Fair and Equitable Grading for ALL Students in Inclusive Settings

Grading is a common practice in general education settings. Few teachers, however, are clear about how they should grade students with significant cognitive disabilities when those students are included in the general education classroom. Unfortunately, existing research provides minimal information to aid teachers and education leaders as they consider fair and equitable grading practices for these students. In this article, we examine the four criteria for high-quality inclusive grading outlined by The William & Mary Training & Technical Assistance Center for grading within the inclusive classroom: (a) grades are accurate, (b) grades are meaningful, (c) grades are consistent, and (d) grades are supportive of learning and discuss how these criteria could be applied to provide a more fair and equitable grading system for students with significant cognitive disabilities.

Approaches to Identification and Instruction for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities Who Are English Learners

Research is needed to better understand the academic instruction needs of students with significant cognitive disabilities who are English learners and the classroom practices of their teachers. In this qualitative study, we interviewed 10 teachers to learn how they identify and meet the unique needs of this student subpopulation. Our findings suggest that teachers generally do not view disability- and language-related needs as separate and that approaches to instruction tend to follow those perceptions. Some expressed a desire for more support from language professionals in the classroom, whereas others thought their special education classrooms adequately meet student language development needs. Finally, although the teachers we interviewed went to great lengths to engage families in supporting instruction, some reported dissatisfaction with and barriers to those relationships. We discuss our findings in light of the current literature, the study’s limitations, and implications for future research and practice.

Robust Receptive Vocabulary Instruction for Students With Significant Cognitive Disabilities Who Use AAC

Robust vocabulary instruction is an important part of comprehensive English language arts (ELA) instruction. Vocabulary instruction supports students in learning the meaning of words to build a receptive vocabulary that they can rely on to comprehend the words they read and hear. Many students with significant cognitive disabilities (SCD) and complex communication needs (CCN) struggle to read or understand grade-level words, concepts, and texts. Explicit vocabulary instruction can play an important role in addressing this area of need. Addressing the vocabulary needs of students with SCD and CCN in a comprehensive way calls for a greater investment of instructional time to build their receptive vocabulary and conceptual understandings of new vocabulary. It calls for leveraging the high frequency expressive vocabulary students are likely to have available on their augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems to make meaningful connections and demonstrate their understanding of new vocabulary. The aim is successful comprehension across ELA and other academic domains through a robust and expanding receptive vocabulary that extends beyond the words commonly programmed onto AAC systems. Finally, vocabulary instruction should be one part of a comprehensive approach to ELA instruction, with substantial time and effort also devoted to reading and writing instruction so that one day students with SCD and CCN can use spelling and writing to bridge the gap between the words they know and the words they have access to use expressively.

The effects of a mobile-based vocational skill building coaching technology intervention for people with cognitive disabilities: A pilot feasibility study

We designed a feasibility study to evaluate a mobile-based vocational skill building coaching technology (aka Mobile Coach) intervention by using an ecological design approach. We compared the Mobile Coach to a standard job coach (no Mobile Coach technology) assistance in a facility that employs adults with significant cognitive disabilities (CDs). Twenty working-age adults with CDs were enrolled in this feasibility study and were asked to use the Vocational Mobile Coach Technology (on an iPad) to assist with their daily job functions. Project-specific usability and self-satisfaction survey was used to evaluate the user experience in performing the selected work assembly tasks with the Mobile Coach and without it. This report has the goal to describe our feasibility study design, methods, and results.

IEP/Transition Planning Participation Among Students With the Most Significant Cognitive Disabilities: Findings From NLTS 2012

This study used data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2012 (NLTS 2012) to explore the individualized education program (IEP)/transition planning participation and role of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, compared to students with other disabilities. We viewed students with the most significant cognitive disabilities as those included in three disability categories— autism, intellectual disability, and multiple disabilities—who took an alternate assessment. The study also included an analysis of student’s participation in relation to their functional, communication, and self-advocacy skills, and student–teacher relationships. Although students with the most significant cognitive disabilities experienced greater limitations overall, students with other disabilities were experiencing similar challenges. Implications for practice were discussed from the lens of student engagement, self-determination, and student’s leadership role.

Effects of Peer-Mediated Instruction With AAC on Science Learning and Communitive Responses of Students With Significant Cognitive Disabilities in Taiwan

This study examined the effects of an intervention that integrated peer-mediated instruction (PMI) with augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) using speech-generating devices (SGDs). Nine trained peer tutors without disabilities taught science concepts and modeled use of SGDs following a script to three elementary school students with significant cognitive disabilities in Taiwan. Using a multiple baseline across participants design, results showed the PMI with AAC intervention was effective in improving participants’ targeted science knowledge. In addition, participants increased their communicative interactions with peers and increased the use of different communication modes during the science experiment activities with the implementation of PMI with AAC, when compared to the communication responses during the general teaching strategy.

A Hearing Screening Pilot Study With Students With Significant Cognitive Disabilities

Purpose Many children with severe intellectual and developmental disabilities are at a higher risk for hearing loss than their peers who are typically developing. Unfortunately, they do not consistently participate in routine school-based hearing screenings. The current study investigated the feasibility of increasing their participation using an otoacoustic emissions protocol and documented results relative to student educational profiles. Method A total of 43 students with significant cognitive disabilities enrolled at a public school exclusively serving this population participated in the study. All but 9, who were excluded because of known hearing loss, were screened by a licensed audiologist assisted by audiology doctoral students. The protocol included otoscopy, tympanometry, distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs), and teacher surveys. Results DPOAE screening was attempted on 33 students without previously diagnosed hearing loss and successfully completed for 26 (78.8%). Two students (4.6%) with absent otoacoustic emissions and normal tympanograms were referred for further assessment due to concerns about possible sensorineural hearing loss in one or both ears, and 10 (23.3%) had abnormal tympanograms in one or both ears. Conclusions Considering the high risk of sensorineural hearing loss for children with significant disabilities, it is important for them to be included in school hearing screenings. The results of this study demonstrate the feasibility of using DPOAEs for school-based hearing screenings with this population with an interprofessional team of licensed audiologists, educators, and speech-language pathologists. The results further suggest that students with significant disabilities and hearing loss may be unidentified and underserved. Given the complex needs of this population, an interprofessional practice model for hearing screenings and intervention services is recommended.

What Do Transition Assessments Look Like for Students With a Significant Cognitive Disability? A Multistate Survey of Educational Stakeholders

Despite challenges educators face when assessing needs of students with significant cognitive disabilities, providing a fair and accurate assessment of skills is crucial to a student's future success. Dismal outcomes for these students indicate the current transition planning process is weak and not appropriate. Research suggests meaningful transition planning is facilitated by appropriate transition assessment to ensure students with significant cognitive disabilities make progress, meet annual transition goals, have individualized supports and services, and receive effective instruction. The purpose of this study was to investigate the nationwide transition assessment process for students with significant cognitive disabilities. Results indicated transition assessments are not fully assessing the needs of this population, thereby denying equal participation and access to inclusive environments.

Students With the Most Significant Disabilities, Communicative Competence, and the Full Extent of Their Exclusion

In this brief response to Agran et al., I provide data on the extent to which students with the most significant cognitive disabilities (i.e., those students participating in alternate assessments on alternate achievement standards) are separated educationally from their peers without disabilities. I further discuss additional factors that may be contributing to separate placements for students with the most significant disabilities. Finally, I provide some promising resources that may help to address these persistent issues.