FACULTY OF EDUCATION

& SOCIAL WORK

Accessing the Curriculum: Supporting and Promoting Exceptional Practice

Ilektra Spandagou, Michelle Bonati, David Evans, and Cathy Little

Contact email: Ilektra.spandagou@sydney.edu.au

Policy and Legislation Background:

› Under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA, 2001) and the Disability

Standards for Education (DSE, 2005), students with a disability in

Australian schools have the right to participate in an education program

“on the same basis as” their peers without disability.

› Melbourne’s Declaration’s (2008) first goal “Australian schooling promotes

equity and excellence” by providing “all students with access to high-

quality schooling that is free from discrimination based on gender,

language, sexual orientation, pregnancy, culture, ethnicity, religion, health

or disability, socioeconomic background or geographical location”.

› According to the UN (2006) Convention on the Rights of Persons with

Disabilities –Article 24 Education States parties shall realise the right of

persons with disabilities to education without discrimination by ensuring an

inclusive education system at all levels and life long learning.

UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities: Article 24 –Education:

2. In realizing this right, States Parties shall ensure that:

(a) Persons with disabilities are not excluded from the general

education system on the basis of disability, and that children with

disabilities are not excluded from free and compulsory primary education,

or from secondary education, on the basis of disability;

(b) Persons with disabilities can access an inclusive, quality and free

primary education and secondary education on an equal basis with others

in the communities in which they live;

(c) Reasonable accommodation of the individual's requirements is

provided;

(d) Persons with disabilities receive the support required, within the

general education system, to facilitate their effective education;

(e) Effective individualized support measures are provided in

environments that maximize academic and social development,

consistent with the goal of full inclusion.

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A shift in our thinking of education for students with disability:

› A paradigmatic shift:

- requires to face our preconceptions and assumptions about

dis/ability, moving from a deficit to a strength-based

understanding.

› Where each of us stand? And what does it mean for our

practice?

- ‘every child has a fundamental right to education’

- ‘every child has a fundamental right to an education in

regular schools and classes’

- ‘every child has a fundamental right to quality education in

regular schools and classes’.

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Australian Curriculum and Inclusivity:

› Inclusivity was part of the thinking informing the Australian Curriculum at the early stages:

[…] The curriculum should be based on the assumptions that all students can learn and that every student matters. It should set high standards and ensure that they apply to all young Australians while acknowledging the different rates at which students learn.

[National Curriculum Board (2009). The Shape of the Australian Curriculum, p. 8]

Inclusivity and how the national curriculum will provide for the educational needs of every child was part of the Design considerations for the National Curriculum K-12.

[ACARA, 2009. Curriculum Design Paper (version 2)]

› This focus was lost in most of the development of the Australian Curriculum and much of the material developed for students with disability were developed at a later stage.

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The Review of the Australian Curriculum:

› The Review of the National Curriculum report released in October 2014

stated that “an area in which the Reviewers are convinced the Australian

Curriculum is manifestly deficient is its inclusiveness and accommodation

of the learning needs of students with disability”.

› There is an extensive discussion of issues related to students with

disability

› Recommendation 10 states that “ACARA, guided by special education

experts, improve the inclusivity of the Australian Curriculum by more

appropriately addressing the needs of students with disability, particularly

those working towards the Foundation level”.

› The Initial Australian Government Response to the Review endorses this

recommendation explaining that “it is concerning that there is a significant

group of students for whom there is no explicit curriculum as they are yet

to achieve the Foundation level.”

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Australian Curriculum: Approaches to interpretation and implementation:

› Developmental approach

› One dimensional curriculum design

› Flexible curriculum design

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Developmental Approach to Curriculum

http://goo.gl/BNX932

[Humphries, Evans & Gray, 2015]

[Humphries, Evans & Gray, 2015]

Flexible Curriculum Design

[Humphries, Evans & Gray, 2015]

• Content aligned with individual goals

Content aligned with chronological age

• Content at different levels

• General capabilities and Cross-curriculum priorities

Start

Personalise

Personalised Learning

› Personalising the teaching and learning program enables

teachers to:

select age-equivalent content that is meaningful and respects

students’ individual needs, strengths, language proficiencies

and interests

provide stimulating learning experiences that challenge,

extend and develop the gifts and talents of all students

use their knowledge of students’ individual needs, strengths

and interests to ensure access to the teaching and learning

program.

› Personalised learning may involve one or a combination of

approaches in relation to curriculum, instruction and the

environment. http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/studentdiversity/student-diversity-advice-personalised-learning

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Example 1

Teacher intention

›To develop her students’ knowledge about and connection to their local

environment while using their individual communication systems and

targeted vocabulary to comment and respond to questions in the field.

Personalised learning

›The teacher plans from Year 8 Geography content to develop a teaching

and learning program on Landforms and Landscapes, building on the

concept of environment and connecting it to place.

›The teacher aligns the students’ individual communication goals with the

geography content. The communication skills enable the students to

develop their geographical knowledge and skills and the geography content

gives an age-equivalent and authentic context for the students to apply their

communication skills. http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Illustrations/Metadata/IOPL00002?group=PrimarySecondary

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Example 2

Teacher intention

›To develop her students’ understanding of changing government policies

towards Aboriginal people over time and the significance of the 2008

Apology to the Stolen Generations.

Personalised learning

›The teacher plans from Year 10 History content to develop a teaching and

learning program on the rights and freedoms of Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander peoples

›The teacher creates opportunities throughout the lesson to develop the

student's individual goals. These include responding to questions verbally

and using full sentences; and working cooperatively in a group.

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Illustrations/Metadata/IOPL00007?group=PrimarySecondary

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› Personalised Learning (PL) may involve one or a combination

of approaches in relation to curriculum, instruction and the

environment.

› PL using curriculum: aligning individual learning goals with

age-equivalent learning area content (for example,

incorporating communication goals into a problem-solving task

in a maths lesson).

› PL using instruction: scaffolding, explicit and systematic

instruction, modelling and demonstrating, incidental teaching

,evidence-based practices

› PL using environment: peer assistance, physical access, use

of technology and augmentative and alternative

communication systems, access to alternative equipment and

furnishings.

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/studentdiversity/student-diversity-advice-personalised-learning

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Curricular Approaches for Students with Intellectual Disabilities: A Historical Perspective

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Developmental approach

Functional curriculum approach

Ecological approach

Flexible general curriculum approach

(Dymond & Orelove, 2001; Shurr & Bouck, 2013)

Sample of Evidence for a Flexible General Curriculum Approach

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Decades of intervention research has demonstrated the

ability of students with moderate to severe intellectual

disabilities to acquire a wide variety of skills through

systematic instructional approaches. (Browder, Spooner,

Wakeman, Trela, & Baker, 2006 Dymond, 2011; Lowrey, Drasgow, Renzaglia, &

Chezan, 2007; Shurr & Bouck, 2013)

1980 2015

Literacy

Alberto, Waugh,

Fredrick, &

Davis, 2013

Lally, 1981 Cuvo & Klatt, 1992;

Berger, 1992

Duran, 1985 Bailey, Angell, &

Stoner, 2011

Browder & Xin,

1998

Cihak et al.,

2015

Sample of Evidence for a Flexible General Curriculum Approach

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1980 2015

Science Jimenez, et al. 2013;

Knight et al., 2013;

Riggs et al., 2013

Cavanaugh et

al.,1996

Collins, Hager, &

Galloway, 2011

Courtade, Spooner,

& Browder, 2007

1980 2015

Maths

Browder et al.,

2008

Mastropieri,

Bakken, Scruggs,

1991

Jimenez &

Kemmery, 2013

Butler, Miller, Lee,

& Pierce, 2001

Baroody, 1996;

Stith & Fishbein,

1996

Baroody, 1987

Courtade et al,

2010

Sample of Evidence for a Flexible General Curriculum Approach

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1980 2015

Communication and Social Skills

Hetzroni, 2003;

Hetzroni & Roth,

2003

Schussler &

Spradlin, 1991 Hughes et al.,

2011 Nientimp & Cole,

1992

Duker et al.,

1983

Duttlinger et al.,

2013

Ganz et al.,

2014

Hupp et al.,

1986

Principles to Support Access to a Flexible General Curriculum

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• All students have the right to access a general

curriculum that is relevant, rigorous, and age-

appropriate

To ensure all students have access to a flexible

general curriculum:

• Invest in teacher professional development

• Empower teachers to use their professional

knowledge to implement the Australian Curriculum