Specially designed instruction in secondary math classes
Specially designed instruction (SDI) is a critical part of how we provide support to students with disabilities (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2004). For secondary co-teachers of mathematics, there are many factors to consider to support students with disabilities in mathematics. Many students with disabilities struggle with memorizing and retrieving math facts, understanding relationships, and performing procedures (Rodgers & Weiss, 2019). In “Specially Designed Instruction in Secondary Co-Taught Math Courses,” Rodgers and Weiss (2019) offer to help readers understand the major challenge to incorporating SDI in the secondary math classroom, practices that are useful in secondary co-taught math classes, and practical ways to integrate SDI into the classroom.
The challenge to incorporatIng SDI
Courses at the secondary level are typically content specific. As content increases with rigor, many students with disabilities may still be working toward mastering skills below their grade level content. For co-teachers trying to integrate SDI, there are two competing priorities: addressing IEP goals and teaching grade level content. Thus, managing instructional time is one of the most critical challenges (Rodgers & Weiss, 2019). Although this challenge is undeniable, utilizing evidence-based practices and learning strategies can help.
Evidence-based practices and learning strategies
Evidence-based practices and cognitive learning strategies are great ways to deliver SDI in co-taught math classes. Teachers may select a learning strategy like the concrete-representation-abstract (CRA) sequence to help students solve equations. Explicit instruction is an evidence-based practice that supports teaching CRA (Rodgers & Weiss, 2019; McLeskey et al., 2022). These practices do not compete with one another, but work together to provide the best instruction to the students who need it. Once teachers select the practices and strategies that are most appropriate for their students, they need to determine the practical ways to incorporate them into their classes.
Practical ways to integrate SDI
Setting realistic expectations is important because there is only so much time in a math class. Rodgers & Weiss (2019) state that, “It can be difficult for teachers to visualize how to find time to incorporate SDI, for fear that when students are receiving SDI, they will miss necessary general education content” (p. 282). Three potential ways to practically integrate SDI are:
- small group instruction during warm-up activities or independent work;
- providing SDI during extension activities; and
- providing SDI using co-teaching models (e.g., station or parallel teaching).
Putting It all together
While students with disabilities in math and the teachers who instruct them face a major challenge with instructional time, there are many ways to make math instruction successful by utilizing strategies and practices. Balancing IEP goals and grade-level content during instructional time may be difficult, but is possible.
Additional resources
- Two guides from the Virginia Department of Education:
- The Council for Exceptional Children’s High Leverage Practices for Inclusive Classrooms
- Specially Designed Instruction: Increasing Success for Students with Disabilities by Anne Benninghof
References
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. §1401 (29) (2004). https://sites.ed.gov/idea/statute-chapter-33/subchapter-i/1401/29
Rodgers, W. & Weiss, M. (2019). Specially designed instruction in secondary co-taught mathematics courses. Teaching Exceptional Children, 51(4), 276–285. https://doi.org/10.1177/0040059919826546
For more information, contact Crystal Bell ([email protected]), Program Specialist T/TAC at VCU.
Categories Inclusive Practices, Math