Highlighting High Leverage Practice (HLP) 12
High-leverage practices (HLPs) are defined as “22 essential special education techniques that all teachers of students with disabilities should master for use across a variety of classroom contexts“ (IRIS Center, 2025). The term high-leverage practice surfaced in 2011; but these evidence-based techniques are not new concepts (Council for Exceptional Children, 2024). HLPs became more specific to special education when the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and the Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform (CEEDAR) Center partnered together to release HLPs for special education in 2017 to emphasize this key set of evidence-based practices in a sea of seemingly endless practices (Council for Exceptional Children, 2024). While there are 22 practices, the focus of this article is HLP 12, “Systematically design instruction towards a specific learning goal,” to learn what it is and how to implement it.
Students with disabilities often require more instruction that is systematically designed than their same-aged peers (McLesky et al., 2017). HLP 12 emphasizes the need for educators to design instruction (e.g., lessons, remediation, and/or enrichment) based on a student’s specific needs. This practice cannot work in isolation as there are several other practices needed to ensure HLP 12 is implemented successfully, including collaboration with colleagues and families (HLP 1 and 3), explicit instruction (HLP 16), and the use of student assessment data to inform decisions (HLP 6) (Konrad et al., 2022). HLP 12 emphasizes creating structured, goal-oriented lesson plans tailored to the needs of students with disabilities. Educators can ensure meaningful learning outcomes by prioritizing collaboration, data-informed decision-making, and aligning with related HLPs (Konrad et al., 2022).
One specific model that can be used to implement HLP 12 is ACCOMPLISH, a framework for developing clear, measurable, and actionable goals that cater to individual student needs while maintaining alignment with general curriculum standards (Konrad et al., 2022). Effective instruction begins by translating long and short-term learning goals into lesson-specific targets. Teachers are encouraged to follow logical sequencing, teaching foundational skills before complex ones and ensuring skills are taught in a progression that builds on student knowledge (Konrad et al., 2022). Principles of effective instruction include connecting new information to big ideas, providing explicit strategies, scaffolding, and integrating new content with prior knowledge to develop higher-order skills (Konrad et al., 2022). Careful review and visual aids such as graphic organizers further support learning retention and progression (Konrad et al., 2022).
Teachers need to monitor progress through ongoing data collection to evaluate student outcomes and adjust instruction as necessary. This systematic approach enables educators to address the diverse needs of all students while maintaining high expectations (Konrad et al., 2022). School leaders also play a crucial role in the implementation of HLP 12 by supporting teachers through professional development, feedback, and coaching, particularly in applying models like ACCOMPLISH to create high-quality, individualized learning goals (Konrad et al., 2022).
Now that we have learned about HLP 12 and how to implement this practice successfully, check out the additional resources below to aid you in implementing HLP 12:
High Leverage Practices website
High Leverage Practice Lunch and Learn Series 2024-2025
IRIS Center Universal Design for Learning Module
References:
Aceves, T. C. & Kennedy, M. J. (Eds.). (2024). High-leverage practices for students with disabilities. 2nd edition. Arlington, VA: Council for Exceptional Children and CEEDAR Center.
McLeskey, J., Barringer, M-D., Billingsley, B., Brownell, M., Jackson, D., Kennedy, M., Lewis, T., Maheady, L., Rodriguez, J., Scheeler, M., Winn, J., & Ziegler, D. (2017). High-leverage practices in special education. Arlington, VA: Council for Exceptional Children & CEEDAR Center.
For more information, contact Crystal Bell ([email protected]), Program Specialist, T/TAC at VCU.
Categories Autism Spectrum Disorder, Behavior, Inclusive Practices, Intellectual Disabilities