INCA Education around the world
USA : Curricula (age 3-19)
5.5.1 CONTROL
5.5.2 COMPULSORY SUBJECTS
5.5.3 OPTIONAL/ELECTIVE SUBJECTS
5.5.4 FORMULATION OF CURRICULUM
5.5.5 KEY SKILLS
5.5.6 CURRICULUM MATERIALS
5.5 SPECIAL PUBLICLY-FUNDED PROVISION WITHIN OR OUTSIDE MAINSTREAM EDUCATION
[see 3.2.5]
THAT IS, PROVISION FOR STUDENTS WITH PARTICULAR NEEDS SUCH AS THOSE WITH DISABILITIES, LEARNING DIFFICULTIES, HIGH ABILITY, BEHAVIOURAL DIFFICULTIES, OR THOSE FROM PARTICULAR ETHNIC GROUPS OR TRAVELLER COMMUNITIES
5.5.1 CONTROL
General/national
In order to accommodate children with disabilities in the mainstream classroom (in accordance with the IDEA legislation)1 statutory curricula in the individual states in the USA can apply to children with special educational needs, and can also be modified to suit a student's particular needs. In practice, many children with disabilities are currently excluded from the curriculum and assessments used with their non-disabled classmates (limiting their possibilities of achieving higher standards of performance).6,26
Maryland
Gifted students
Gifted students study the mainstream curriculum, but are given opportunities to enhance their proficiency in the concepts and skills of the mainstream curriculum. Extended learning experiences are provided for by a more in-depth examination of topics present in the mainstream curriculum, and the examination of topics related to, but not included in, the mainstream curriculum.
Wisconsin
Individualised education plan (IEP)
Students deemed to be eligible for special education are provided with an individualised education plan (IEP). This is a written plan, consistent with federal policy, which identifies a student's special education needs and describes the services a school district shall provide to meet those needs. The plan aims to enable the student to progress effectively through the content areas of the general curriculum.
5.5.2 COMPULSORY SUBJECTS
For information on the compulsory subjects in the standard mainstream curriculum in the United States, see sections 5.1.2, 5.2.2, 5.3.2 and 5.4 2 of the mainstream USA Archive.
FURTHER INFORMATION BEING COLLECTED.
5.5.3 OPTIONAL/ELECTIVE SUBJECTS
For information on the optional/elective subjects in the standard mainstream curriculum in the United States, see sections 5.1.3, 5.2.3, 5.3.3 and 5.4 3 of the mainstream USA Archive.
FURTHER INFORMATION BEING COLLECTED.
5.5.4 FORMULATION OF CURRICULUM
General/national
In accordance with the IDEA legislation, schools must develop performance goals, drawn from general classroom students, for all students with disabilities. They must then develop performance indicators to assess the achievement of these goals, with necessary adaptations and modifications.
FURTHER INFORMATION BEING COLLECTED.
5.5.5 KEY SKILLS
For information on key skills in the standard mainstream curriculum in the United States, see sections 5.1.5, 5.2.5, 5.3.5 and 5.4.5 of the mainstream USA Archive.
FURTHER INFORMATION BEING COLLECTED.
5.5.6 CURRICULUM MATERIALS
General/national
In accordance with the IDEA legislation, schools must take steps to accommodate children with disabilities in the mainstream classroom. These steps may include the provision of supplementary aids and services (in addition to possible modification of the curriculum). Supplementary aids and services might involve a resource room, assistive technology, a behaviour intervention plan, or a paraprofessional assigned to the classroom. 26
National - textbooks
A Bill introduced into the House of Representatives and the Senate in late April 2002 promised to improve access to textbooks for students who are blind or have other disabilities that impair their use of printed material. The aim of the Bill was to create an efficient system for acquiring and distributing instructional materials in a variety of specialised formats. As a result, the Government provided funding to the Centre for Applied Special Technology (CAST) to produce a voluntary, standardised format for electronic files, which has now become available. Textbooks and classroom materials produced according to the benchmark, known as the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS), will be produced in an electronic format that can be adapted to create materials such as Braille editions of textbooks and on-screen displays of text and graphics. In previous years, lack of a standarised format meant that publishers had to produce materials in multiple formats, which often meant that there were delays in students with disabilities receiving their textbooks in time for the beginning of the school year.40
Assistive technology
Some States permit the use of computer programmes to assist students with special needs taking State tests, for example. In Massachusetts, students with reading and learning disabilities have the option of using 'read-aloud' software to aid them in taking the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) tests/examinations, for example. This assists not only the students but also the State in making progress towards its goal of ensuring its testing programme is accessible to all students. 37
