QUESTIONS AND ANSWER#137C5C

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON THE TOPIC OF

ADAPTATIONS AND MODIFICATIONS

? Lavana Heel (lheel@vsb.bc.ca) Sources:

a. Learning Disabilities Association () b. allkindsofminds ? Mel Levine c. B.C. Ministry of Education: Special Education: A manual of policies,

procedures and guidelines. d. ldao.ca ? Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario e. The Learning Differences Sourcebook by Nancy Boyles and Darlene

Contadino f. Making Inclusion Work ? Effective Practices for ALL Teachers by John

Beattie, LuAnn Jordan and Bob Algozzine g. Successful Inclusion Strategies for Secondary and Middle School

Teachers ? Keys to Help Struggling Learners Access the Curriculum by M.C. Gore h. Educational Care by Mel Levine i. bctf.ca/TeachingToDiversity/ j. Multiple Intelligences ? Linda Campbell, Bruce Campbell and Dee Dickinson

Following are some questions and answers on the topic of adaptations and modifications:

1. What is an adaptation? ? (From B.C Ministry) "An adaptation is an intervention that retains the learning outcomes of the prescribed curriculum or performance standards and is implemented so that students can more effectively or productively participate in the classroom program. These adaptations can include alternate formats (books on tape, assistive technology), fewer questions (focus on process rather than product), instructional strategies (use of visual cues for memory, scribes, scaffolding etc.), and assessment strategies (oral exams, open book exams, additional time). Students on adapted programs are assessed using the standards for the course/program and can receive full credit for their work."

2. Why adaptations?

?Lavana Heel

? The intent of adaptations is to cultivate rich teaching practices that foster inclusion of students with a range of learning styles and needs. Many adaptations are simply `different strategies" that are beneficial to all students.

3. What is a modified program? ? (From B.C. Ministry) "A modified program has learning outcomes which are substantially different from the prescribed curriculum, and specifically selected to meet the student's special needs. For example, a Grade 9 student in a modified math program might be focussed on functional computational skills in the context of handling money and personal budgeting. Or in Language Arts, a Grade 5 student may be working on recognition of common signs and use of the phone. In these examples, the learning outcomes are substantially different from those of the curriculum for most other students. The student's program may include some courses that are adapted. The student's transcript needs to indicate those courses that are modified." Any decisions to create a modified program for a student need to be done in consultation with the parent, SBT, and administrator in order to follow a procedure that prevents problematic implications. It is crucial to address how and why the decision was made to place the student in question on a modified program.

4. What are the different types of adaptations? ? Frequently they are referred to as adaptations of presentation, assessment, format and tools o Rate adjustment ? more time to process or complete a task, un-timed tests o Strategy Instruction ? Show students a technique to strengthen a breakdown point such as rehearsal and selftesting o Use of supports or aids such as a calculator, assistive technology (e.g. Dragon Speaking ? speech to text) etc. o Volume adjustment ? given a smaller amount of material to produce or process (shorter report or fewer math problems) o Format adjustment ? presented in a manner that the student can process more effectively (e.g. films, oral reports, taped) o Feedback System ? Use of alternative evaluations such as performance assessments, authentic assessments, daily or weekly assessment, variety of types of tests o Prioritization ? Certain task components are stressed over others; for example, the student is asked to concentrate on the ideas rather than the spelling or grammar; use of the writing process (editing and proofreading at the end)

? Lavana Heel

? Another format looks at the following adaptations: o Size ? number of items to complete o Time ? Adapt the time/pace to complete tasks o Level of Support ? Increase personal assistance such as peer buddies or tutors o Input ? adapt the way the instruction is delivered o Difficulty ? Adapt the problem or how the learner approaches the task (e.g. simplify task directions) o Output ? adapt how the student can respond to the instruction o Participation ? Adapt the extent to which a learner is involved

5. Isn't it cheating to give some students different accommodations or adaptations?

? An ideal model includes a non-punitive teaching approach that doesn't inhibit access to an optimum learning environment, but works "with" the student to gain the most out of the content material and to maximize the students' cognition or thinking skills (universal design). For example, if you want to give a student the chance to make a "cheat sheet" for an exam this strategy could be used for all the students in the class so that the identified student is not "set apart". The cognitive skills required to thoughtfully prepare a cheat sheet are significant. At the same time the student learns to develop excellent study habits. The key element to focus on is your "intention" in administering the test. Is it to memorize some facts or to demonstrate an ability to think or to strategize? Often times we do not define the purpose of our tests. It is good practice to set the intention or criteria of an assessment before administration.

6. Does giving fewer questions in class or for homework mean a modified program?

? No, this is not a modified program, if the student can handle the concepts and content ? the volume is not an indicator of the achievement of the performance standards. It is common to arbitrarily assign the number of questions students should answer in class or for homework. Research does not indicate that more is better. Nancy Boyles (M.Ed. and Darlene Contadino, (M.S.W.) from "The Learning Differences Sourcebook" writes that the following on this topic: "In testing

situations, where anxiety mounts, requiring fewer problems as a strategy will be appreciated". The fine line between modified and adapted is not reliant upon the number of questions so much as does the child demonstrate understanding of the content? If students are asked to do more questions they can be given more time, which is already practice with provincials at the high school level.

7. Does not being able to complete homework mean being put on a modified program? ? Clearly this is a difficult question. It would be important to try to determine the reason the student is not able to complete the homework. Is it due to the lack of environmental support at home, poor output or behavioural resistance? Rather than a modified program it would mean that the child needs some intervention. The longer the child is on a modified program the greater the gap in his/her achievement vs. other students. Can the homework be done after school in a homework club or during lunch hour? Can the homework questions be reduced or can there be an alternate assignment that also meets the criteria of the performance standards?

8. Does reading or scribing for a child mean that the subject is modified? ? Scribing for the child is common as an adaptation and is frequently implemented in high school provincial exams (also spell check). ? Reading for the child particularly in science and social studies can be an adaptation particularly if the child is cognitively able to answer and respond to the questions. For example, a student who has a language learning disability in high school may need to have some questions read in order to demonstrate understanding. This does not apply to Provincial Exams but can be implemented as an adaptation throughout the year. Many times these students can plough through until they arrive at Communications 11 at which time the program is more accessible, demanding less sophisticated reading and writing. There will be some components of the performance standards where the child cannot meet but others that they will be able to. This does not mean they are completely on a modified program.

9. If an adaptation is made for certain children in class where they use an open book to write a math test how is that fair to other students, when their mark could be higher if they too could write the open book test?

? Lavana Heel

? An open book test may be a disadvantage to some students because it takes sufficient time and organization skills to locate the formulas and to decipher what to use where.

? It may be more equitable to vary the type of tests in the classroom so that there are all types of tests for all students including an open book test, a test using a cheat sheet, and some that offer neither of these. This allows the child who has memory difficulties to gain some opportunities to challenge his/her memory.

? In the Learning Differences Sourcebook, it is suggested that "Poor automatic memory may interfere with the recall of formulas but students may know where and when to apply a formula." Educators who desire to evaluate the student's level of understanding, rather than his/her memory skills, may consider placing the formula at the top of the test paper. In this way, memory does not get confused with understanding." Most recently the secondary provincial exams do include the formulas at the top of the page. This creates an automatic adaptation or inclusion for all students. Students are also given more time as an adaptation in the provincial exams. It is advised to start this practice (more time and the access to formulas), earlier in the grades, if the student has memory deficits, so that the teacher can determine how the student is able to perform given this adaptation. The results can be included as a paper trail to substantiate the difference in performance given this particular adaptation.

10. If children with language processing disorders have trouble picking up the important parts of text, for example, main idea, topic sentence, supporting evidence and are unable to summarize or write a good paragraph in class despite demonstration in the LA class, is this not a case for placement in a modified program? ? The written part of the performance standards will be challenging but not the understanding. If this is a science or social studies class there are other ways to demonstrate the key ideas and information (for example, pictures/drawings, cartoons, etc.). Also assistive technology is available for students who have dyslexia or those who have writing output problems. ? The use of UDL also offers students the chance to have the content organized (Kurzweil and Co:Writer, Draft:Builder, to name a few)

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