Ohio Schools Closing the Gap for Students with Disabilities

The Ohio Schools are redefining their Specialstrategies for improvement:
Education program and closing the gap in the• Redefine special education at the state
achievement of students with disabilities. The Ohiolevel to shift focus away from compliance and
schools believe that achievement gaps are notpaperwork to standards-based instruction for all
the same as ability gaps, and the educationchildren.
system is responsible for ensuring that high• Implement a statewide monitoring
achievement is an attainable goal for all students.system designed to assess district/educational
Furthermore, the Ohio schools has put forth thatcompliance with federal and state law applicable to
meaningful participation of students with disabilitiesstudents with disabilities.
in state assessment is absolutely essential if• Align the work of the Special Education
every child is to be assured access to challengingRegional Resource Center (SERRC) network with
curriculum and appropriate instruction.the priorities of the Ohio schools, including No Child
In 2001, the Ohio schools made a major shift inLeft Behind, differentiating instruction, positive
approaching students with disabilities by revisingbehavior support, reading/literacy, and progress
school policy to require students with disabilities tomonitoring.
participate in state assessment. Now, content• Maximize use of federal and state
standards are the focus of instruction for allfunds earmarked for children with disabilities.
students in every classroom, and a variety of• Develop and disseminate products,
research-based instructional strategies are alignedtools and services focused on improving results
with the content standards. A coherent array offor student who are at risk, including students
interventions, supports and services are used towith disabilities.
ensure the success of students with disabilities.• Use the accountability system to
The policy now is that assessment is a reflectionleverage change in policy and practice at the local
of instruction and instruction is a reflection ofschool level.
assessment, creating a shared responsibility forThe Ohio schools are focusing attention and
the education of students with disabilities.energy on assisting all students to achieve high
The Ohio schools' goals for teaching students withacademic standards. They are preparing and
disabilities are standards, capacity, andsupporting teachers and administrators to ensure
accountability. They will improve access to,that all students are taught what they need in
participation in, and progress in the generalorder to succeed. They are adapting the public
curriculum, based on the Ohio academic standards,education structure in a manner to ensure all
for students with disabilities. Encouraging others tostudents will learn the Ohio schools' academic
consider students with disabilities as generalstandards.
education children first is the capacity goal -This means fewer but more meaningful goals for
assuming they will achieve, rather than assumingall students, effective use of student assessment
they may not achieve. The goal of accountabilitydata and resources, a fundamental shift in focus
is to increase the performance of children withfrom what is taught to what children learn, and
disabilities on state and district assessments fromallowing assessment to drive classroom
which they previously have been exempt.instruction, which is rigorous and aligned to the
The Ohio schools developed the followingstandards.