Have you ever thought about what you are learning in your classes?  Have you ever wondered how teachers decide what to teach you?  The word curriculum is a term from Latin that might best translate as “road map.”  The curriculum is the road map for teaching and learning.  The state of Kentucky has developed a road map of skills that all students should learn in each grade level.    Transformations is a framework for assuring that all students are provided common content and the opportunity to learn.  The document helps school districts plan their curriculum.  Read more about Tranformations

Read the Preface, Volume I, and Kentucky’s Learning Goals and Academic Expectations.

In the past, students receiving special education services were often taught a special curriculum that was different from the “regular” curriculum.  This usually meant that there was no clear road map by which to chart the progress of students receiving special education services.  In its statements about what constitutes special education, IDEA is very clear that special education is about providing extra help to students with disabilities so they can succeed in the same curriculum as other students.  It provides a clear statement of curricular inclusion:

Specially-designed instruction means adapting, as appropriate to the needs of an eligible child under this part, the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction—

(i) To address the unique needs of the child that result from the child's disability; and

(ii) To ensure access of the child to the general curriculum, so that he or she can meet the educational standards within the jurisdiction of the public agency that apply to all children (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1401(25))

This statement puzzles many people, because they know that some students with severe disabilities cannot do everything that everyone else must do to graduate from high school.  So, does that mean that these words in IDEA are just a nice ideal that has no contact with reality?  No, it calls attention to the fact that the basic road map is the same for everyone but the actual accomplishments may look very different for some students because of their disabilities.  In Kentucky, this means that Academic Expectations outline the curriculum for all students but the IEP for each student with moderate or severe disabilities will describe the way these expectations will be achieved for a particular student.

Another useful document for teachers who are trying to make this jump from the Program of Studies to teaching the various ability levels in their classes is referred to as TASKS (Teaching All Students in Kentucky Schools).  TASKS describes how students with diverse learning needs can participate in a meaningful way in the regular curriculum.  It gives very specific activities that are helpful to regular education teachers and special education teachers when planning how students with diverse needs will participate in regular classes.

*ACTIVITY* Read the following sections: “Introduction and Relationship between the IEP and Curriculum” http://www.ihdi.uky.edu/ksc-tasks/pdf%20folder/Introduction.pdf What are the four ways that students with diverse learning needs can participate in regular curricular activities? Look at the following site to see how students with disabilities can take part in the social studies curriculum while working on their specific objectives. http://www.ihdi.uky.edu/ksc-tasks/ Click on the Social Studies button and then click on the 2.14. Find out the varieties of ways that students with disabilities can participate in the general curriculum across grade levels.

We have looked at the curriculum that all students in Kentucky are expected to know. You might be wondering how students with significant needs will demonstrate those skills when some of them cannot read or write or even speak.  We will look at how students can work on their IEP objectives while also participating in the regular curriculum.  We will use what is called an Activity/IEP Matrix.  A matrix can be used to plan activities for the students while keeping in mind what they are expected to learn.  In the example below, the first column lists the student’s IEP objectives and the next two columns describe the classes and how that student will work on his or her IEP goals while also demonstrating participation in the regular curriculum.  This can be a useful tool for teachers when planning the instruction for students with diverse learning needs.

Example of a curriculum matrix:

Now that you have been exposed to some of the documents that guide your teacher in planning what you are learning you may want to think about how one of the students with whom you are working in peer tutoring can have better access to and progress in the general curriculum.  As a project, you can look at your class schedule, and based on your experience, develop a curriculum matrix that outlines how the student with disabilities will be able to be involved in each class. Talk with your teacher about a project idea like this.  Even if you do not write it up, engage in this mental assignment: for a week think about how a particular student with a disability could participate in every class you attend.  You might even ask your teachers about the Academic Expectations they are addressing. As well, now that you know about TASKS, you could look at it for suggestions to help stimulate your thinking.