Resources for Aligning to the Standard Curriculum
There are a variety of documents different states in the United States use in aligning IEP goals in the standard curriculum for students that may be developmentally at a much earlier stage of learning. Here are a few that we have used to figure out what is appropriate for our students in a variety of core content areas.
Dynamic Learning Maps Essential Elements
The Dynamic Learning Maps provides specific statements of knowledge and skills linked to the grade-level expectations identified in the Common Core State Standards. The purpose of these documents is to build a bridge from the content in the Common Core Standards to academic expectations for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities.
DLM begins with Kindergarten requirements and therefore does not address skills from birth, but the essential elements in each area are helpful in developing goals and benchmarks that will align for students using an Active Learning Approach.
Texas Early Learning Pathways & Texas Pre-Kindergarten Guidelines
This is a resource (2016) available for early childhood professionals – an alignment of the Infant, Toddler, and Three-Year-Old Early Learning Guidelines to the Texas Pre-kindergarten Guidelines. Texas’ Early Learning Pathways and Birth—Grade 2 Vertical Alignments creates a birth to age 5 pathway of child development and shows how caregivers can support optimal child development in this critical period of development. Texas Early Learning Pathways can help guide you to align content in domains related to social and emotional development, cognitive development, physical health and motor development, and language and communication development. The Texas Pre-kindergarten Guidelines are also available in Spanish and Vietnamese.
Common Core State Standards Initiative
This site is the official home of the Common Core State Standards. It is hosted and maintained by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center). It provides parents, educators, policymakers, journalists, and others easy access to the actual standards, as well as supporting information and resources.
The Common Core is a set of high-quality academic standards in mathematics and English language arts/literacy (ELA). These learning goals outline what a student should know and be able to do at the end of each grade. The standards were created to ensure that all students graduate from high school with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in college, career, and life, regardless of where they live. Forty-two states, the District of Columbia, four territories, and the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) have voluntarily adopted and are moving forward with the Common Core. Check out Core Content Connectors resource for guidance in aligning instruction. This document only goes down to kindergarten, but you can find information that will guide you in the development of appropriate IEP Goals.
