Solution and Answer Guide
Richard M. Gargiulo and Debbie Metcalf, Teaching in Today’s Inclusive Classrooms: A Universal Design for Learning Approach, 4e, 9780357625095; Chapter 1: Your Journey Begins
Table of Contents
Making Connections for Inclusive Teaching................................................................................ 1
Making Connections for Inclusive Teaching
1. All students with special needs should be educated in the general education classroom. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Defend your viewpoint.
Solution
Students’ answers will vary. Some students may believe that the general education classroom can be managed in a way that would allow students with disabilities to be educated with their peers regardless of the severity of the disability. Possible defenses for this viewpoint include the fact that students both with and without disabilities benefit from having an integrated classroom, and that universal design for learning can adequately meet all needs. Another thing students may mention is the goal of educating students in the least restrictive environment possible. Most students will likely take the position that while most students with disabilities can be educated with their peers in the general education classroom, there are some circumstances in which a student would be better served outside the general education classroom. This could take the form of a specialized classroom, a specialized school, or homebound/remote instruction, among other possible placements. One potential defense for this position is the fact that the least restrictive environment mandate does not require that all students be educated in the general education classroom, but rather that they be educated in the least restrictive environment that meets their needs. Students supporting this viewpoint may also note that students with significant needs may require highly specialized equipment, trained teachers, and an adapted curriculum that is not easily implemented in the general education classroom, even when using universal design for learning.
2. Explain how universal design for learning benefits all students.
Solution
Universal design for learning allows teachers to adapt curricula, customize the delivery of instruction, and assess students in ways that permit them to demonstrate their mastery of the material. Universal design is based on flexible curriculum materials and activities that offer alternatives to students with widely varying abilities and backgrounds. This flexibility is built into instructional design rather than added on later as an afterthought. Universal design for learning provides equal access to learning, not simply equal access to information.
3. Discuss how litigation and legislation have worked together to enhance educational opportunities for learners with disabilities and pupils with other special needs.
Solution
Litigation and legislation have a symbiotic relationship in which students (or their parents) file lawsuits to obtain certain educational services or for their children. These lawsuits often lead to legislation to strengthen the rights of students with disabilities. Further lawsuits are then needed to clarify the legislation, which results in either more legislation or amendments to existing laws. Both litigation and legislation have been instrumental in establishing the rights of children with disabilities to a free and appropriate public education.
4. Describe how the Every Student Succeeds Act in conjunction with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act is currently affecting education in the United States.
Solution
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The Every Student Succeeds Act is intended to keep the spirit of the No Child Left Behind Act while addressing some of the deficiencies in that legislation. For individuals with disabilities, the Every Student Succeeds Act ensures access to the general education curriculum, accommodations on assessments, and the use of universal design for learning principles, in addition to evidence-based interventions in schools where subgroups consistently underperform. This builds on the provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, which require the use of research-based interventions in individualized education programs (IEPs) and allows the use of research-based interventions as part of a response to intervention method of identifying children with specific learning disabilities.