Strategies for Instructional Access

Strategies for Instructional Access Framework

This collaborative discussion framework was developed for use by general education teachers and special education teachers as a collaborative and reflective professional development activity. The steps involved in completing the discussion framework include:

  • Create an instructional profile of the general education classroom that identifies the frequency of use of various instructional strategies, materials, and assessment strategies

  • Identify potential instructional and curricular barriers to learning and participation for students, including those with disabilities

  • Identify strategies that teachers can put in place to reduce barriers and increase learning and participation of diverse students

  • Select strategies to implement in classrooms and collect data on effectiveness

The framework can be used to:

  • Guide collaborative planning by special and general education teacher partners or by special educators collaborating with grade level or department teams to identify strategies for increasing instructional access

  • Provide professional development to general and special education teachers with an expectation that teachers will identify one or more instructional strategies to incorporate into their instruction

  • Integrate into existing teaming structures the periodic reflection and sharing of instructional strategies that increase access to instruction for all students