What Does it Mean to Improve Access to the General Education Curriculum?

Through an extensive literature review and discussions with educators from the special education community, Access Center staff developed a framework for thinking about access to the general education curriculum. At its core, access is a multi-dimensional and dynamic process that involves a combination of instructional practices and supports.

Over the past 25 years the concept of access for students with disabilities has evolved. In 1975, access meant the right to a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). Once progress was made in gaining access to schooling, the concept of access began to focus on the ideas of social and academic inclusion in the least restrictive environment (LRE). The emphasis in each of these approaches is the setting, in particular the classroom setting and its activities.

While inclusion and least restrictive environment remain important goals in the field, attention is increasingly also focusing on curriculum access. The Access Center proposes that access to the general education curriculum occurs when students with disabilities are actively engaged in learning the content and skills that define the general education curriculum. This is most likely occurring when the following indicators are present:

  1. the general education curriculum is operationalized in terms of appropriate, standards-based instructional and learning goals for individual students with disabilities, including appropriate scope and sequence;
  2. appropriate research-based instructional methods and practices are being used that have a track record of helping students with disabilities learn general education content and skills;
  3. appropriate research-based materials and media are being used that have evidence documenting their effectiveness in helping students with disabilities learn general education content and skills;
  4. research-based supports and accommodations are being used that have a track record of helping students with disabilities learn general education content and skills; and
  5. appropriate tools and procedures are used for assessing and documenting whether students with disabilities are meeting high standards and achieving their instructional goals.

What Is The Access Center?

The Access Center for Improving Outcomes for All Students K-8 is a national technical assistance center funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). Drawing from national legislation such as the No Child Left Behind Act and IDEA ’97, the Center is designed to connect states and districts with research-based practices, tools, and materials that can help students with disabilities access the general education curriculum. We also specialize in helping decision-makers use data to improve instruction and services for students with disabilities. This will be accomplished through a variety of technical assistance strategies, including direct consultation, web-based services, and a mentoring exchange program. We are presently working as a team to develop these services and launch the Center, which is a five-year project. At the end of five years, we hope to be providing technical assistance services in all 50 states.

For additional information on this or other topics,
please contact The Access Center at center@air.org.
The Access Center: Improving Outcomes for All Students K-8
The Access Center is a cooperative agreement (H326K020003) funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, awarded to the American Institutes for Research 1000 Thomas Jefferson St. NW,
Washington, DC 20007
Ph: 202-403-5000 | TTY: 877-334-3499 | Fax: 202-403-5001 |
e-mail: center@air.org website: www.k8accesscenter.org

This report was produced under U.S. Department of Education Cooperative Agreement H326K020003 with the American Institutes for Research. Jane Hauser served as the project officer. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the positions or policies of the Department of Education. No official endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education of any product, commodity, service or enterprise mentioned in this publication is intended or should be inferred.

 
 
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