student’s

program should be selected based on the results of the evaluations.

Accommodations such as extended time, alternate instr

uctional

strategies, or other options should be explor

ed before identifying

MOCPs on the transition IEP

The decision to use MOCPs is usually made after the student is

enrolled, based on evaluation of progress. The initial transition IEP

may address generic competencies. MOCPs may enable the student

to participate in a r

egular career education course rather than in a

specialized course. When MOCPs ar

e considered, it is important to

obtain the expertise of vocational instr

uctors.

A list of speciﬁc student performance standards to be mastered by

the student each year is developed, along with a plan for evaluating

and documenting student pr

ogress. Documentation may include

performance standar

ds checklists, progress charts, district checklists,

and curriculum-based vocational assessment (CBV

A) rating forms.

Modiﬁ

cations

? ?

Reporting

? ?

Students with disabilities may be r

eported as a “completer” of an

OCP or MOCP. Students who demonstrate mastery of all of the

intended outcomes and student performance standar

ds identiﬁed in

the curriculum frameworks for a particular OCP

may be reported as

a completer of that OCP

. Students who demonstrate mastery of all of

the intended outcomes and student performance standar

ds identiﬁed

through the transition IEP process for that student’s MOCP may be

reported as a completer of that MOCP.

The district determines the type of certiﬁ

cate that is issued to students

with disabilities who complete MOCPs.

You may ﬁnd that completed

CBVA rating forms are very useful in communicating an individual

student’s skills to a pr

ospective employer.

Summary

Modiﬁcations in curriculum content or outcomes may be provided

for students with disabilities. In high school pr

ograms, modiﬁcations

to academic or basic education courses ar

e generally associated with

special

diploma programs. Modiﬁcations to secondary career education

programs known as MOCPs can be made to regular career education

classes. In adult pr

ograms, modiﬁcations to program requirements

are generally not allowed. Reasonable course substitutions may

be allowed. In addition, adults ar

e able to enroll in other types of

programs, including specialized programs for adults with disabilities.

Modiﬁ

cations

? ?

Cha

pter 5

? ?

Getting Star

ted

? ?

Start with the Individual

Anticipate Students’

Needs

Plan for Each

Activity

oviding accommodations and modiﬁcations for individuals with

disabilities is not as complicated as it may seem. Once you become

aware of the decisions about the individual’s speciﬁc needs, you will

make sure that these services are provided. You will also want to

evaluate whether or not the accommodations and modiﬁ

cations are

making a dif

ference for the student.

Start with the Individual

For K-12 students with disabilities, the IEP

or 504 plan includes a

descrip tion of ac com mo da tions and modiﬁcations needed by the

student. The accommodations may be listed separately

, or they may

be included in statements describing pr

ogram or course mod i ﬁca tions,

supplementary aids and services, and test accommodations.

All

teachers who have re spon si bil i ty for ed u cat ing the stu dent can get a

copy of the IEP

and use the in for ma tion to guide their plans. Forms

used for IEPs in individual school districts vary in the way the

infor ma tion is documented.

Postsecondary and adult students with disabilities who r

equest

accommodations can be assisted thr

ough personnel from student

services or the ofﬁ

ce of services for students with disabilities.

Obtaining assistance does not follow the formal IEP

process required

for high school students because the student must r

equest the

accommodation. However, accommodations requested by the student

must be pr

ovided. An AIEP, a career plan, a 504 accommodations plan,

or a list of needed accommodations document the student’s needs.

The sample IEP

for a high school student on the next page shows

how accommodations may be documented. The student has speciﬁ

learning disabilities and r

equires assignments and tests to be presented

orally

, repeated instructions, and the use of text-to-speech software.

Getting Started

? ?

_________________________________________________________________________________________

es ___No ___NA

Student Name ___________________ ID # __________________ Date _______ Page ____ of ____

EXCEPTIONAL STUDENT EDUCATION

Services and modiﬁcations relate to assisting the student to advance appropriately toward attaining annual goals, to be

involved in and progress in the general curriculum, and to be educated and participate with other students with a disability

and nondisabled students in activities.

PROGRAM ACCOMMODATIONS

ates

Initiation Duration Frequency Location

SUPPORTS FOR SCHOOL PERSONNEL

SUPPLEMENTARY

AIDS AND SERVICES

ates

Initiation Duration Frequency Location

STATE AND DISTRICTWIDE ASSESSMENT MODIFICATIONS

Participation in state and districtwide assessment program(s) ___Y

es ___No ___NA

If yes, describe needed modiﬁcations for each

___________________________________________________________

Consultation with career education teacher 9/9/--9/8/--monthly tech center

Consultation with career education teacher

9/9/-- 9/8/-- monthly tech center

Repeated clariﬁcation of instructions

9/9/--9/8/--daily tech center

Repeated clariﬁ

cation of instructions 9/9/-- 9/8/-- dai

ly tech center

Assignments and tests presented orally

9/9/--9/8/--daily tech center

Assignments and tests presented orally 9/9/-- 9/8/-- daily tech center

Text-to-speech software

9/9/--9/8/--daily tech center

Text-to-speech software 9/9/-- 9/8/-- daily tech center

Participation in state and districtwide assessment program(s) ___Y

es ___No ___NA

Participation in state and districtwide assessment program(s) ___Y

es ___No ___NA

tests presented orally, except test of reading

___________________________________________________________

tests presented orally, except test of reading

___________________________________________________________

Suzanne

222-22-2222

Student Name ___________________ ID # __________________ Date _______ Page ____ of ____

Suzanne 222-22-2222

Student Name ___________________ ID # __________________ Date _______ Page ____ of ____

9/9/--

Student Name ___________________ ID # __________________ Date _______ Page ____ of ____

9/9/--

Student Name ___________________ ID # __________________ Date _______ Page ____ of ____

5 6

Student Name ___________________ ID # __________________ Date _______ Page ____ of ____

5 6

Student Name ___________________ ID # __________________ Date _______ Page ____ of ____

Participation in state and districtwide assessment program(s) ___Y

es ___No ___NA

Participation in state and districtwide assessment program(s) ___Y

es ___No ___NA

Participation in state and districtwide assessment program(s) ___Y

es ___No ___NA

Participation in state and districtwide assessment program(s) ___Y

The sample on this page is adapted fr

Developing Quality Individual

ucational Plans,

(2000)

om the Florida Department of Education.

Anticipate Students’

Needs

Once you have r

ead the individual plan and student record or

interviewed the student, you can use the information when you ar

planning instr

uction for your classroom. If more than one student

with disabilities is enr

olled in the same class, it is a good idea to

make a chart for your plan book with the names of students and their

accommodations. This will serve as an easy r

eference for you

When planning individual lessons, pr

ojects, or large units of instruction,

think about what students ar

e expected to learn and the kinds of activities

that will be used.

You also plan the types of tests or performance

assessments to be used to measure student progress. As you make these

decisions, you can check the accommodations chart to see what students

will need to be successful. It makes sense to write a note in your plans so

you will have sufﬁ

cient time to gather or prepare any special ma te ri als

or equipment. If Suzanne, T

iffany, and Zeke were enrolled in the same

class, the teacher would need to make them a copy of any notes for the

class, obtain the taped ma

te ri als or ar range to have them re cord ed, and

get the class handouts formatted in braille. The ESE or student services

depart ment should be able to provide assistance in these areas.

TUDENTS

ACCOMMODATIONS

Suzanne

? ?

Consultation with ESE staff and career education instructors

? ?

Oral presentation of assignments and tests

? ?

Instructional materials on tape

? ?

Use of text-to-speech software

? ?

Tiffany

? ?

Textbooks and class materials in braille and on tape

? ?

Use talking calculator, Braille and Speak, tape recorder,

? ?

and braillewriter

? ?

Collaborative planning

? ?

Assistance with instructional activities

? ?

Zeke

? ?

Copies of class notes, extra time to complete assignments

Plan for Each

Activity

When planning instr

uction for students, you will need to consider

the spe

ciﬁc kinds of ac com mo da tions that will be needed. If you have

already located alternate ma te ri als or equip ment, you may only need

to pr

epare study guides or cue cards. Many ac com mo da tions take no

preparation at all. They only require that you remember to provide the

prompts or assistance needed by the stu dent.

Don’t for

get that many of the accommodations suggested in this

manual may beneﬁt other students in your class. Here’s some help.

As you look at the competencies and activities, ask the following

questions:

•

How will instruction be delivered?

• What materials will students be expected to use?

• What kinds of activities will be used?

• What kinds of practice will students have?

• How will the students be assessed?

• What kind of learning environment will be needed?

Getting Started

? ?

Once you ar

e clear about your expectations and plans, you are ready to

think about the accommodations.

ill the student with disabilities be able to par tic i pate in the activities and

master the objectives of this lesson if I

•

change the way instruction is delivered?

•

change the materials to be used?

•

change the way the student must respond?

•

increase support in the learning environment?

•

change the physical features of the room?

•

change the behavior management strategies?

•

change the schedule or adjust time demands?

•

change the assessment procedures?

Getting Started

Reﬂ

ect on the Impact

It is important to continue to monitor the impact of accommodations.

Sometimes students will make such positive gains that the

accommodations ar

e no longer necessary. On the other hand, some

students continue to have difﬁ

culty even with the accommodations.

Here are some questions that can be used to reﬂect on the impact of

accommodations.

Are Modiﬁ

cations Needed?

In most cases, accommodations ar

e sufﬁcient for students with

disabilities to be successful in the classr

oom or workplace. How ev er,

you may ﬁnd that some students may need modiﬁed re quire ments

or expectations. Remember that modiﬁ

cations can have a signiﬁcant

impact on the outcomes the student will be able to achieve.

Here’s a process to follow if you think that a student with disabilities

needs modiﬁed expectations.

•

Did

the student actually use and take advantage of the accommodation?

•

as the student able to participate fully in the activity because of the

accommodation?

•

Was the student able to master the objectives of the lesson or course

because of the accommodation?

•

Did the accommodation help the student to feel that he or she belongs in

the class?

If the student is in a K-12 program, check the stu dent’s IEP to

see what kinds of mod

i ﬁca tions are needed for the cur ric u lum.

The student may be work

ing below grade level or have other

edu ca tion al needs that must be ad dressed.

If the student is in an adult education program, confer with

the student and consult with student services personnel in the

school to ﬁ

nd out whether modiﬁcations or other programs are

appro pri ate for this student.

If the student needs modiﬁcations, try to work them into the

regular activities and experiences in your classroom. Help the

student with disabilities to continue to feel part of the class.

Collaborate with Others

Collaboration is a must when working with individuals with

disabilities. Responsibility for the student’s educational pr

ogram rests

with many individuals. Some schools have special education teach

ers

or learning specialists who provide consultation services. Other schools

schedule common planning periods so teachers can work together

Professional support from staff in guidance, health, vision, or speech/

language can be obtained, if needed.

Collaboration or consultation of pr

ofessional staff and parents

is sometimes identiﬁ

ed on a K-12 student’s IEP as a type of

accom mo da tion. This is in tend ed to insure that these individuals

meet or confer on a r

egular basis and are informed of the progress

or needs of the student. Collaboration might be tar

get ed toward

general pr

ob lem solv ing, identifying needed resources, or monitoring

the ef

fectiveness and impact of the instructional pro gram and the

accommodations. Doc

u men ta tion of the pro cess and out comes of

collaboration must be main

tained.

Support for school personnel may also be included on the K-12

student’s IEP

. Support may involve services that are provided

directly to the regular education teacher, special ed u ca tion teach er,

or other school per

son nel to assist a stu dent with a disability to be

involved or progress in the regular curriculum. Support may include

training or pr

ofessional development activities to ensure that school

personnel have the knowledge and skills needed to help the student.

Support may include con

sult ant services, col lab o ra tive teach ing, or

assistance fr

om a para pro fes sion al or teacher aide. Special equipment

or mate ri als, such as a braille writer, may also be needed by school

personnel to pr

ovide modiﬁcations needed by the student.

As the instr

uctor, you have the expertise in academic or career

education pr

ograms. Special education or student services personnel

can help by identifying techniques that work with stu

dents with

disabilities and identifying r

esources to help you as you teach.

Getting Started

? ?

In adult pr

ograms, support services are often more limited. Meetings

about individual students occur on an as-needed basis.

You may ﬁnd

assistance fr

om other teachers in your program. You may also need to

access community agencies such as vocational r

ehabilitation or mental

health facilities.

For

Additional Information

The appendices in this manual pr

ovide additional sources of

information and assistance for you.

Appendix A includes copies of the State Board of Education Rules

and Florida Statutes that r

elate to ac com mo da tions for students with

disabilities in Florida.

Appendix B contains a list of r

esources including publications, learning

style inventories, sour

ces of assistance for assistive technology, and

special pr

ojects.

Getting Started

? ?

ppendices

? ?

Appendix

State Board of Education Rules

Florida Statutes

Appendix B

Resources

? ?

ppendix A

? ?

State Board of Education Rules

6A-6.0312, Florida

Administrative Code,

? ?

Course Modiﬁ

cations for Exceptional Students.

? ?

6A-1.0943, Florida

Administrative Code,

? ?

Statewide

Assessment for Students with Disabilities.

? ?

6A-1.09431, Florida

Administrative Code,

? ?

ocedures for Special Exemption from Graduation Test Requirement for

? ?

Students with Disabilities Seeking a Standar

d High School Diploma.

? ?

Chapter 19, Educational Equity

? ?

6A-19.001, Florida

Administrative Code,

? ?

Scope, Coverage, and Deﬁ

nitions. (excerpts)

? ?

6A-19.002, Florida

Administrative Code,

? ?

reatment of Students.

? ?

Florida Statutes

Section 1003.43, Florida Statutes,

? ?

General r

equirements for high school graduation.

? ?

Section 1003.438, Florida Statutes,

? ?

Special high school graduation r

equirements for certain exceptional students.

? ?

Section 1003.491, Florida Statutes,

? ?

Car

eer and technical education.

? ?

Section 1009.22, Florida Statutes,

? ?

Student assessment pr

ogram for public schools.

? ?

6A-6.0312, F

AC. Course Modiﬁcations for Exceptional Students.

School boar

ds shall mod i fy basic courses, as necessary, to assure exceptional

students the opportunity to meet the graduation r

equirements for a standard

diplo ma. School boards shall modify vo ca tion al courses and programs of study,

as necessary

, to assure hand i capped students the opportunity to meet grad u a tion

re quire ments for a standard or a special diploma.

(1) Modiﬁcations to basic courses shall not include modiﬁcations to the

curriculum frameworks or student performance standar

ds. When modifying

vocational cours

es, the particular outcomes and student performance standards

which a student must master to earn cr

edit must be speciﬁed on the student's

indi vid u al educational plan.

(2) Modiﬁcations to basic or vocational courses may include any of the

following:

(a) The instr

uctional time may be increased or decreased.

(b) Instr

uctional methodology may be varied.

student.

(d) Classr

oom and district test administration procedures and other

evaluation pr

ocedures may be modiﬁed as speciﬁed in Rule 6A-1.0943, FAC., to

accommodate the student's handicap.

(3) When modifying basic courses, the school boar

d shall use one of the

following strategies:

(a)

Assignment of the exceptional student to an exceptional education class

for instr

uction in a basic course with the same student performance standar

ds as

those r

e quired of nonexceptional students in the district pupil progression plan,

(b)

Assignment of the exceptional student to a basic education class for

instr

uction which is modiﬁed to accommodate the student's exceptionality.

(4) The district shall determine which of these strategies to employ based

on an assessment of the student's needs and shall r

eﬂect this decision in the

student's in

di vid u al educational plan.

(5) Exceptional students enr

olled in basic courses utilizing the strategy

described in Rule 6A-6.0312(3)(a), F

AC., shall be counted at exceptional student

special pr

o gram cost factors only if the class is being taught in a special program

for ex

cep tion al students, by a qualiﬁed teacher in accordance with Rule 6A-

1.0503, F

AC.

(6) The school boar

d's provisions for course modiﬁcations shall be

incorporated in the district's pupil pr

ogression plan.

Speciﬁc Authority 229.053(1), 230.23(4)(m), 236.081(1)(c) FS. Law

Implemented 232.246(5), 232.247 FS. History - New 4-30-85, Formerly 6A-6.312,

Amended 4-23-87.

6A-1.0943, F

AC. Statewide Assessment for Students with Disabilities.

(1)

The Division of Public Schools and Community Education shall assur

the inclusion of students with disabilities as deﬁ

ned by Section 228.041(18),

Florida Statutes, in the statewide assessment pr

ogram, develop the test

instr

uments required herein and provide technical assistance to school districts

in the implementation of the r

equirements of this rule including appropriate

accommodations to instr

uments and statewide assessment procedures

administer

ed pursuant to Section 229.57, Florida Statutes. Students who ar

identiﬁ

ed solely as gifted are not eligible for state assessment accommodations.

(a) The decision to exclude any student with a disability

, as deﬁned

in Section 228.041(18), Florida Statutes, fr

om statewide or district assessment

programs is made by the Individual Educational Plan (IEP) team and r

ecorded

on the IEP

. Students may be excluded from statewide or district assessment

programs if the following criteria are met:

The student’s demonstrated cognitive ability pr

events the student from

completing r

equired coursework and achieving the Sunshine State Standards as

incorporated by r

eference in Rule 6A-1.09401, FAC., even with appropriate and

allowable course modiﬁ

cations, and

The student r

equires extensive direct instruction to accomplish

the application and transfer of skills and competencies needed for domestic,

community living, leisur

e, and vocational activities.

(b)

Students who ar

e excluded from statewide or district assessment will

be assessed thr

ough an alternate assessment procedure identiﬁed by the IEP

team. The alternate assessment pr

ocedure shall be recorded on the student’s IEP.

(c)

Students who ar

e excluded from the state-required graduation test

using the criteria in paragraphs (1)(a) and (b) of this r

ule will not be eligible for a

standard high school diploma.

(2)

Each school boar

d shall utilize appropriate accommodations to the

statewide assessment instr

uments and procedures, within the limits prescribed

herein. Accommodations are deﬁned as adjustments to the presentation of

the assessment questions, method of r

ecording examinee responses to the

questions, schedule for administration of the assessment, or use of assistive

devices to facilitate administration of the assessment. Statewide assessment

accommodations may be used only if they do not alter the underlying content

that is being measur

ed by the assessment or negatively affect the assessment’s

reliability or validity. Accommodations shall be identiﬁed for each eligible

student and r

ecorded on the student’s IEP or plan developed under Section 504

of the Rehabilitation

Act. Allowable accommodations are those that have been

used by the student in classr

oom instruction as long as the accommodations are

within the limits speciﬁ

ed in this rule. Such accommodations may include:

(a)

Presentation. The student may be administered any statewide

assessment thr

ough the following presentation formats:

Regular print versions of the test may be enlar

ged through mechanical

or electr

onic means.

The district test coor

dinator may request large print versions.

Braille versions may be r

equested for students who use Braille

materials. Some test items may be alter

ed in format for Braille versions of the

test as authorized by the Department. T

est items that have no application for

the Braille r

eader will be deleted as authorized by the Department. Student

performance standar

ds that cannot be assessed in the Braille format will be

deleted fr

om the requirements of Section 229.57, Florida Statutes.

Signed or oral pr

esentation may be provided for all directions and

items other than r

eading items. Reading items must be read by the student

through visual or tactile means.

The student may use means to maintain or enhance visual attention to

test items.

Presentation formats not covered by this rule may be requested

through the Department of Education and will be provided, as appropriate, upon

approval by the Commissioner of Education.

(b)

Responding. The student may use varied methods to r

espond to

the test, including written, signed and verbal r

esponse. Written responses may

include the use of mechanical and electr

onic devices. A test administrator or

proctor may transcribe student responses to the format required by the test.

Transcribed responses must accurately reﬂect the response of the student,

without addition or ediﬁ

cation by the test administrator or proctor.

(c)

Scheduling. The student may be administer

ed a test during several

brief sessions allowing fr

equent breaks during the testing sessions, within

speciﬁcations of the test administration manual. Students may be provided

additional time for the administration of the test.

(d)

Setting. The student may be administer

ed a test individually or in

a small gr

oup setting. The student may be provided with adaptive or special

furnitur

e and special lighting or acoustics.

(e)

Assistive devices. The student may use the following assistive devices

typically used in classr

oom instruction.

1. If the purpose of the assessment r

equires complex computation,

calculators may be used as authorized in the test administration manual.

calculator may not be used on assessments of basic computation as speciﬁ

ed in

the test administration manual.

Visual magniﬁcation and auditory ampliﬁcation devices may be used.

For students with visual impairments, an abacus may be used.

Technology may be used without accessing spelling or grammar-

checking applications for writing assessments and without using speech output

programs for reading items assessed. Other assistive technology typically used

? ?

by the student in classr

oom instruction may be used provided the purpose of

the testing is not violated. Implementation of assistive devices must assur

e that

test r

esponses are the independent work of the student. Unusual circumstances

of accommodations thr

ough assistive devices must be approved by the

Commissioner of Education befor

e use.

(3) The pr

eceding accommodations described in paragraphs (2)(a)

through (e) of this rule are authorized, when determined appropriate by the

school district superintendent or designee, for any student who has been

determined to be an eligible student with disabilities pursuant to Section

228.041(18), Florida Statutes, and Rule 6A-6.0331, F

AC., and has a current IEP, or

who has been determined to be a student with a disability pursuant to Rule 6A-

19.001(6), F

AC. Satisfaction of the requirements of Rule 6A-1.0942, FAC., by any

of the above accommodations shall have no bearing upon the type of diploma or

certiﬁ

cate issued to the student for completing school.

(4)

The need for any unique accommodations for use on state assessments

not outlined in this r

ule must be approved by the Commissioner of Education.

(5)

District personnel ar

e required to implement the accommodations in a

manner that ensur

es the test responses are the independent work of the student.

Personnel ar

e prohibited from assisting a student in determining how the student

will r

espond or directing or leading the student to a particular response. In no

case shall the accommodations authorized her

ein be interpreted or construed as

an authorization to pr

ovide a student with assistance in determining the answer

to any test item.

(6)

The test scor

es of students with disabilities, as deﬁned in Section

228.041(18), Florida Statutes, will be included in the state’s accountability system

as determined by the Commissioner of Education.

(7)

Procedures for exemption from the assessment required for graduation

with a standar

d high school diploma due to extraordinary circumstances of a

student with a disability

, as deﬁned in Section 228.041(18), Florida Statutes, are

speciﬁed in Rule 6A-1.09431, FAC.

Speciﬁ

c Authority 229.57(3)(11), 232.246(8)(9) FS. Law Implemented

229.57(3)(1

1), 232.246(8)(9) FS. History – New 9-12-78, Amended 3-4-84, Formerly

6A-1.943,

Amended 6-12-90, 9-17-2001.

? ?

6A-1.09431, F

AC. Procedures for Special Exemption from Graduation Test

Requirement for Students with Disabilities Seeking a Standard High School

Diploma.

Students with disabilities, as deﬁned in Section 228.041(18), Florida

Statutes, ar

e eligible for consideration of a special exemption from the graduation

test r

equirement under extraordinary circumstances that create a situation

where the results of administration of the graduation test would reﬂect a

student’s impair

ed sensory, manual or speaking skills rather than the student’s

achievement.

Such cir

cumstances are deﬁned as physical conditions that affect a

student’s ability to communicate in modes acceptable thr

ough accommodation

of the statewide test. Extraor

dinary circumstances are events or conditions

that pr

event the student from physically demonstrating mastery of skills that

have been acquir

ed and are measured by the test. Learning process deﬁcits and

cognitive deﬁ

cits do not constitute extraordinary circumstances. A request may

be made for an exemption fr

om any or all sections of the test required for high

school graduation.

(1) The Commissioner may exempt a student with a disability as deﬁ

ned

by Section 228.041(18), Florida Statutes, fr

om meeting the testing requirement

for high school graduation with a standar

d diploma, as speciﬁed in Section

229.57(3)(c), Florida Statutes

(2) The pr

ocedure for consideration of this special exemption must

originate with r

eceipt of a written request from the district school superintendent

at least one semester befor

e the anticipated graduation date. This request must

be due to extraor

dinary circumstances which would cause the results of the

testing to r

eﬂect the student’s impaired sensory, manual or speaking skills rather

than the student’s achievement. The Commissioner shall determine whether

the exemption shall be granted based upon the documentation pr

ovided by the

district school superintendent which shall include:

(a)

Written description of the student’s disabling condition, including a

speciﬁc description of the student’s impaired sensory, manual or speaking skills

and the extraor

dinary circumstances for the exemption request;

(b) Written documentation of the most recent and other available re

evaluation or psychological r

eports and course transcript;

(c)

Written description of the disability’s effect on the student’s

achievement;

(d) Written description of accommodations or modiﬁcations provided in

the student’s high school course of study;

(e)

Written evidence that the student has had the opportunity to learn

the skills being tested, has been pr

epared to participate in the testing program

and has been pr

ovided appropriate test accommodations as deﬁned in Rule 6A-

1.0943, F

AC.; and

? ?

(f)

ritten evidence that the manifestation of the student’s disability

prohibits the student from responding to the written test even when appropriate

accommodations ar

e provided so that the result of the testing reﬂects the

student’s impair

ed sensory, manual or speaking skills rather than the student’s

achievement.

(g)

Written description of academic accomplishments indicating mastery

of skills assessed on the graduation test as described in Section 229.57(3), Florida

Statutes.

(3)

Upon receipt of the request for exemption, the Commissioner shall

determine whether sufﬁ

cient documentation has been provided and may request

additional information.

(4)

If the Commissioner determines that the criteria for an exemption

have been met, the r

equest for exemption from one or both parts of the test will

be granted. Students granted a r

equest for exemption from the graduation test

must meet all other criteria for graduation with a standar

d diploma as outlined

in Section 232.246, Florida Statutes

(5)

Students who ar

e not granted an exemption under this rule and who

have not demonstrated mastery of the skills measur

ed by the test for graduation

continue to be eligible for the pr

ovision of a free appropriate public education

until the age of twenty-two (22).

(6)

Students with disabilities who do not meet the graduation criteria for

a standar

d high school diploma may be eligible for a special diploma as outlined

in Rule 6-1.0996, F

AC.

Speciﬁ

c Authority 229.57 (3) (c), 232.246 (9), FS. Law Implemented 229.57,

232.246 (9), F

.S., 20 USC 1412(a)(1)(B). History - New 9-17-2001.

? ?

Chapter 19 Educational Equity

6A-19.001, F

AC. Scope, Coverage and Deﬁnitions.

Chapter 6A-19, F

AC, implements Section 228.2001, Florida Statutes, which

prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, sex, national origin, marital status or

handicap against a student or employee in the state system of public education,

as deﬁned in Section 228.041(1), Florida Statutes. The following deﬁnitions shall

apply.

(1)

Activity. Any organized academic, vocational, athletic, co-curricular

or extracurricular pursuit, undertaking or assignment conducted under

the authority or dir

ection of an institution within the state system of public

education.

(2)

Admission. Selection for part-time, full-time, special, associate, transfer

exchange or any other enr

ollment, participation or matriculation, in or at, an

education pr

ogram or activity conducted under the authority or direction of an

institution within the state system of public education.

...

(6) Handicapped Person.

Any person who has a physical or mental

impairment which substantially limits one or mor

e major life activities; has a

record of such an impairment; or is regarded as having such an impairment.

(a) Physical or mental impairment.

Any physiological disorder or condition, cosmetic disﬁgurement,

or anatomical loss af

fecting one or more of the following body systems:

neurological; musculoskeletal; special sense organs; respiratory, including speech

organs; cardiovascular, reproductive, digestive, genito-urinary; hemic and

lymphatic; skin; or endocrine; or

Any mental or psychological disorder, such as mental retardation, organic

brain syndr

ome, emotional or mental illness, and speciﬁc learning disabilities.

(b) Major life activities. Functions such as caring for one’s self, performing

manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, br

eathing, learning and

working

ecord of such an impairment. Has a history of, or has been

incorr

ectly classiﬁed as having, a mental or physical impairment that

substantially limits one or mor

e major life activities.

(d) Is r

egarded has having an impairment.

1. Has a physical or mental impairment that does not substantially limit

major life activities but that is tr

eated by an institution as constituting such a

limitation;

2. Has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits major life

activities only as a r

esult of the attitudes of others and , therefore, is treated by an

institution as having such an impairment.

...

Chapter 19 Educational Equity

6A-19.002, F

AC. Treatment of Students.

General.

A guidance, counseling, ﬁnancial assistance, academic, career and

vocational pr

ograms, services and activities offered by each institution shall be

offered without regard to race, sex, national origin, marital status or handicap.

There shall be no discrimination in recreational, athletic, co-curricular or

extracurricular activities.

(1) Guidance and Counseling. Each institution shall assur

e that, in guidance

and counseling practices, ther

e is no discrimination on the basis of race, sex,

national origin, marital status or handicap. Factors of race, sex, national origin,

marital status or handicap shall not be used to encourage or discourage a

student’s enr

ollment in a particular program or participation in a particular

activity or to measur

e or predict a student’s prospects for success in any career,

occupation, pr

ogram, course or activity.

(a) If particular pr

ograms or disciplines have disproportionate enrollments

of male or female students, minority or nonminority students, or handicapped

students, the institution shall examine its policies, pr

ocedures and practices to

determine whether the dispr

oportion is the result of discriminatory counseling

activities.

(b) Qualiﬁed handicapped students shall not be counseled toward more

restrictive career or academic objectives than nonhandicapped students with

similar abilities and inter

est. This requirement does not preclude the providing

of factual information, at the postsecondary level, about licensing or certiﬁ

cation

requirements that may present obstacles to handicapped persons in their pursuit

of particular car

eers.

having limited-English-language skills and with students having hearing

impairments. This r

equirement may be satisﬁed by having interpreters available.

(d) Counseling materials and other publications used by the institution

shall not state or imply thr

ough text or illustration, that applicants, students or

employees ar

e treated differently on the basis of race, sex, national origin, marital

status or handicap. This does not pr

ohibit the inclusion of information designed

to meet the needs of national origin minority students with limited-English-

language skills, handicapped students needing special services or as may be

appropriate for afﬁrmative action purposes.

(e)

Appraisal instruments selected by the institution shall not discriminate

based on race, sex, national origin, marital status or handicap. Counseling

tests and instr

uments, which result in disproportionate enrollment in any

course or pr

ogram, shall be examined by the institution for discrimination in

the instr

ument or in its application. Institutions are not required to conduct

additional examination of state-r

equired instruments.

...

(2)

Admission to Courses, Programs and Activities. Institutions shall not

base admission decisions on race, sex, national origin, marital status or handicap.

Special selection criteria for admission within the institution for participation

in pr

ograms or courses shall be related to program standards or requirements.

If it has been empirically demonstrated that a selection criterion which has an

adverse impact is pr

edictive of success during the program, course or activity,

and that ther

e has been a reasonable search for equally valid criteria which do

not have a dispr

oportionate adverse impact, or if the criterion is required by

law, then the criterion shall not be considered discriminatory. Selection criteria

for admission, which ar

e in use on the effective date of this rule, shall not be

consider

ed discriminatory if demonstrated to be predictive of success within one

year fr

om the effective date of this rule.

...

ed handicapped person shall be excluded from

participation in, denied beneﬁ

ts of, or subjected to discrimination under any

course, pr

ogram, service or activity, operated under the authority or direction

of an institution within the state system of public education solely on the basis

of handicap. Each pr

ogram, service and activity shall be operated so that the

program, service or activity, when viewed in its entirety, is readily accessible to

handicapped persons.

1. Qualiﬁed handicapped persons shall not be denied access to vocational,

career or academic programs, courses, services or activities because of

architectural or equipment barriers, or because of the need for auxiliary aids or

related aids and services. Auxiliary aids may include taped texts, interpreters

or other ef

fective methods of making orally delivered materials available to

students with hearing impairments, classr

oom equipment adapted for use by

students with manual impairments, and other similar services and actions.

Institutions need not pr

ovide attendants, individually prescribed devices, readers

for personal use or study

, or other devices or services of a personal nature.

Access to vocational and academic programs or courses shall not

be denied to qualiﬁ

ed handicapped students on the basis that employment

opportunities in any occupation or pr

ofession may be more limited for

handicapped persons than for nonhandicapped persons.

3. In administering admissions policies, each institution shall assur

e that

admissions tests ar

e selected and administered so as best to ensure that, when

a test is administer

ed to an applicant who has a handicap that impairs sensory,

manual or speaking skills, the test r

esults accurately reﬂect the applicant’s

aptitude or achievement level or whatever other factor the test purports to

measure, rather than reﬂecting the applicant’s impaired sensory, manual or

speaking skills, except wher

e those skills are the factors that the test purports to

measure. Admissions tests that are designed for persons with impaired sensory,

manual or speaking skills shall be of

fered as often, and in as timely a manner,

as ar

e other admissions tests. Admissions tests shall be administered in facilities

that, on the whole, ar

e accessible to handicapped persons.

Institutions shall make such modiﬁ

cations to its academic requirements

as ar

e necessary to ensure that they do not discriminate or have the effect of

discriminating, on the basis of handicap, against a qualiﬁ

ed handicapped

applicant or student.

Academic requirements that the recipient can demonstrate

are essential to the program of instruction being pursued by the student, or to

any dir

ectly related licensing requirement, will not be regarded as discriminatory.

Modiﬁcations may include changes in the length of time permitted for the

completion of degr

ee requirements, substitution of speciﬁc courses required for

the completion of degr

ee requirements, and adaptation of the manner in which

speciﬁc courses are conducted.

5. Institutions shall not impose upon handicapped students other r

ules, such

as the pr

ohibition of tape recorders in classrooms or of dog guides in campus

buildings, that have the ef

fect of limiting the participation of handicapped

students in the institution’s education pr

ogram or activity.

In course or pr

ogram examinations, or other procedures for evaluating

students’ academic achievement in its pr

ogram, the institution shall provide

methods for evaluating the achievement of students who have a handicap that

impairs sensory

, manual or speaking skills which will ensure that the results of

the evaluation r

epresents the student’s achievement in the course or program,

rather than r

eﬂecting the student’s impaired sensory, manual or speaking skills,

except wher

e those skills are the factors that the test purports to measure.

A postsecondary institution shall not make preadmission inquiry as to

whether an applicant is a handicapped person except when the institution is

taking r

emedial steps to increase the participation of handicapped persons in

programs and courses in which handicapped students have been traditionally

under r

epresented as speciﬁed in Section 228.2001(4), Florida Statutes, and

under those conditions all written and oral inquiries must make clear that the

information r

equested is intended for use solely in connection with remedial

steps; the information is being r

equested on a voluntary basis; the information

will be kept conﬁ

dential as required by federal law; and that refusal to provide

such information will not subject the applicant to any adverse tr

eatment.

However, after admission, an institution may make inquiries on a conﬁdential

basis as to handicaps that may r

equire accommodation.

8. Nonacademic, co-curricular

, extracurricular and physical education

services and manner as is necessary to af

ford handicapped students an equal

opportunity for participation in such services and activities.

An institution that offers physical education or that operates or sponsors

interscholastic activities, clubs, inter

collegiate or intramural athletics shall

provide an equal opportunity for participation to qualiﬁed handicapped

students.

10. Physical education and athletic activities that ar

e separate or different

from those offered to nonhandicapped students may be offered only if the

institution can show that this is necessary to meet the needs of the handicapped

? ?

students. Qualiﬁ

ed handicapped students shall be provided the opportunity to

compete for teams or to participate in physical education courses or activities

that ar

e not separate or different.

11.

In choosing among available methods to ensure that programs, services

and activities ar

e accessible, priority shall be given to those methods that offer

programs, services and activities to handicapped persons in the most integrated

setting appr

opriate.

12.

Any facilities, services or activities that are identiﬁable as being for

handicapped persons shall be comparable to other facilities, services and

activities.

13.

Access to information regarding admission to programs, courses and

activities shall be pr

ovided to handicapped persons.

14.

Any activity or program which is not operated by the institution but

which is consider

ed a part of, or equivalent to, an institution’s program, shall

be operated in a manner which pr

ovides equal opportunities to qualiﬁed

handicapped persons.

Speciﬁ

c Authority 228.2001(5), 229.053(1) FS. Law Implemented 228.2001(2),

229.053(1), 240.203(2), 240.325(2)(5)(8) FS. History - New 3-1

1-85, Formerly 6A-

19.02.

Section 1003.43, Florida Statutes,

General requirements for high school

graduation.

(1) Graduation r

equires successful completion of either a minimum of 24

academic cr

edits in grades 9 through 12 or an International Baccalaureate

curriculum. The 24 cr

edits shall be distributed as follows:

(a) Four cr

edits in English, with major concentration in composition and

literatur

(b) Three credits in mathematics. Effective for students entering the 9th grade in

the 1997-1998 school year and ther

eafter, one of these credits must be Algebra I, a

series of courses equivalent to

Algebra I, or a higher-level mathematics course.

(c)

Three credits in science, two of which must have a laboratory component.

The State Boar

d of Education may grant an annual waiver of the laboratory

requirement to a district school board that certiﬁes that its laboratory facilities

are inadequate, provided the district school board submits a capital outlay plan

to pr

ovide adequate facilities and makes the funding of this plan a priority of the

district school boar

d. Agriscience Foundations I, the core course in secondary

Agriscience and Natural Resour

ces programs, counts as one of the science

credits.

(d) One credit in American history.

(e)

One credit in world history, including a comparative study of the history,

doctrines, and objectives of all major political systems.

(f)

One-half cr

edit in economics, including a comparative study of the history,

doctrines, and objectives of all major economic systems. The Florida Council

on Economic Education shall pr

ovide technical assistance to the department

and district school boar

ds in developing curriculum materials for the study of

economics.

(g) One-half cr

edit in American government, including study of the Constitution

of the United States. For students entering the 9th grade in the 1997-1998 school

year and ther

eafter, the study of Florida government, including study of the

State Constitution, the thr

ee branches of state government, and municipal and

county government, shall be included as part of the r

equired study of American

government.

(h)1.

One credit in practical arts career and technical education or exploratory

career and technical education. Any career and technical education course

as deﬁned in s. 1003.01 may be taken to satisfy the high school graduation

requirement for one credit in practical arts or exploratory career and technical

education pr

ovided in this subparagraph;

2. One credit in performing ﬁne arts to be selected from music, dance, drama,

painting, or sculptur

e. A course in any art form, in addition to painting or

? ?

sculptur

e, that requires manual dexterity, or a course in speech and debate, may

be taken to satisfy the high school graduation r

equirement for one credit in

performing arts pursuant to this subparagraph; or

3. One-half cr

edit each in practical arts career and technical education or

exploratory car

eer and technical education and performing ﬁne arts, as deﬁned

in this paragraph.

Such cr

edit for practical arts career and technical education or exploratory career

and technical education or for performing ﬁ

ne arts shall be made available in the

9th grade, and students shall be scheduled into a 9th grade course as a priority

(i)

One-half cr

edit in life management skills to include consumer education,

positive emotional development, marriage and r

elationship skill-based

education, nutrition, par

enting skills, prevention of human immunodeﬁciency

virus infection and acquired immune deﬁciency syndrome and other sexually

transmissible diseases, beneﬁ

ts of sexual abstinence and consequences of teenage

pregnancy, information and instruction on breast cancer detection and breast self-

examination, car

diopulmonary resuscitation, drug education, and the hazards of

smoking.

(j)

One credit in physical education to include assessment, improvement, and

maintenance of personal ﬁ

tness. Participation in an interscholastic sport at the

junior varsity or varsity level, for two full seasons, shall satisfy the one-cr

edit

requirement in physical education if the student passes a competency test on

personal ﬁ

tness with a score of “C” or better. The competency test on personal

ﬁtness must be developed by the Department of Education. A district school

board may not require that the one credit in physical education be taken during

the 9th grade year

. Completion of one semester with a grade of “C” or better in

a marching band class, in a physical activity class that requires participation in

marching band activities as an extracurricular activity, or in a Reserve Ofﬁcer

Training Corps (R.O.T.C.) class a signiﬁcant component of which is drills shall

satisfy a one-half cr

edit requirement in physical education. This one-half credit

may not be used to satisfy the personal ﬁ

tness requirement or the requirement

for adaptive physical education under an individual educational plan (IEP) or

504 plan.

(k) Eight and one-half elective cr

edits.

District school boar

ds may award a maximum of one-half credit in social

studies and one-half elective cr

edit for student completion of nonpaid voluntary

community or school service work. Students choosing this option must complete

a minimum of 75 hours of service in or

der to earn the one-half credit in either

category of instr

uction. Credit may not be earned for service provided as a

result of court action. District school boards that approve the award of credit for

student volunteer service shall develop guidelines r

egarding the award of the

credit, and school principals are responsible for approving speciﬁc volunteer

activities.

A course designated in the Course Code Directory as grade 9 through

? ?

grade 12 that is taken below the 9th grade may be used to satisfy high school

graduation r

equirements or Florida Academic Scholars award requirements as

speciﬁed in a district school board’s student progression plan. A student shall be

granted cr

edit toward meeting the requirements of this subsection for equivalent

courses, as identiﬁ

ed pursuant to s. 1007.271 (6), taken through dual enrollment.

(2) Remedial and compensatory courses taken in grades 9 thr

ough 12 may only

be counted as elective cr

edit as provided in subsection (1).

(3) Credit for high school graduation may be earned for volunteer activities and

nonacademic activities which have been appr

oved for such credit by the State

Board of Education.

(4)(a)

A district school board may require speciﬁc courses and programs of

study within the minimum cr

edit requirements for high school graduation

and shall modify basic courses, as necessary

, to assure exceptional students the

opportunity to meet the graduation r

equirements for a standard diploma, using

one of the following strategies:

1. Assignment of the exceptional student to an exceptional education class for

instr

uction in a basic course with the same student performance standar

ds as

those r

equired of nonexceptional students in the district school board student

progression plan; or

2. Assignment of the exceptional student to a basic education class for

instr

uction that is modiﬁed to accommodate the student’s exceptionality.

(b) The district school boar

d shall determine which of these strategies to employ

based upon an assessment of the student’s needs and shall r

eﬂect this decision in

the student’s individual educational plan.

(c)

District school boar

ds are authorized and encouraged to establish

requirements for high school graduation in excess of the minimum requirements;

however, an increase in academic credit or minimum grade point average

requirements shall not apply to those students enrolled in grades 9 through 12

at the time the district school boar

d increases the requirements. In addition, any

increase in academic credit or minimum grade point average requirements shall

not apply to a student who earns cr

edit toward the graduation requirements of

this section for equivalent courses taken thr

ough dual enrollment.

(5) Each district school boar

d shall establish standards for graduation from its

schools, and these standar

ds must include:

(a) Earning passing scor

es on the FCAT, as deﬁned in s. 1008.22 (3)(c).

(b) Completion of all other applicable r

equirements prescribed by the district

school boar

d pursuant to s. 1008.25.

(c)

Achievement of a cumulative grade point average of 1.5 on a 4.0 scale, or

its equivalent, for students entering 9th grade befor

e the 1997-1998 school year;

however, these students must earn a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 on a

? ?

4.0

scale, or its equivalent, in the courses r

equired by subsection (1) that are taken

after July 1, 1997, or have an overall cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or

above.

(d) Achievement of a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale, or its

equivalent, in the courses r

equired by subsection (1), for students entering 9th

grade in the 1997-1998 school year and ther

eafter.

(e)

For purposes of paragraphs (c) and (d):

1. Each district school boar

d shall adopt policies designed to assist students in

meeting these r

equirements. These policies may include, but are not limited to:

forgiveness policies, summer school or before or after school attendance, special

counseling, volunteer and/or peer tutors, school-sponsor

ed help sessions,

homework hotlines, and study skills classes. Beginning in the 2000-2001 school

year and each year ther

eafter, forgiveness policies for required courses shall

be limited to r

eplacing a grade of “D” or “F,” or the equivalent of a grade of

“D” or “F

,” with a grade of “C” or higher, or the equivalent of a grade of “C”

or higher

, earned subsequently in the same or comparable course. Forgiveness

policies for elective courses shall be limited to r

eplacing a grade of “D” or “F,”

or the equivalent of a grade of “D” or “F

,” with a grade of “C” or higher, or the

equivalent of a grade of “C” or higher

, earned subsequently in another course.

Any course grade not r

eplaced according to a district school board forgiveness

policy shall be included in the calculation of the cumulative grade point average

required for graduation.

2. At the end of each semester, the parent of each student in grades 9, 10, 11,

and 12 who has a cumulative grade point average of less than 0.5 above the

cumulative grade point average r

equired for graduation shall be notiﬁed that the

student is at risk of not meeting the r

equirements for graduation. The notice shall

contain an explanation of the policies the district school boar

d has in place to

assist the student in meeting the grade point average r

equirement.

3. Special assistance to obtain a high school equivalency diploma pursuant to

s. 1003.435 may be given only when the student has completed all r

equirements

for graduation except the attainment of the r

equired cumulative grade point

average.

The standar

ds required in this subsection, and any subsequent modiﬁcations,

shall be r

eprinted in the Florida Administrative Code even though not deﬁned as

“rules.”

(6) The Legislatur

e recognizes that adult learners are unique in situation and

needs. The following graduation r

equirements are therefore instituted for

students enr

olled in adult general education in accordance with s. 1004.93 in

pursuit of a high school diploma:

(a) The one cr

edit in physical education required for graduation, pursuant

to subsection (1), is not r

equired for graduation and shall be substituted with

? ?

elective cr

edit keeping the total credits needed for graduation consistent with

subsection (1).

(b) Each district school boar

d may waive the laboratory component of the

science r

equirement expressed in subsection (1) when such facilities are

inaccessible or do not exist.

(c)

Any course listed within the Department of Education Course Code

Directory in the areas of art, dance, drama, or music may be undertaken by adult

secondary education students. Enr

ollment and satisfactory completion of such

a course shall satisfy the cr

edit in performing ﬁne arts required for high school

graduation pursuant to subsection (1).

(7) No student may be granted cr

edit toward high school graduation for

enrollment in the following courses or programs:

(a) More than a total of nine elective credits in remedial programs.

(b) More than one credit in exploratory career education courses as deﬁned in s.

1003.01 (4)(a).

(c)

More than three credits in practical arts family and consumer sciences classes

as deﬁned in s. 1003.01 (4)(a).

(d) Any Level I course unless the student’s assessment indicates that a mor

rigor

ous course of study would be inappropriate, in which case a written

assessment of the need must be included in the student’s individual educational

plan or in a student performance plan, signed by the principal, the guidance

counselor

, and the parent of the student, or the student if the student is 18 years

of age or older

(8) The State Boar

d of Education, after a public hearing and consideration,

shall adopt r

ules based upon the recommendations of the commissioner for the

provision of test accommodations and modiﬁcations of procedures as necessary

for students with disabilities which will demonstrate the student’s abilities rather

than r

eﬂect the student’s impaired sensory, manual, speaking, or psychological

process skills.

(9) The public hearing and consideration r

equired in subsection (8) shall not

be constr

ued to amend or nullify the requirements of security relating to the

contents of examinations or assessment instr

uments and related materials or data

as pr

escribed in s. 1008.23.

(10)(a)

A student who meets all requirements prescribed in subsections (1), (4),

and (5) shall be awar

ded a standard diploma in a form prescribed by the State

Board of Education. A district school board may attach the Florida gold seal

career endorsement to a standard diploma or, instead of the standard diploma,

award differentiated diplomas to those exceeding the prescribed minimums.

(b) A student who completes the minimum number of credits and other

requirements prescribed by subsections (1) and (4), but who is unable to meet

? ?

the standar

ds of paragraph (5)(a), paragraph (5)(b), or paragraph (5)(c), shall

be awarded a certiﬁcate of completion in a form prescribed by the State Board

of Education. However

, any student who is otherwise entitled to a certiﬁcate

of completion may elect to r

emain in the secondary school either as a full-time

student or a part-time student for up to 1 additional year and r

eceive special

instr

uction designed to remedy his or her identiﬁed deﬁciencies.

(11)(a) Each district school board must provide instruction to prepare students

with disabilities to demonstrate pr

oﬁciency in the skills and competencies

necessary for successful grade-to-grade pr

ogression and high school graduation.

(b) A student with a disability, as deﬁned in s. 1007.02 (2), for whom the

individual educational plan (IEP) committee determines that the FCA

T cannot

accurately measur

e the student’s abilities taking into consideration all allowable

accommodations, shall have the FCA

T requirement of paragraph (5)(a) waived

for the purpose of r

eceiving a standard high school diploma, if the student:

1. Completes the minimum number of cr

edits and other requirements prescribed

by subsections (1) and (4).

2. Does not meet the r

equirements of paragraph (5)(a) after one opportunity in

10th grade and one opportunity in 1

1th grade.

(12)

The Commissioner of Education may awar

d a standard high school diploma

to honorably dischar

ged veterans who started high school between 1937 and

1946 and wer

e scheduled to graduate between 1941 and 1950 but were inducted

into the United States

Armed Forces between September 16, 1940, and December

31, 1946, prior to completing the necessary high school graduation r

equirements.

Upon the r

ecommendation of the commissioner, the State Board of Education

may develop criteria and guidelines for awar

ding such diplomas.

(13)

The Commissioner of Education may awar

d a standard high school

diploma to honorably dischar

ged veterans who started high school

between 1946 and 1950 and wer

e scheduled to graduate between 1950

and 1954, but wer

e inducted into the United States Armed Forces between

June 1950 and January 1954, and served during the Kor

ean War prior to

completing the necessary high school graduation r

equirements. Upon the

recommendation of the commissioner, the State Board of Education may

develop criteria and guidelines for awar

ding such diplomas.

History

—s. 1, ch. 2002-278; s. 132, ch. 2002-387; s. 2, ch. 2003-8; s. 1

1, ch. 2003

391.

? ?

Section 1003.438, Florida Statutes, Special high school graduation

requirements for certain exceptional students.

student who has been properly classiﬁed, in accordance with rules established

by the State Boar

d of Education, as “educable mentally handicapped,”

“trainable mentally handicapped,” “hearing impair

ed,” “speciﬁc learning

disabled,” “physically or language impair

ed,” or “emotionally handicapped”

shall not be r

equired to meet all requirements of s. 1003.43 and shall, upon

meeting all applicable r

equirements prescribed by the district school board

pursuant to s. 1008.25 , be awar

ded a special diploma in a form prescribed by

the commissioner; however

, such special graduation requirements prescribed

by the district school boar

d must include minimum graduation requirements

as pr

escribed by the commissioner. Any such student who meets all special

requirements of the district school board for exceptionality, but is unable to

meet the appr

opriate special state minimum requirements, shall be awarded a

special certiﬁ

cate of completion in a form prescribed by the commissioner. A

student who has been pr

operly classiﬁed as “profoundly handicapped” and

who meets the special r

equirements of the district school board for a special

diploma in accor

dance with requirements for any exceptional student identiﬁed

in this section shall be awar

ded a special diploma; however, such a student

shall alternatively be eligible for a special certiﬁ

cate of completion, in a form

prescribed by the commissioner, if all school requirements for students who

are “profoundly handicapped” have been met. However, this section does not

limit or r

estrict the right of an exceptional student solely to a special diploma or

special certiﬁ

cate of completion. Any such student shall, upon proper request,

be af

forded the opportunity to fully meet all requirements of s. 1003.43 through

the standar

d procedures established therein and thereby to qualify for a standard

diploma upon graduation.

History

. —s. 136, ch. 2002-387.

Section 1003.491, Florida Statutes, Career and technical education.

(1) School boar

d, superintendent, and school accountability for career and

technical education within elementary and secondary schools includes, but is not

limited to:

(a) Student exposur

e to a variety of careers and provision of instruction to

explore speciﬁc careers in greater depth.

(b) Student awar

eness of available career and technical programs and the

corresponding occupations into which such programs lead.

(c)

Student development of individual car

eer plans.

(d) Integration of academic and car

eer and technical skills in the secondary

curriculum.

(e)

Student pr

eparation to enter the workforce and enroll in postsecondary

education without being r

equired to complete college preparatory or vocational

preparatory instruction.

(f)

Student r

etention in school through high school graduation.

(g) Career and technical curriculum articulation with corresponding

postsecondary pr

ograms in the local area technical center or community college,

or both.

(2) No school boar

d or public school shall require a student to participate in any

school-to-work or job training pr

ogram. A district school board or school shall

not r

equire a student to meet occupational standards for grade level promotion

or graduation unless the student is voluntarily enr

olled in a job training

program.

History

. —s. 143, ch. 2002-387.

Section 1008.22(3)(b)(6-8), Florida Statutes, Student assessment program for

public schools.

(6) Participation in the testing pr

ogram is mandatory for all students attending

public school, including students served in Department of Juvenile Justice

programs, except as otherwise prescribed by the commissioner.

If a student does not participate in the statewide assessment, the district must

notify the student’s par

ent and provide the parent with information regarding

the implications of such

nonparticipation.

If modiﬁcations are made in the student’s instruction to provide

accommodations that would not be permitted on the statewide assessment

tests, the district must notify the student’s par

ent of the implications of such

instr

uctional modiﬁcations.

A parent must provide signed consent for a student to receive instructional

modiﬁcations that would not be permitted on the statewide assessments and

must acknowledge in writing that he or she understands the

implications of

such accommodations.

The State Boar

d of Education shall adopt rules, based upon recommendations of

the commissioner, for the provision of test accommodations and modiﬁcations of

procedures as necessary for students in exceptional education programs and for

students who have limited English pr

oﬁciency. Accommodations that negate the

validity of a statewide assessment ar

e not allowable.

(7)

A student seeking an adult high school diploma must meet the same testing

requirements that a regular high school student must meet.

(8) District school boar

ds must provide instruction to prepare students to

demonstrate pr

oﬁciency in the skills and competencies necessary for successful

grade-to-grade pr

ogression and high school graduation. If a student is provided

with accommodations or modiﬁ

cations that are not allowable in the statewide

assessment pr

ogram, as described in the test manuals, the district must inform

the par

ent in writing and must provide the parent with information regarding

the impact on the student’s ability to meet expected pr

oﬁciency levels in reading,

writing, and math.

? ?

ppendix B

? ?

esources

? ?

Accommodations

Adapting instruction to accommodate students in inclusive settings, Third edition.

Judy W

. Wood. 1998. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.

This book includes information and practical suggestions for providing

appropriate services for students with disabilities and other at-risk

students in K-12 settings. The ﬁ

rst part of the book includes a discussion

of the legal foun

da tion, the responsibilities of the multidisciplinary team,

the characteristics of students, and placement options. The second part

intr

oduces a sys tem at ic process for including students with a disability.

Many suggestions ar

e pro vid ed for adapting the environment, lesson

plans, teaching techniques, con

tent, media, and eval u a tion and grading.

Curriculum adaptations for students with learning and behavior pr

oblems: Principles

and practices.

John J. Hoover and James R. Patton. 1997. Reston, V

irginia:

Council for Exceptional Childr

en.

This guide helps in adapting content and strategies for elementary and

high school students with mild learning and behavior pr

oblems. Easy-

to-use guides and checklists help the teacher determine what kind of

adaptations ar

e needed, adapt content and strategies used for in struc tion,

and adapt learning strategies and study strategies used by the students.

Effective strategies that accommodate diverse learners.

Edward J. Kaméenui and

Douglas W. Carnine, editors. 1998. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey:

Prentice-Hall.

This book is about teaching strategies that work with diverse gr

oups

of stu

dents, including those at risk for failure in school. The text is

organized around six prin ci ples of instruction and curriculum design,

with ex

pla na tions and ap pli ca tions for be gin ning reading, writing,

mathematics, science, and social stud

ies. The authors provide a synthesis

of r

esearch and a con cep tu al framework.

Section 504—A

parent and teacher guide to Section 504: Frequently asked questions.

Florida Department of Education.

2003. ESE 311780. Tallahassee: Bureau of

Exceptional Education and Student Services.

This document provides information and guidelines for providing services

for students with disabilities under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation

Act of

1973.

Become your own expert! Self-advocacy curriculum for individuals with learning

disabilities.

Carpenter

, W. D. January, 1995.

St. Paul: Minnesota Educational

Services.

This is a curriculum for teaching self-advocacy skills to secondary

students with learning disabilities designed for a one-semester course.

Topics include self-awareness, modality, learning styles, accommodations,

practice-r

ehearse-role play, and becoming the expert. Unit and lesson plans

and student handouts ar

e included in this manual.

Instructional models: Curriculum and assessment r

eview

. Car

eer Development and

Transition Project. February, 2000. Gainesville: University of Florida.

An annotated list of curriculum and assessment materials for self-

determination and self-advocacy for students with disabilities.

Learning Style Inventories

Academic Assessment Instrument for Literacy Students

This inventory is based on the Academic Styles Inventory developed by

The Learning Disabilities T

raining Project in Cullowhee, North Carolina

in 1989. It includes a series of questions to assess school and employment

history and personal goals.

Reprinted in Seabrooks, Janice. 1999.

orking with adults with learning

disabilities in adult education pr

ograms, A guide for instructors.

Jacksonville:

Quality Pr

ofessional Development Project, Florida Community College at

Jacksonville.

Barsch Learning Style Inventory

, Revised

This inventory is an informal, self-reporting instrument that provides

the student with an individual assessment of r

elative strengths and

weaknesses in learning thr

ough auditory, visual, tactile, and kinesthetic

modalities. This criterion-r

eferenced assessment can be completed in 5-10

minutes and is appr

opriate for ages 14 through adult.

Available from:

? ?

Academic Therapy Publications

? ?

20 Commercial Boulevard

? ?

Novato, CA 94949

? ?

(800) 422-7249

? ?

The Gr

egorc Model

This instrument was developed to assess students 13 and older. The

model divides learners into four gr

oups. The terms “concrete,” “abstract,”

“sequential,” and “random” ar

e used to distinguish perceiving and

processing.

Available from:

The Learner’s Dimension

P.O.

Box 6

Columbia, CT 06237

(203) 228-3786

The CITE Learning Style Instrument

This instrument was developed by Babich, Burdine, Allbright, and Randol

at the Center for Innovative T

eaching Experiences, Wichita Public Schools.

The instr

ument is divided into three main areas: information gathering/

receiving; social working conditions; and expressiveness preference.

Available from Piney Mountain Press (See address below.)

The Learning & W

orking Styles Inventory

This inventory was developed to assess learning styles and preferred

working conditions. The Inventory consists of 75 statements involving

Physical, Social, Envir

onmental, Mode of Expressions, and Work

Characteristic domains.

Available from:

Piney Mountain Press (Attention: Sandy Jenkins)

P. O. Box 86

Cleveland, GA 30528

(800) 255-3127

The Learning Styles Inventory

Dunn and Dunn

This assessment was designed for grades 6-12. The instrument identiﬁes

how individuals pr

efer to function, learn, concentrate, and perform in

their educational or occupational activities. It assesses envir

onmental,

emotional, sociological, and physical factors.

Available from:

Learning Styles Network

Center for the Study of Teaching and Learning Styles

St. John’s University

8000 Utopia Parkway S.

Jamaica, NY 11439

(718) 990-6161 Ex. 6412

Adult General Education Programs

Accommodating adults with disabilities in adult education pr

ograms.

Institute for

Adult Studies. 1998. Lawr

ence: University of Kansas Center for Research

on Learning.

This document provides a range of materials for assisting adult students

with disabilities in adult education pr

ograms. Materials for students and

program administrators are included.

? ?

“Adult Basic Education Pr

ogram.” Florida Department of Education. 2000.

echnical Assistance Paper

. Document No.

ABE AEO 67. Tallahassee: Adult

General Education T

askforce of Practitioners, Division of Workforce

Development.

This paper provides local adult education administrators and teachers

with information to ef

fectively implement Adult Basic Education (ABE)

and Workplace Readiness Skills programs. It includes information about

courses, student eligibility and assessment, literacy completion points,

instr

uction, staff development, and suggested materials and resources.

“Adult High School Instr

uction Program.” Florida Department of Education.

2000.

echnical Assistance Paper

, Document No. GED

AE064. Tallahassee:

Adult General Education T

askforce of Practitioners, Division of Workforce

Development.

This paper provides local adult education administrators and teachers

with information to ef

fectively implement adult high school instruction

programs. It includes information about credit requirements and courses,

literacy completion points, and diploma options.

“General Educational Development.” Florida Department of Education.

2000.

echnical Assistance Paper

, Document No. GED

AE065. Tallahassee:

Adult General Education T

askforce of Practitioners, Division of Workforce

Development.

This paper provides local adult education administrators and teachers

with information to ef

fectively implement test preparation programs

for the T

ests of General Education Development (GED). It includes

information about student eligibility

, courses, literacy completion points,

and the GED testing pr

ogram.

The compr

ehensive adult education planner: Providing education for adult learners

including those with learning and behavioral disorders.

Mellar

d, D. & Scanlon,

D. 1998. Lawr

ence: University of Kansas, Division of Adult Studies.

This document provides information about the Proﬁciency Attainment

Model for adult learners especially those pr

eparing to take the Tests of

General

Educational Development (GED). There are materials for using the

model in adult basic and secondary education pr

ograms and presentation

scripts. The model is designed to incr

ease learners’ success and improve,

through learning and self-management strategies, the quality of learners’

personal lives, work, and transition into the community

? ?

“V

ocational Preparatory Instruction Program.” Florida Department of

Education. 2001.

echnical Assistance Paper

, Document No. VPI

AE063.

Tallahassee: Adult General Education Taskforce of Practitioners, Division

of Workforce Development.

This paper provides local adult education administrators and teachers

with information to ef

fectively implement vocational preparatory

instr

uction programs for students seeking certiﬁcate or higher career

education. It includes information about courses and literacy completion

points.

Seabrooks, Janice. 1999.

orking with adults with learning disabilities in adult

education pr

ograms, A guide for instructors.

Jacksonville: Quality Pr

ofessional

Development Project. Florida Community College at Jacksonville.

This manual was developed as a self-instructional guide with an

accompanying video to help adult educators gain insight in the general

characteristics of adults with learning disabilities and the instr

uctional

techniques and accommodations that will help these students be mor

successful.

Career Education Programs

faculty guide to reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities.

Erwin

echnical Center. 2000. Tampa, FL: Hillsborough County School District.

A guide for faculty on providing accommodations for students with

disabilities that includes general information, fr

equently asked questions,

and needs of adult students.

Modiﬁ

ed occupational completion points in vocational education for students with

disabilities with examples fr

om automotive technology, commercial foods, data

entry

, and environmental horticulture.

Florida Department of Education

(under r

evision). Tallahassee, FL: Bureau of System Implementation

and Technical Assistance, Division of Applied Technology, Adult and

Community Education, and Bur

eau of Exceptional Education and Student

Services.

This document is a general guide about the implementation of modiﬁ

occupational completion points with an overview and examples in four

vocational pr

ogram areas.

“Reporting and

Awarding Credit to Secondary Students with Disabilities in

Vocational Education.” Florida Department of Education. November, 1999.

echnical Assistance Paper.

DWD #1999-47. T

allahassee: Bureau of Program

Improvement and Accountability, Division of Workforce Development.

This paper clariﬁes the course modiﬁcations rule for students with

disabilities, pr

ovides examples of circumstances under which students

with disabilities might enr

oll in the same course more than once in

secondary or dual enr

ollment programs, and explains how to report and

award appropriate credit to such students.

“Assessment of

Adult General Education and Postsecondary Career and

Technical Education Students.” Florida Department of Education. Revised,

2004. T

allahassee: Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services

and Ofﬁce of Workforce Education. Available at

http://www

.ﬁrn.edu/doe/

programs/pdf/tapaj.pdf

This paper clariﬁes requirements for basic skills testing, describes

requirements for accommodations for students with disabilities,

recommends examples of testing accommodations that may be needed by

some students with disabilities, and describes allowable exemptions for

students with disabilities.

“Basic Skills T

ests, Academic Skills Tests for Adults, General Education

Development (GED) T

ests, Licensure Examinations, and Accommodations

for Students with Disabilities.” Florida Department of Education.

2000.

Tallahassee: Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services and

Ofﬁce of Workforce Education.

The purposes of this paper are to clarify requirements for basic skills

testing, academic skills testing, GED tests, and certiﬁ

cation/licensure

examinations; describe r

equirements for accommodations for students

with disabilities; r

ecommend examples of testing accommodations that

may be needed by some students with disabilities; and describe allowable

exemptions for students with disabilities.

“Accommodations and Modiﬁcations for Students with Disabilities: Career

and Technical Education and Adult General Education.” (Brochure).

Florida Department of Education. Revised, 2003

ESE 310907. T

allahassee:

Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services and Ofﬁce of

Workforce Education.

This brochure provides a chart of accommodations and modiﬁcations

needed by students with disabilities in mainstr

eam and specialized

secondary and postsecondary car

eer and technical education and adult

general education pr

ograms.

Dar

e to dream for adults.

Florida Department of Education. 2004. ESE 312421.

allahassee: Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services.

This is a strengths-based book designed to encourage adults with

disabilities to make choices and ﬁ

nd options that are aligned with their

preferences, abilities, and needs. The purpose of this book is to offer adults

opportunities for self-generated choices by working thr

ough a series of

activities and exer

cises independently or with assistance if needed. Lists

of r

esources and websites are included to provide further information on

topics addr

essed in the book.

SIMPL

Y careers! Helping students with disabilities effectively plan their futures

through comprehensive career development

. Florida Department of Education.

2003. ESE 321087. T

allahassee: Bureau of Exceptional Education and

Student Services.

This document describes a seven step process to assist students in

achieving their futur

e goals through sequential career assessment,

exploration, activities, experiences, pr

ograms, support, and planning

center

ed around four broad career focus areas. This guide provides a

simpliﬁed, sequential process for stakeholders to follow that includes

activities and steps that will guide a student thr

ough the career

development pr

ocess from kindergarten to postsecondary education.

Standing up for me: Strategies for teaching self-determination skills training

? ?

materials and curriculum.

Florida Department of Education. 2004.

? ?

allahassee: Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services.

? ?

Standing Up for Me

is a curriculum and sequenced pr

ocess that encourages

students with disabilities fr

om kindergarten through twelfth grade

to make decisions and choices, establish goals and evaluate pr

ogress

toward achieving those goals, use self-determination skills, and actively

participate in the IEP

process. The training materials provide teachers

with an overview of self-determination strategies and the information and

instr

uctional materials.

Section 504 accommodations plans for postsecondary adult/vocational education

students: May 2004.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools. 2004. ESE 312338.

Tallahassee: Florida Department of Education, Bureau of Exceptional

Education and Student Services. Reprinted with permission.

This document provides information about Section 504 accommodations

plans for students with disabilities who participate in the adult general

education or postsecondary car

eer education program. It is designed to

assist educators to addr

ess the special needs of students with disabilities

and to meet federal and state r

equirements. The following areas are

addressed: background information on Section 504 of the Rehabilitation

Act of 1973, including deﬁ

nitions, a sample 504 accommodations

plan (form) with instr

uctions for completing the plan, and samples of

completed plans.

Assistive T

echnology Assistance

Assistive T

echnology Education Network (ATEN)

A FDLRS specialized center developed to promote, support, and

coordinate statewide delivery of assistive technology services to Florida’s

students with disabilities. The coor

dinating center is located in Seminole

County. Regional centers are located within the FDLRS associate centers

to extend opportunities and support for consumers, educators, students,

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families, and agency personnel to r

eceive training and demonstration in

the latest assistive technology and to pr

ovide opportunities for individuals

to gain awar

eness of assistive technology devices and services while

investigating information and on-line r

esources in preview labs.

Website:

http://www

.aten.scps.k12.ﬂ.us

Florida

Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology (FAAST )

FAAST is designed to provide a statewide system of technology-related

assistance and systems change for individuals of all ages. It is a private

not-for

-proﬁt corporation. FAAST works with consumers, family

members, car

egivers, providers, and agencies to ensure that individuals

continue to beneﬁ

t from assistive technology as they move between home,

school, work, and community

. Regional demonstration centers are located

in T

allahassee, Jacksonville, Tampa, and Miami in addition to ten satellite

sites.

Website:

http://www

.faast.org

The

Able Trust

This organization is also known as the Florida Governor’s Alliance for the

Employment of Citizens with Disabilities. It is a 501(c)(3) public-private

partnership foundation established by the Florida Legislatur

e in 1990.

Its mission is to pr

ovide Floridians with disabilities fair employment

opportunities thr

ough fundraising, grant programs, public awareness and

education. Since its establishment, The

Able Trust has awarded over $ 9

million to individuals and nonpr

oﬁt organizations, enabling over 2,000

Floridians with disabilities to enter the workfor

ce each year. Website:

http://www

.abletrust.org/

Special Projects

Bridges to Practice, Dr

. Rochelle Kenyon, Project Director

Through the Ofﬁce of Workforce Education, the Florida Department

of Education funds an

Adult Education State Leadership Grant

entitled “Bridges to Practice:

Florida’s Focus on Adults with Learning

Disabilities.” It is a statewide training pr

oject that includes the newsletter,

“Practitioners’ Points.”

Website:

http://www

.ﬂoridatechnet.org/bridges

Car

eer Development and Transition, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

This project assists school districts in providing programs and services to

students with disabilities that will help assur

e a more successful transition

from school to community living.

Website:

http://www

.thetransitioncenter.org

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ransition to Independence Process (TIP) System. University of South Florida,

Tampa, FL.

The project provides assistance to young people with emotional/

behavioral difﬁ

culties in making a successful transition across all domains

of employment, education, living situation, and community life. Pilot

sites ar

e currently instituting the TIP system in selected school districts in

Florida.

Website:

http://tip.fmhi.usf.edu

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eferences

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Deschenes, C., Ebeling, D. G., and Sprague, J. 1995.

Adapting curriculum and

struc tion in inclusive classrooms.

Bloomington, Indiana: Institute for

the Study of Developmental Disabilities, The Center for School and

Community Integration.

Florida Department of Education. 1996.

Florida Curriculum Frameworks.

allahassee: Bureau of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment.

Florida Department of Education. 2000.

Developing quality individual educational

plans (r

evised edition).

allahassee: Bureau of Exceptional Education and

Student Services.

Kaméenui, E.J. & Carnine, D.J., eds. 1998.

Effective teaching strategies that

accommodate diverse learners.

Upper Saddle River

, New Jersey: Prentice-

Hall.

Lenz, B.K.

August, 1997. Routines to strengthen learning—An in-depth look at

content enhancement.

Strategram, 9

(5),1-7.

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John

Winn, Commissioner

ESE # 31

1201

DWD # DD039