Table of Contents Introduction Rationale and Purpose Development of K-12 Louisiana Connectors in Mathematics and ELA Implementation Reading the Louisiana Connectors Louisiana Connectors for Mathematics Kindergarten Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Algebra I Algebra II Geometry Louisiana Connectors for English Language Arts Kindergarten Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 9-10 Grade 11-12 Louisiana Connectors for Science Kindergarten Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Chemistry Earth Science Environmental Science Life Science Physical Science Physics Resources Example Essential Elements Cards for Mathematics and English Language Arts Adapting Lesson Plans for Students with Significant Disabilities Student Response Modes Example Case Studies for Students with Significant Disabilities Background This document overviews the rationale for the Louisiana Connectors for Students with Significant Disabilities, details how they were developed to align with the Louisiana Student Standards in English language arts, mathematics, and science, and outlines implementation guidance for districts, schools, and teachers to use in creating equitable educational opportunities for all students. Rationale and Purpose Over the past 50 years, the history of education for students with significant disabilities has been one of expanded services and increasing levels of inclusion. Prior to 1975, countless students with disabilities did not have the opportunity to learn in a public-school setting. Then, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 was enacted, guaranteeing a free and appropriate education for all students. As time went on, further amendments and legislation were added to ensure early intervention services (1986), the inclusion of students with autism and traumatic brain injuries (1990), and transition services (1997). In 2004, the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act took place and expanded guarantees for students with disabilities even further. As recently as March 2017, the Supreme Court ruled that school districts must do more than provide a “merely more than de minimis” education program to students with disabilities. In its unanimous decision, the Court held that an Individualized Education Plan “must be appropriately ambitious” to meet the requirements of IDEA and support students with disabilities to achieve grade-level advancement. Keeping pace with the law, educational research and best practice have demonstrated that students with even the most significant disabilities are capable of learning much more academic content than once thought possible (Hudson, Browder, & Wood, 2013; Spooner, Knight, Browder, & Smith, 2012). Since the highest academic expectation for any student is that he or she will meet grade-level expectations, students with disabilities should – whenever possible – have the same opportunity to reach grade-level achievement articulated for all students. Development of the Louisiana Connectors With the adoption of the Louisiana Student Standards in Spring 2016, Louisiana’s Extended Standards and assessments for students with significant disabilities required update and alignment. The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) met with a diverse group of stakeholders to develop a draft set of aligned learning expectations for these students. In addition, the LDOE completed a comparative analysis of the Louisiana Student Standards, the Louisiana Extended Standards, and the work of national models, including the National Center and State Collaborative (NCSC).1 The analysis showed that there is general, though not complete, alignment between the Louisiana Student Standards and national models for alternative achievement standards in ELA and math. Where discrepancies were found, edits were recommended to ensure full alignment to the Louisiana Student Standards. The LDOE sought feedback from Louisiana stakeholders who were encouraged to review draft proposals and provide feedback. On December 6, 2016, BESE approved revisions to Bulletin 127 (insert title of bulletin), which outlines the learning expectations for students with significant disabilities as defined by those students meeting the alternative assessment eligibility criteria These Louisiana Connectors are fully aligned to the Louisiana Student Standards for English language arts and mathematics. When BESE approved the Louisiana Student Standards in Science in spring 2017, a parallel process was adopted for the creation of aligned Louisiana Connectors for students with significant disabilities in science. In the instance of science, there were no nationally-accepted models of extended standards from which to draw. The LDOE contracted with edCount, an organization with experience working on the NCSC project developing and evaluating the assessment system for English language arts and mathematics, as well as the lead designer on the Core Content Connectors aligned to state science academic standards for California, Tennessee, and South Dakota. Together with LDOE staff and a panel of special education and science content experts from across the state of Louisiana, several iterations of the Science Connectors went through several iterations. Once more, the LDOE sought feedback from Louisiana stakeholders who reviewed draft proposals and provided feedback. The Louisiana Connectors in English language, mathematics, and science provide developmentally- appropriate content for all grades and courses while maintaining high expectations for all students. While maintaining alignment with typical grade-level expectations, the Louisiana Connectors accentuate the “big ideas” found in English language arts and mathematics standards. The previous Extended Standards, developed for students eligible for alternate assessment participation, stood separate and apart from the expectations for students without disabilities. The Louisiana Connectors now provide fully-aligned pathways for students with significant disabilities to work toward Louisiana Student Standards. Implementation The Louisiana Connectors call for greater alignment between what general educators and specialist teachers teach. These changes can be addressed with sensible adjustments to curriculum, training, and 1 The LDOE has drawn extensively from the work of the National Center and State Collaborative (NCSC) in developing the Louisiana Connectors and related resources. We are indebted to their work. For more information, please use the following link to the NCSC website. testing; they will also require focused efforts on behalf of teachers and administrators to adopt the Louisiana Connectors and put them into practice. The LDOE has developed instructional materials for teachers to use with students with significant disabilities who are eligible for alternate assessment participation. The resources focus on planning English language arts and mathematics instruction while aligning to students’ individual needs and grade-level expectations. These resources are found at the end of this document. Reading the Louisiana Connectors The Louisiana Connectors are fully aligned to the Louisiana Student Standards. As such, whereas the Louisiana Student Standard code has three parts (strand, grade level, standard number), each separated by a period, the Louisiana Connectors add the prefix to denote that these are the recommended standards for students with significant disabilities. And, if the Louisiana Connector is subdivided, the Connectors use letters to denote the subdivisions. Examples from mathematics, English language arts and science are below. Grade 8 Math Louisiana Student Standards Louisiana Connectors (LC) 8.NS.A.1 Know that numbers that are not LC.8.NS.A.1a Identify π as an irrational number. rational are called irrational. Understand LC.8.NS.A.1b Round irrational numbers to the informally that every number has a decimal hundredths place. expansion; for rational numbers, show that the decimal expansion repeats eventually., Convert a decimal expansion that repeats eventually into a rational number by analyzing repeating patterns. Grade 3 English Language Arts Louisiana Student Standards Louisiana Connectors (LC) RL.3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate LC.RL.3.1a Answer questions related to the understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the relationship between characters, setting, events, text as the basis for the answers. or conflicts (e.g., characters and events, characters and conflicts, setting and conflicts). LC.RL.3.1b Answer literal questions and refer to text to support your answer. LC.RL.3.1c Support inferences, opinions, and conclusions using evidence from the text including illustrations. Grade 6 Science EARTH’S PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE Louisiana Student Standards Louisiana Connectors (LC) 6-MS-ESS1-1 Develop and use a model of the LC-6-MS-ESS1-1a Use an Earth-sun-moon model Earth-sun-moon system to describe the to show that the Earth-moon system orbits the reoccurring patterns of lunar phases, eclipses of sun once an Earth year and the orbit of the moon the sun and moon, and seasons. around Earth corresponds to a month. LC-6-MS-ESS1-1b Use an Earth-sun-moon model to explain eclipses of the sun and the moon. LC-6-MS-ESS1-1c Use an Earth-sun-moon model to explain how variations in the amount of the sun’s energy hitting Earth’s surface results in seasons. Mathematics Kindergarten Math Louisiana Student Standards Louisiana Connectors (LC) K.CC.A.1 Count