Hows your AEM? Providing Accessible Educational Materials to - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

How’s your AEM? Providing Accessible Educational Materials to Students

Purpose of our time • Review AEM law and regs • Identify Qualifying Students • Develop strategies to implement AEM

Our Schedule • Introductions • Overview of AEM • Tools • Break 2:00pm • More Tools • Implementation of AEM

Introductions • What is your level of knowledge about AEM? AEM poll

A quick survey • How many students get materials read to them by a person (school staff or family) ? • How many students aren’t in a general ed. classroom because they can’t (or won’t) access the materials ? • How many students are in ERC classes working on reading skills?

What is AEM? Accessible educational materials, or AEM, are print- and technology- based educational materials, including printed and electronic textbooks and related core materials that are designed or converted in a way that makes them usable across the widest range of student variability regardless of format (print, digital, graphic, audio, video). IDEA (the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) specifically focuses on accessible formats of print instructional materials. National Accessible Educational Materials. http://aem.cast.org/about/what-are-aem.html#. Vp1vTJMrKA8

AEM Simply Stated

Who Qualifies for AEM? • Students who have disabilities that prevent access to traditional print formats of instructional materials – “print disability” • Vision Impairment • Physical Impairment • Reading Disability – “Organic Dysfunction”

Other Students Who Qualify for AEM • Students with Print Disabilities on 504 Plan • Students without Print Disabilities who benefit from alternate format such as ADD, OHI, ED, ASD

What IDEA says: Provisions within the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 require State and Local Education Agencies to ensure that textbooks and related core instructional materials are provided to students with print disabilities in specialized formats in a timely manner. Section 300.172, Final Regulations of IDEA 2004

OARs for AEM • Oregon Administrative Rules Regarding Accessible Instructional Materials • Accessible Materials • (1) School districts must ensure the timely provision of print instructional materials, including textbooks, that comply with the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standards (NIMAS) for students who are blind or print disabled, in accordance with OAR 581 ‐ 022 ‐ 1640.

OARs for AEM - Instructional Materials • Definitions • (1) Instructional material for purposes of Oregon law is defined as any organized system which constitutes the major instructional vehicle for a given course of study, or any part thereof. • (2) A major instructional vehicle may include such instructional items as a hardbound or a softbound book or books, or sets or kits of print and non ‐ print materials, including electronic and internet or web ‐ based materials or media.

OARs for AEM - NIMAS • 581 ‐ 011 ‐ 0052 • Accessible Instructional Materials Required • As part of any print instructional materials adoption process, procurement contract, or other practice or instrument used for purchase of print instructional materials, the Department of Education enters into a written contract with the publisher of the print instructional materials to require the publisher to prepare and, on or before delivery of the print instructional materials, provide to the National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC) electronic files containing the contents of the print instructional materials using the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS). • Stat. Auth.: ORS 337

OARS for AEM • (2) School districts must ensure the timely provision of instructional materials in accessible formats to children who need instructional materials in accessible formats, including those who are not blind or print disabled. • Stat. Auth.: ORS 343.041, 343.045 • 581 ‐ 011 ‐ 0050

OARS for AEM • (3) Basal instructional programs may be adopted by the State Board of Education. • (4) Accessible Instructional Materials are required under OAR 581 ‐ 015 ‐ 2060, 581 ‐ 022 ‐ 1640, 581 ‐ 011 ‐ 1185, 581 ‐ 011 ‐ 1186, and 581 ‐ 011 ‐ 0052. Stat. Auth.: ORS 337

AEM vs AIM ● AIM is IDEA based. ○ Core Instructional Materials only (Focus on Publisher Made Materials) ● AEM is more inclusive ○ Teachers using many resources for instruction ○ These need to be accessible too!

Special Factors page on the IEP ● These are the key questions on the Special Factors page of the IEP that need to be answered when accounting for Accessible Educational Materials Does the student need assistive technology devices or services? 34 CFR 300.324(a)(2)(v) _____ YES _____ NO If YES, the IEP addresses assistive technology devices or services.

Special Factors page on the IEP ● These are the key questions on the Special Factors page of the IEP that need to be answered when accounting for Accessible Educational Materials Does the student require one or more specialized formats (braille, large print, audio, and/or digital text) of educational materials because blindness or other disability prevents effective use of standard print materials? 34 CFR 300.210(b)(3); 300.172(b)(4) _____ YES _____ NO . If YES, alternate format(s) is/are identified in the IEP.

The Case against Assistive Technology: Why do we need it?

Barriers ● What barriers exist in your district or school that make it difficult to provide AEM to your students?

Barriers ● Access to Technology Device ● Teachers already “Accommodate” in the Classroom ● Difficulty getting materials from teacher ● Don’t know how ● No time ● Students don’t know how to use ● Fears of “cheating” or kids sharing tests with other friends

+ NIMAS/NIMAC and AEM Non NIMAS eligible students but NIMAS Eligible students could still require AEM ● IEP and 504 ● Not an IEP/504 ● Print disability (Vision, ● ELL Physical, Learning) ● Private School ● Public school ● Stated in the IEP the ● Stated in the IEP the required need for AEM required need for AEM

+ Why should we care about AEM? For Students For Teachers Accessibility features provide: ● Accessibility features support: ● Independence ● Less Adult support needed ● Practice for state testing for a specific student. ● Opportunity to be in a less Support can be spent on a restrictive environment variety of students instead ● More opportunities with their peers

A E M Formats • IEP team makes the determination of the type of specialized format the student requires • Braille • Large Print • Audio • Digital Text

Procedures for AEM • Determine Print Disability • Determine type of AIM Use PAR • Digital Text • Audio • Determine Device(s) to use • http://coat.hdesd.org • Add to the IEP

Which AEM? PAR can help! • Collect information on reading accommodations via PAR (Protocol for Accommodations in Reading) • Free download from www.donjohnston. com/PAR

PAR • Compare reading levels and comprehension using: • Student Oral Reading/Silent Reading • Adult Reading • Text-to-Speech with Digital Text (on device)

PAR IN ACTION https://youtu.be/2cLoj1ct_ys

PAR Passages • Expository and Narrative • Grades 2-10 • Comprehension Questions ▫ Main Idea ▫ Facts ▫ Inference ▫ Vocabulary

PAR Record Sheet • Comprehension Scores • Green – independent level • Yellow – instructional level • Red – frustration level

Closer look at PAR ● Scenarios

Questions to be asked ● Are the materials already available electronically? If so, in what formats? (CD, online, teacher made materials, pdf’s) ● What materials are needed to be converted? What does it look like to provide materials at the same time? ● What tools are your district currently using that can support AEM? (ie. Chromebooks, iPads, BYOD) ● Who can support the student to get the materials ready? ● Proactive lesson planning? How far in advance are materials available?

+ What if a student doesn’t qualify for AEM but still needs Accessible text? Provide it! https://www.gutenberg.org/ http://www.online-literature.com Library- Overdrive http://www.openculture. com/free_ebooks http://www.readworks.org http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/ http://www.symbaloo.com http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu http://www.naturalreaders.com http://bookbuilder.cast.org

What supports will students need? • Assistance acquiring materials • Learn to use the device, software, apps • Reading comprehension strategies • Strategies to become more independent with reading tasks

Now for some TOOLS!

Accessibility doesn’t help just one, but ALL