Introduction to Supports for Students with Complex Instructional Needs

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Getting Started

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>> Welcome to this introduction of MAX, Maximizing Academic Access Expectations and Learning for students with complex instructional needs. In this session, you will get an overview of the principles

of MAX, the students who are the focus of this work, and the steps that you can take to get started.

The mission of the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network is to support the efforts and initiatives of the Bureau of Special Education, and to build the capacity of local education

agencies to serve students who receive special education services.

The work of MAX supports IEP teams in the consideration of the least restrictive environment by providing tools and structures to help IEP teams envision how access to the general education curriculum

can be provided to all students with disabilities, including those with complex instructional needs, and raising expectations for access to and learning of the general education curriculum.

Maximizing Academic Access, Expectations and Learning, previously known as Project MAX, was developed based on a state personnel development grant awarded to the Pennsylvania Department of Education

by the Office of Special Education Programs. Maximizing Academic Access Expectations and Learning, or MAX, focuses on building the capacity of Pennsylvania schools and intermediate units to provide

students with complex instructional needs with maximum access to and the learning of grade-level, general education curriculum based on the Pennsylvania standards.

The goal of MAX is to optimize practice in the areas of leadership, curriculum instruction and assessment, least restrictive environment, individual student supports, family and community involvement

and collaboration and problem-solving. To achieve this, MAX encompasses the following key features: Standards-aligned instruction, coaching, data-driven decision-making, and formalized teaming

processes to support systems change. Team members might include those listed on this slide.

The framework for practice provides a visual representation, and encompasses the core components and practices of MAX. These components need to be in place and practiced with fidelity, in order for

students with complex instructional needs to achieve, be successful and be engaged in rigorous academic content. The red circle describes the culture and climate focused on shared ownership, and

common belief that all students can and will learn academic content. The light blue circles represent the foundation for the effective instructional process. Universal design for learning principles

form the foundation for instructional design, and individual student supports encompass what we have typically thought of as specially-designed instruction and supplementary aids and services. The

heart of the framework is the instructional process, that includes meaningful assessment, a curriculum that is rigorous and standards-aligned, instructional strategies that are effective and

evidence-based, and instructional materials and resources and tools that promote access and learning for all students.

The principles of MAX support that students with complex instructional needs should, regardless of setting and program, be engaged in a school schedule and program similar to their peers in the same

grade. They should be expected to learn challenging academic content, have an IEP that includes both academic and individualized goals with a clear description of how to access general education

curriculum, and have access to instructional materials, communication supports, which include augmentative alternative communication and assistive technology that promote active and meaningful

engagement in academic instruction.

When we talk about students with complex instructional needs, we're talking about a heterogeneous group of students who comprise approximately one to three percent of the total student population in

our Pennsylvania schools. They often require significant accommodations and/or modifications to the general education curriculum in order to access and learn. They often have significant difficulty

reading and accessing grade-level text, often demonstrate a pattern of inconsistent progress on academic and functional skills. One day, they could come in knowing how to multiply, the next day they

have mastered it, then a few days later, it might gone. Oftentimes these students have difficulty expressing what they know and are able to do. These students may have a limited means of verbal and

written communication, and may require augmentative communication and/or assistive technology in order to access, participate and make progress in learning.

Working through MAX will lead to the following long-term goals, which will impact your entire system: Educators will have the knowledge to be able to effectively teach the general education curriculum

and Pennsylvania standards, and plan and deliver effective instruction that meets the needs of diverse learners. School leaders will have the competencies to implement policies, practices and

procedures that support the learning of all students.

Students will demonstrate growth and achievement in academic content, and be able to engage in standards-aligned instruction, using communication supports and assistive technology when needed. Parents

will have higher expectations of achievement for their children. And our Pennsylvania institutions of higher education will do a better job of preparing educators and leaders with the knowledge and

skills necessary to meet the diverse needs of all students as they enter the classrooms.

MAX is designed to support districts, leaders, schools, teachers and parents in moving toward optimized instruction and learning for students who have complex instructional needs. This work will

involve significant shifts in the way that we think about the design and delivery of instruction, as we move away from a solely functional skills curriculum and low expectations to rigorous academic

standards and high expectations.

Now, how do you get started? First, contact your local Intermediate Unit for support in getting started. The next step will be to build your team, and identify an internal coach, which is critical to

the success of implementation in your school. The internal coach works closely with the Intermediate Unit to build capacity by coaching teachers on effective standards-aligned instruction, by

providing professional development, by assisting you in the collection and the analysis of data and by supporting planning and problem-solving. Next, the team will complete the practice profile and

implementation rubric and plan. Then finally, you will schedule professional development sessions and team meetings to occur across the school year.

Professional development is designed to build knowledge and skills that will support sustained implementation of standards-aligned instruction for learners with complex instructional needs. All

modules are made available for you on the PaTTAN website. This slide offers a suggested order for teams to follow when viewing the modules.

The implementation rubric has been developed as a tool to assist in the identification of professional development and technical assistance needs to support grade-level standards-aligned instruction

for students with complex instructional needs. The process is designed to assist teams in reviewing evidence, assessing the current stage of implementation and identifying priority goals and

activities for youths when action planning. The goal of the MAX Practice Profile Implementation Rubric is twofold; it identifies the elements of optimized practices, and providing effective

standards-aligned instruction for all students, including those with complex instructional needs, and it will also assist teams in identifying the status of current practice, and making data-based

decisions in order to design action steps and activities for implementation moving forward. The purpose is not only to determine where you are currently situated in relation to the goals of MAX, but

also to assist in forming a vision of what is possible. The Practice Profile Status and Implementation Plan is used in conjunction with the rubric to document current implementation status, design

specific action steps, and check progress related to the practice profile core components.

The MAX Standard-Aligned Unit Plan Process, or the SAUPP, provides a structured format for the development of a standards-aligned unit of instruction. This four-step process includes: Consideration of

grade-level academic standards with a brief description of the unit of study, identification of prioritized learning targets and vocabulary for students with complex instructional needs.

Consideration of the entire instructional process, including instructional practices, materials, resources and tools, assessment, barriers to access, accommodations and modifications, and finally,

individualized student planning. The completion of the steps in this plan is supported by the topics that are included in the professional development modules. The unit plan document, as well as an

annotated version, are available for you on the PaTTAN website.

Thank you for viewing this instruction to MAX, Maximizing Academic Access Expectations and Learning, and for supporting increased achievement for students with complex instructional needs. Please

contact your local Intermediate Unit for more information, and to get started.