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School and District Administrators

Thank you for exploring this site and providing feedback on the actionable strategies, coursework, and tools that ensure all students with disabilities can meet standard high school diploma requirements. You play an essential role in shaping educational environments through strategic decisions as you operate as instructional leaders within your local context. It is critically important for you to share your needs with us regarding how to make alternative means of expression more common in secondary classrooms.

The data is clear: students with disabilities do not experience equitable graduation outcomes. We need your perspective on ways to support these students in more targeted approaches as we address this challenge.

Please share feedback on:

  • The alignment of selected instructional frameworks and curricula with the goals of alternative expression and inclusive education
  • The degree to which you would be willing and able to lead instructional endeavors that use the strategies and resources defined within this initiative
  • The specific tools and resources you need for yourself as an educational leader related to this work
  • The degree to which this initiative gives you a vision for how to lead special education and general education joint efforts

Review and provide feedback on the practice briefs linked below. 

  • How do these tools give you new strategies to apply to your administrative leadership? 
  • To what degree do you see them as applicable to the IEP process and graduation requirement?

Go to the High-Level Guidance Overview page to review and provide feedback on the overall strategy being utilized. 

  • How clear is the Guidance Overview in providing  actionable steps for you as an administrator? 
  • In what ways does the Overview of the initiative add to the ways you can support your students with disabilities in meeting graduation requirements? 
  • To what degree does this Overview support and/or expand the development of the graduation pathways that you can offer your students with disabilities?

Explore the content and course examples to review and provide feedback on the following:

  • To what degree have diploma requirements been made clearer to you in key courses?
  • To what degree do you feel equipped to lead this work within your district?

Thank you for your important role and continued partnership in shaping an educational landscape where every student can thrive.

Learn More:

Practice Brief: Establishing District Policies to Support Alternate Means of Expression

The document provides guidance for district and community leaders on implementing policies that support students with disabilities in meeting rigorous learning expectations. It emphasizes the importance of integrating choice into learning and fostering student independence. The document outlines specific considerations for policymakers, including diploma offerings, alternative means of expression, community engagement, professional development, core instruction, educator collaboration, and IEP meeting attendance.

Practice Brief: Establishing District Policies to Support Alternative Means of Expression

This document provides guidance for district leaders to implement policies supporting alternative means of expression in education for students with disabilities.

Comment

Practice Brief: Identifying Viable Alternative Means of Expression

This document is a decision-making tool for IEP teams in California to identify alternative means of expression for students with disabilities, allowing them to meet coursework requirements personalized to their strengths and needs. It emphasizes the importance of understanding course requirements, collaborating between general and special education teachers, and elevating the role of supplementary aids and services. The document provides guidance on how to determine if individualized alternative means of expression are necessary and offers a flowchart for decision-making.

Practice Brief: Identifying Viable Alternative Means of Expression

This document provides guidance for IEP teams in California to identify alternative means of expression for students with disabilities.

Comment

Practice Brief: The Importance of Alternative Means to Express Proficiency in Graduation Requirements

This document emphasizes the importance of alternative means to express proficiency in graduation requirements, particularly for students with disabilities. It highlights that alternative means of expression provide equitable opportunities for students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills, promoting inclusivity and accommodating diverse learning preferences. The document also discusses the distinction between alternative means of expression and alternate standards, emphasizing that alternative means do not compromise the validity of assessing proficiency. Overall, it underscores the need for educators to offer flexible options that align with individual abilities while maintaining rigor in coursework assessments.

Practice Brief: The Importance of Alternative Means to Express Proficiency in Graduation Requirements

This document emphasizes the importance of alternative means for students with disabilities to express proficiency in graduation requirements.

Comment

Step 1: Pick your path

Start at one of two entry points to explore different routes to fulfilling graduation-based coursework

VIEWPOINT
Explore CA’s High-Level Guidance Overview

Option 1: Explore New State Recommended Guidance
Increase your understanding of the state-recommended big picture guidance to provide rigorous and standard-based instruction that still meets the child-centered learning needs of students with disabilities.

SUMMIT TRAIL
Explore the Sample Courses

Option 2: Discover Sample Coursework
Access coursework, performance tasks, and other tools developed by subject experts that help students meet graduation requirements by showing what they know in flexible ways.

Funded by the California Department of Education, Special Education Division

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