Unit 1: Teaching and Learning the Standards for Mathematical Practice

1.3.2 Students with Disabilities

As indicated in the CCSS for Mathematics, the standards are “for the widest possible range of students to participate fully from the outset, along with appropriate accommodations to ensure maximum participation of students with special education needs.”

Students with disabilities will receive the support they need to do mathematics. These accommodations include (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers, 2012):

• Instructional supports for learning — foster student engagement by presenting information in multiple ways and allowing for diverse avenues of action and expression
• Instructional accommodations — changes in materials or procedures which do not change the standards but allow students to learn within the framework of the CCSS
• Assistive technology devices and services — ensure access to the general education curriculum and the CCSS

For further information on students with disabilities and the CCSS, consider the following resources:

• “Teaching Common Core Math Practices to Students with Disabilities” offers alternatives to direct instruction for special education teachers.
• The Special Edge is a publication of the California Department of Education’s Special Education Division. Read the issue devoted to the CCSS.
• The CCSS publication, "Application to Students with Disabilities", addresses how the standards can apply to students with disabilities and their special needs, and ensures access to the general curriculum.
• The Council for Exceptional Children views the CCSS as an opportunity to provide access to the general curriculum to all students with disabilities. The journal article, "Teaching Mathematics CCSS to Students with Moderate to Severe Disabilities", provides teachers with a six-step approach to providing instruction to students with moderate and severe disability aligned to the new CCSS. An additional resource for administrators, “Six principles for principals to consider in implementing CCSS for students with disabilities”, provides CCSS implementation guidance in the instruction and assessment of students receiving special education services.