Is it reasonable to ask teachers to modify curriculum for special needs education?
Here are the top five challenges teachers face when working with a modified curriculum and how schools can support them.
1. Unrealistic expectations for curriculum design
General education teachers and special education teachers aren’t required to write their own curriculum. Most don’t have specialized training or degrees in curriculum design like professionals at curriculum companies. Expecting them to fully redesign lessons for a special education curriculum creates extra stress and can compromise learning outcomes.
2. Difficulty aligning to standards and retaining rigor
While many extended standards are based on the general education curriculum, they do differ. When modifying curriculum for special education students, teachers may struggle to maintain proper alignment and academic rigor for every student’s individualized plan (FAPE). Careful planning and guidance are essential when creating an adaptive curriculum that meets all needs.
4. Need for assessment and progress monitoring
Modifying lesson plans also means adjusting assessments. Teachers must ensure tests and assignments reflect the learning objectives and curriculum standards, allowing accurate monitoring of student progress. Without proper alignment, it’s hard to measure outcomes or track growth. Strong curriculum for special needs education should always include embedded assessments and reporting.
5. Inconsistent implementation or modification
When curriculum modifications vary across classrooms or schools, students can’t pick up where they left off and can slow progress. These inconsistent approaches also make it difficult for administrators to assess the effectiveness of a modified curriculum special education program across the district.
Unique Learning System
ULS helps teachers save time and simplify lesson planning. It can quickly adapt curriculum to meet every unique student’s needs.