Specific Considerations for Teachers of Students with Disabilities

About This Resource

Danielsons 2013 Framework for Teaching (FfT) provides teachers and school leaders with a common
language to describe and discuss effective teaching in order to achieve continuous growth in teacher
practice and student learning. The FfT was created as an overarching framework that describes the
commonalities in every classroomthose aspects of teaching that are common across grades, disciplines, and
students backgrounds. Thus, the FfT is appropriate for use with and by teachers of students with disabilities.

New York States Education Law 3012-c requires that lead evaluators have appropriate guidance regarding
specific considerations in evaluating teachers of students with disabilities. Also, many school leaders and
teachers have requested additional support in using the FfT in classrooms in which student characteristics,
subject content, or program models may differ significantly from other courses or subjects. In response, this
document offers specific considerations for school leaders and teachers of students with disabilities through
component-aligned questions. These questions may be discussed when providing feedback, engaging in pre-
and post-observations, and planning next steps; they are not to be used for evaluating teacher practice. In
addition, these questions can be used by teachers voluntarily as a resource to guide their thinking as they plan
and reflect on their instructional practice in how they are meeting the needs of students with disabilities.
Additionally, while these questions may be useful for informing teachers usual planning, preparation, and
professional learning processes, teachers may not be required to provide written answers to these questions
as an additional professional assignment.

This document is not a separate rubric for teachers of students with disabilities or to be used as a checklist in
classroom observations. Each FfT components Rationale, Performance Levels, Critical Attributes, and
many of the Possible Examples 1 are relevant to teachers of students with disabilities and should be used by
school leaders when considering evidence of each component. This document only seeks to present additional
context to consider, keeping in mind that not every question will be applicable depending upon the students
needs and context.

Embedded in these questions are good instructional practices for students with disabilities; this document is
not an exhaustive guide of those good instructional practices. Also, it should be noted that the questions refer
to practices across a continuum of services including: general education classrooms that include students with
an Individualized Education Program (IEP), classrooms in which students receive Special Education Teaching
Support Services (SETSS), Integrated Collaborative Teaching (ICT) settings, and Special Classes (SC). For
teachers of ELLs with disabilities, also refer to the Specific Considerations for Teachers of English Language
Learners to use alongside this document.

1
Every Possible Example in the FfT is not meant to be relevant to all teachers, including teachers of students with
disabilities. Examples are included to assist teachers and observers in understanding concrete classroom practices that
might serve as evidence for each component. The relevance depends upon the discipline and the students
developmental levels.

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The Office of Students with Disabilities, including District 75, contributed significantly to the creation of this
document. 2 These specific considerations align with the work of the Office of Students with Disabilities to
support teachers to create rigorous learning environments that focus on academic achievement, Common
Core-aligned IEP goals, and skill development across a wide range of ability and disability.

Additional Resources and Support

Additional resources for teachers of students with disabilities and supervisors of teachers of students with
disabilities include:

NYCDOE Division of Students with Disabilities: A Shared Path to Success resources for increasing
educational opportunities and improving outcomes for students with disabilities.
NYSED Resource Guides for Special Education Instructional Practices: Look fors in the areas of
literacy, behavioral supports and interventions and delivery of special education services.
Council for Exceptional Children Professional Standards and Ethics for the Field of Special Education:
This organization provides information about standards of practice for special education teachers.
NYSED provides support around developing and implementing Quality IEPs, as well as around test
access and accommodations.
Schools can use these quality indicators for effective integration of assistive technology.
Multi-Tiered System of Supports are a coherent continuum of evidence-based, system-wide practices
to support a rapid response to academic and behavioral needs. Frequent data-based monitoring for
instructional decision-making empowers each student to achieve high standards:
o Response to Intervention:
PK-6 Interventions
Academic Literacy Instruction in the Content Areas
Phonological Awareness and Phonics, K-1
o Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports:
Critical Features of Classroom Management
Classroom Management Self-Assessment
Universal Design for Learning: This site includes a set of principles for curriculum development that
give all individuals equal opportunities to learn.
NYCDOE District 75 Web site: This site includes educational, vocational, and behavior support
resources for teachers of students who are on the autism spectrum, have significant cognitive delays,
are severely emotionally challenged, sensory impaired and/or multiply disabled.
Educators can consult this glossary for definitions and explanations of special education terms.

Questions and suggestions about this document are welcome and valued. Please send feedback and queries to
[email protected], and a member of the Office of Teacher Effectiveness will respond
shortly.

2
Design of this resource was also informed by similar guidance on best practices provided by the Houston Independent
School District to its teachers and evaluators.

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Domain 1: Planning & Preparation
1a: Demonstrating Knowledge of Content and Pedagogy
How do you use knowledge of pedagogical strategies appropriate for a wide range of disability
classifications to develop lesson and unit plans that ensure access, with meaningful progressions for
students with disabilities?
How do you demonstrate knowledge of appropriate supports, specialized instruction, co-teaching, and
accommodations in order to plan lessons that are accessible for all students?

1b: Demonstrating Knowledge of Students

How do you integrate deep knowledge of the students strengths, IEP goals, instructional levels, interests,
and needs into the lesson and unit plans to provide rigorous learning experiences?
How do you use knowledge of how the students learn to plan in a way that ensures access and
engagement?
How do you anticipate and then plan for any potential barriers to student learning?

1c: Setting Instructional Outcomes

How do you identify instructional outcomes that are Common Core-aligned and, as appropriate, include
career development and occupational standards, vocational skills, and functional learning outcomes?
How do you align students IEP goals and objectives to the instructional outcomes?
How do the lesson objectives require students to increase their independence, applying transferable skills
across contexts over increasing periods of time?

1d: Demonstrating Knowledge of Resources

How do you plan collaboratively with your co-teacher and/or support personnel?
How do you incorporate the use of charts, highlighters, graphs, and illustrations to support access to lesson
objectives?
How do you plan for intentional use of instructional and/or assistive technology, and low or high tech
augmentative/assistive communication devices or systems to support assessment and instruction?
How do you plan to provide access to support equipment (e.g., switches, weighted vests, elevated easel or
writing tray) to promote student access as appropriate?

1e: Designing Coherent Instruction

How do you incorporate the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to give all students access to
the curriculum? For example,
o How do you plan for various points of entry to text so that students gain access both at their
instructional level and at grade level (e.g., digitized text, audio text)?
o How do you plan various points of entry to content according to student need (e.g., activate or supply
background knowledge, highlight big ideas via a BrainPop video, provide Braille)?
o How do you plan scaffolds to support individual students and the whole class (e.g., creating a posted
list of the members of instructional groups, picture cues, job charts, public timing of activities)?
o How do you plan to differentiate the quantity of work for some students while keeping the same
curricular outcomes for all (e.g., plan a math assignment that assesses the same standards but with
fewer questions)?
How do you plan specially designed instruction required for each student with a disability? For example,
o In an ICT setting, how do you and your co-teacher design tasks that are rigorous for all students and
select the appropriate co-teaching model(s) that match tasks, activities, and student needs?

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 o As a special education teacher who provides SETSS, how do you plan with general educators to ensure
supplementary instruction and compensatory skill instruction meets the needs of individual students?
o As a general education teacher, how do you plan with the SETSS teacher to ensure supplementary
instruction and compensatory skill instruction meets the needs of individual students?
o As the special education class teacher, how do you design instruction that is both aligned to the
general education curriculum and appropriately tailored to the instructional needs of the students?
o How do you design lessons that identify groupings that support the instructional needs of individual
students?

1f: Designing Student Assessments

How do you plan accommodations (e.g., changes in timing, setting, presentation, response) for individual
students, as necessary, to measure their achievement relative to standards (e.g., tape recording an
extended response)?
How do you plan assessment accommodations aligned with those accommodations that the student
receives during classroom instruction (e.g., providing accessible text as part of a performance assessment)?
How do you design assessments to reflect real world application of skills (e.g., an in-class math assessment
requiring students to apply an understanding of angles and measurement to building shelves at their
internship)?
How do your planned assessments allow for evaluation of both the content/skill objectives and progress
toward IEP goals?

Domain 2: The Classroom Environment

2a: Creating an Environment of Respect and Rapport
How do you create a safe, inclusive, and mutually responsive environment to engage students with
disabilities in meaningful learning activities and social interactions?
How do you demonstrate to students that diversity is expected, respected, and valued (e.g., the classroom
seating and participation reflects full integration of all students)?
How do you ensure students support each other and feel safe to take risks?

2b: Establishing a Culture for Learning

How do you promote students achievement of grade level standards and IEP goals with a belief that they
can meet or exceed them?
How do you use clear and explicit directions, prompts, restatements, wait time, native language assistance,
and/or encouragement to support students to generate their own responses?

2c: Managing Classroom Procedures

How do you ensure that students initiate the use of schedules and follow classroom routines with minimal
prompting?
How do you prepare your students in advance for any scheduled changes (e.g., related services, changes to
daily routines)?
How do you use verbal and non-verbal cues to signal transitions (e.g., warning time, pictures, gestures,
sounds)?
How do you collaborate with and guide classroom paraprofessionals (i.e., to support classroom-wide
instructional and behavior management routines)?

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2d: Managing Student Behavior
How do you use surface management strategies to help students redirect behaviors before an initial
scenario escalates (e.g., planned ignoring, proximity control, support from routines, diversion, and/or
redirection)?
How does your response to behavior show sensitivity to student needs and provide multiple opportunities
for students to regulate their behavior in the learning environment?
How do you use recommended strategies in the relevant aspects of a students IEP, including Behavior
Intervention Plans (BIPs) as appropriate?
How have you participated in the process of conducting a Functional Behavioral Assessment that may
inform a BIP (as appropriate)?

2e: Organizing Physical Space

How do you arrange the classroom to maximize instruction for all students and allow for safe mobility and
access to materials?
How do you organize the classroom to meet the needs of your students (e.g., make it appropriately
stimulating without over-stimulating, create break spaces within the classroom, provide students with
individual learning areas, use of lighting)?

Domain 3: Instruction
3a: Communicating with Students
How do you present assignments and directions in multiple formats, including text, pictures, film, and
audio?
How do you use a variety of modalities to communicate the expectations of each lesson (e.g., beginning the
lesson with a posted agenda on the board and checking off completed activities throughout the lesson)?
How do you tailor modes of communication to meet the needs and abilities of students (e.g., oral, signs,
gestures, auditory, written, and visual aids)?
How do you clearly communicate the explanation of content based on students needs (e.g., using a
communication mode most accessible to students, at times repeating or rephrasing)?

3b: Using Questioning and Discussion Techniques

How are the questions you ask specific, guiding, and open-ended as appropriate in order to scaffold
students critical thinking?
How do you ensure that all students have access to questions and discussion?
How do you present questions in varying modalities according to students needs (e.g., presenting questions
orally and in writing)?
How do you present questions in an explicit manner, without extraneous language, and with pausing
between questions?
How do you ensure that students have the opportunity to respond in a variety of ways (e.g., kinesthetically,
through visual representations)?
How do you use augmentative and alternate communication systems to support students in responding,
when appropriate (e.g., iPad, communication boards, Picture Exchange Communication System, Dynavox,
sign language)?

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3c: Engaging Students in Learning
How do you implement instruction that is individually developed to address a specific childs needs that
result from his or her disability?
How do you use multiple representations of content and resources to engage students and allow for varied
means of expression?
How do you use differentiated resources to support all students in meeting IEP goals and lesson objectives,
and how do you involve students in this process?
In an ICT setting, how do you implement one of the established co-teaching models with the co-teacher to
create access, to pre-teach, and/or to re-teach?
How do you ensure that all students are engaged in academically and developmentally appropriate
activities related to the instructional outcome?
How do you ensure that students with disabilities are given appropriately rigorous tasks (e.g., in a lesson on
analyzing immigration patterns, a student records her analysis with a speech-to-text program versus being
given the task of coloring a map)?
When do you provide guided notes to promote active engagement or full and accurate notes for use as a
study guide; how do you help students to identify the most important information?

3d: Using Assessment in Instruction

How do you elicit evidence of learning appropriate for individual students (e.g., invite students to
demonstrate understanding in a variety ways such as responding orally or creating a concept map)?
How do you use assessments to evaluate mastery of content/skill objectives and monitor progress toward
IEP goals?
How do you use assessment information to identify supports and accommodations required for students
with disabilities to access curriculum and participate in assessments?
How do you use multiple types of assessment information in making instructional decisions and service
recommendations for students with disabilities?

3e: Demonstrating Flexibility and Responsiveness

How do you teach flexible, responsive curriculum that offers options for how information is presented, how
students respond or demonstrate knowledge and skills, and how students are engaged in learning?
How do you use a variety of instructional strategies to adjust the lesson in order to ensure the content is
accessible to all students?
How do you maximize the paraprofessionals or other support personnel and position them to be active
participants in assessing individuals and small groups when relevant (e.g., through data collection)?

Domain 4: Professional Responsibilities

4a: Reflecting on Teaching
How do you articulate areas in need of improvement in your lesson delivery for all students and specifically
those with disabilities, and then identify a plan of action?
After teaching a lesson, how do you identify strategies to try to better support students with disabilities and
rationales for how those strategies will increase their learning?

4b: Maintaining Accurate Records

How do you monitor student progress toward IEP goals (as well as grade level content standards)?
How do you maintain records for all areas of the IEP (i.e., behavioral goals, transition plans, completing the
IEP in a timely manner)?
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4c: Communicating with Families
How do you ensure frequent communication with families about progress toward IEP goals, in English or in
the parents preferred language?
How do you make use of translation resources to share updates with the families of ELLs?
How do you communicate regularly with families regarding students progress and opportunities to engage
in community-based resources, as appropriate?
How do you engage the family as a full partner in developing the IEP, ensuring that the family understands
and contributes meaningfully to all components of the document?

4d: Participating in the Professional Community

How do you engage in ongoing collaboration with the special education teacher and/or content area
teachers to develop units of study, design lessons, and select appropriate materials and instructional
strategies for all students?
How do you communicate with all stakeholders to ensure continuity of service (e.g., speech provider,
occupational therapist, guidance counselor)?
When do you meet with colleagues to discuss IEP progress and plan for multiple opportunities to reinforce
new learning?
How do you utilize paraprofessionals and other support personnel appropriately (i.e., for instructional
support)?

4e: Growing and Developing Professionally

When do you attend professional development on best practices for teaching students with disabilities?
How do you stay current regarding research-based practices, using a variety of resources (e.g., journals,
critical friends, professional development sessions, coursework) about teaching students with disabilities
and how best to employ those strategies in your classroom to the benefit of students?

4f: Showing Professionalism

How do you contribute to a culture in which students with disabilities are included fully as members of the
class and school community, including participation in all school-wide activities?
How do you advocate for students with disabilities to receive standards-based, rigorous instruction in all
classes?
How do you have professional, collaborative relationships with members of the staff who work with your
students?

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