15 Apr Building Instructional Supports for All Learners
In collaboration with faculty from the University of Hawai‘i College of Education’s Department of Special Education, CRDG’s Hannah Slovin and Fay Zenigami are examining CRDG-developed mathematics curricula for elementary and middle school and defining ways in which teachers can use them to meet the needs of students who are struggling to learn mathematics. Recognizing that there is a need for more information about effective, evidence-based strategies for the teaching and learning of mathematics for at-risk students and struggling students, the project’s focus is on collaboratively examining the pedagogical practices within the CRDG mathematics curricula that address the needs of those students. The team developed an observation protocol based on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Response to Intervention (RTI) frameworks and has completed observations for grades 1, 2, 3, and 6. The resulting data will help teachers identify and define ways in which their existing materials can be used to meet the needs of these students in their classes. The project will continue in 2012 with a case study that will examine more closely the ways in which instructional strategies in the Reshaping Mathematics for Understanding (RMU) and Measure Up (MU) programs provide supports and/or create challenges for struggling students and students receiving special education services.