District Curriculum Accommodation Plan (DCAP)

Format:

• Fill In the Blanks
• Graphic Organizers
• Word bank
• Short answer
• Fewer answer choices
• Reduced Number of items/problems
• Open book/notebook
• Simplified directions
• Verbal directions
• Chunking
• Simplified vocabulary
• Alternative assessment
• Allow oral elaboration
• Allow for retakes or test corrections
• Provide multimodal presentation of materials

Administration:

• Clarify directions
• Test in alternative location
• Permit frequent breaks
• Extended time
• Monitor progress
• Provide incremental testing
• Modify pacing
• Provide extended wait time
• Provide examples
• Use of editing checklists, peer edits, conferences, modeling

Reference Tools:

• Calculator
• Formulas
• Reference Sheet
• Multiplication chart
• Word banks
• Study Guides
• Dictionaries
• Graphic Organizers

Alter Visual Presentation:

• Write directly on test
• Use additional white space
• Bold or underline key words
• Highlight or color code material
• Provide larger print
• Provide lines on test
• Provide alternate paper color
• Provide test in different format, such as electronically

Assistive Technology:

• Word Processing
• Calculator
• Audio Book
• Speech to text

Pacing:

• Extended time
• Chunk information
• Provide wait time
• Set limits
• Allow breaks

Additional Instruction:

• Before or after school help
• Extra review/practice
• Pre-teach vocabulary, prerequisite concepts
• Provide small group, targeted instruction
• Peer teachers/group work

Emphasize Main Ideas:

• Highlight
• Repeat
• Bold

Presentation:

• Vary lesson activities
• Connect to prior knowledge
• Use multi-sensory input
• Preview the lesson
• Provide wait time
• Story webs
• Outline tools
• Concept mapping tools
• Chunk information
• Provide multimodal presentation of materials
• Record and post zoom lessons  & notes on Google Classroom
• Provide verbal and written directions
• Frequent checks for understanding (formative assessments)

Alter Visual Presentation:

• Display fewer items per page
• Include visuals
• Vary format
• Bold or underline key words
• Highlight or color code material
• Provide larger print
• Provide lines or boxes on test
• Provide alternate paper color

Assistive Technology:

• Word Processing
• Calculator
• Audio Books
• Speech to text   
• Spell check, grammar check
• Word prediction software
• Electronic translation tools
• Links to multilingual glossaries on web   

Modeling:

• Provide exemplars
• Provide examples/non-examples
• Demonstrate processes
• Provide sentence starters or sentence strips
• Use cues and prompts to draw attention to critical concepts

Resources:

• Checklists
• Guided notes/copies of notes/skeleton notes
• Rubrics
• Graphic Organizers
• Extra textbook
• Study Guides

Monitor:

• Cue student
• Check progress
• Check for understanding
• Preferential Seating

Classroom Management:

• Clearly defined expectations
• Create class routines and stick by them
• Allow for breaks
• Create classroom norms with students
• Cue desired behavior
• Quick, business-like statements of corrected behavior
• Alert/Predict what is coming...transitions of all kinds
• Vary level of novelty/risk
• Create accepting/supportive classroom
• Allow for use of fidgets
• Post Social/emotional tools (breathing squares, 5 to 1 grounding)
• Post daily schedules, calendars to increase predictability of day
• Use of timers
• Use of PBIS techniques and PBIS incentives
• Assign classroom responsibilities and “jobs” for increased feelings of belonging and achievement
• Provide prompts on how/when to ask for help
• Create expectations for group work
• Practice mindfulness meditation/guided meditation/Progressive muscle relaxation
• Have all students participate in a set of norms/expectations; create an anchor chart and have all students sign it
• Review expectations daily, parent contact, rewards and incentives

Behavior Modifications:

• Individualized plans
• Participation in check in/check out
• Contracts
• Checklists
• Incentives
• Prompts (“What 3 tools can you use?”)
• Provide feedback
• Embed “stop and think”
• Variation in pace of work, breaks, length of work sessions
• Allow for headphones, listening to quiet music during work
• Allow for fidgets, doodling
• Special seating options (standing desk, rocking chair, bean bag)

Rules and Expectations

• Clear and concise consequences, rewards and incentives for those who use appropriate language
• Verbal/written reminders of class rules and consequences
• Avoid power struggles
• Cool down zones
• Ignore attention
• Find time to clearly state the expectations of the classroom to the student prior to the group setting
• Provide clear and concise verbal directives twice, provide written directive, rewards and incentives
• Give 3 directives to the student to demonstrate expected behavior, with wait time in between each one; if non-compliance continues, then consequence is given
• Consistent behavior chart.
• 1-2-3 system
• Rules and expectations explained. 
• Keep student safe
• Give visual Schedule
• Communication with home.
• Proximity to student, verbal redirection, seat change, positive behavior incentives, consistent consequences

Depression/Motivation

• Communicate with home
• Consistent routine
• Behavior plan/chart 
• Refer to guidance/social worker, use of incentives for work completion 
• Incentive charts, scheduled break time, rewards, parent contact, tiered-work
• Schedule of reward/break times throughout the day when pre-determined expected behaviors are shown or tasks are completed
• Lunch Bunch

Additional Services:

• Access to School Social Worker or Counselor
• Access to other specialists
• Referral to outside agency
• Participation in targeted, small groups (tier 2)
• Modify student’s schedule
• Limit workload when necessary (length and quantity)

Transitions:

• Predict and pre-alert multiple times
• Clear directions

Writing

• Reduce amount of copying from the board
• Allow cursive or printing or typing when available 
• Review good note taking; have anchor charts and models around the room
• Give the students a reason to use note (e.g. allow them to use teacher approved notes on some assessment
• Consistently use a grade level approved graphic organizer
• Annotating texts (Chunking)
• Consult of OT
• Provide supports such as a binder.
• Provide different papers.
• Provide practice
• Use of graphic organizers, modeling
• Use of editing checklists, peer edits, conferencing, modeling of sentencing
• Repetition, copying from a teacher source then fading prompts
• Graphic organizers, reduce amount needed to be written, talk-to-text feature on iPad, teacher scribe, write around

Spelling

• Teach clue words to look for
• Break apart complex words
• Post and review spelling rules
• Use of dictionary/computer tool
• Utilize spelling games/activities to promote memory and automaticity 
• Example Games: spelling puzzle; trace-copy-recall; sight word memory game; stairsteps; window writing or using shaving cream
• Review of sound/symbol relationships and syllable types, review strategies for breaking apart longer words
• Word walls, sand writing, shaving cream writing, wheel of fortune game, repetition, draw and write, talk to text feature on iPad

Mathematical Calculations

• Provide either multiplication chart or reference sheet 
• Create flash cards 
• Create school wide or classroom wide competitions or events that promote fact fluency
• Provide reference sheet 
• Before/ After school help
• Zearn/ Prodigy/ Gizmo
• Targeted intervention during A block
• Send home reference sheet for parents
• Communication with parent
• Online programs: Zearn, Prodigy, Starfall, IXL

Monitor Management of Materials:

• Binder
• Backpacks
• Actual or Virtual folders with shortcuts
• Locker
• Provide all or some materials in digital form for access at any time
• Provide extra set of books at home
• Provide a space for materials to be stored

Time Management Tools:

• Break down assignments
• Have student set reminders on devices
• Provide incremental due dates  and Parent communication log
• Provide checklists and project planning templates
• Help prioritization of work
• Help establish calendars with deadlines with reminders enabled

OTHER:

• Use of graphic organizers
• Use of outlines
• Provide templates
• Provide copies of notes
• Use of daily organizational checklist

General Remote Learning Accommodations

• Chunk tasks in the family schedule, in student assignments, and in lessons as necessary. If a student utilized this support in school, consider a checklist or task list.
• Minimize oral directions during live and recorded lessons.
• Provide clear, concise directions for student activities.
• Maintain simplified, routine directions for accessing remote learning via technology.
• Provide and model wait time so students can comply with directions.
• Consider material that can be reviewed, repeated, or replayed.
• Make use of technology to visually illustrate and provide repeated practice of new concepts.
• Utilize non digital materials with visual supports.
• Consider recording lessons/activities so that students can watch at their own pace.
• Consider the wide range of assistive technology supports available to support text accessibility.
• Recommend some favorite class brain breaks.
• Schedule breaks in the family schedule.

Presentation of Information

• Use of Audiobooks
• Use text to speech
• Use larger fonts
• Reduce amount of material presented per page when presenting virtually
• Use built-in accessibility features on smartphones or computers to change font size
• Record the teacher reading the instructions
• Provide the transcript of the lesson
• Web captioning  
• Teacher notes before the lesson or a transcript after the lesson 
• Provide bulleted list of concise instructions in the chat feature for live lessons (or directly on assignments)
• Lesson outline sent via email or learning management system (LMS) before the lesson

Completion of Homework

• Speech-to-text
• Uploaded audio or video recordings
• Check in with a family member to see if they can help write responses for homework
• One-to-one conference with the student
• Send home physical manipulatives
• Paper/printable manipulatives
• Virtual manipulatives
• Graphic organizers to use with assignments. 
• Websites to create graphic organizers: Popplet, MindMup, Creately, Mind Meister, Mindomo, SpiderScribe

Scheduling, Timing and Organization

• Highlighter function on PDFs and other documents (with explicit instruction on how students can use the highlighter)
• One-to-one video conferences or breakout rooms to allow students to ask questions or complete assignments with teacher support
• Explanations to students and families on how to “chunk” assignments and set due dates accordingly
• Assignments and directions given ahead of time, with time to check in with the student to answer questions
• Shared class document for students to add questions during or after a lesson
• Brain breaks during virtual classes
• Scheduled time for brain breaks in the middle of independent assignments
• Embedded brain break videos in digital assignments
• Assignments broken into smaller tasks or chunks
• Videos with exercises within lessons
• Test broken up into smaller tests or create multiple digital forms for each section
• Visual timer on Zoom or screen share a visual timer on other platforms  
• Website blockers to increase focus

Text to Speech

• Read and Write
• Kurzweil Read the Web - Chrome Extension
• VoiceDream Reader
• Voiceover
• Dragon Naturally Speaking

Grammar/Spell Checker

• CheckIt! within Read&Write and Read&Write for Google Chrome by Texthelp
• Ginger Grammar and Spell Checker
• Grammarly
• Hemingway Editor

Mind Mapping/Brainstorming Tool

• Popplet
• MindMeister
• Inspiration Maps

Time/Task Management Tools

• Priority Matrix
• Guided Access 
• Do Not Disturb on iOS devices

Articles on Remote Learning Accommodations:

• ASCD
• ADHD Accommodations for Distance Learning
• Resources for Making Distance Learning Accessible
• Distance Learning for ELLs

FORMS

If the team decides to formalize accommodations through an ICAP, the following meeting form and template should be used:

ICAP Meeting Form

ICAP Template

If the team decides to formalize accommodations through an ICAP, the following meeting form and template should be used:

ICAP Meeting Form

ICAP Template