Universal Design for Learning

The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework of curricular and instructional principles that empower educators to craft experiences that provide all students to engage in, represent, and act on their learning.

Practices within the UDL are beneficial to all students; they can be especially beneficial to students who need support engaging in, representing, and acting on their learning. Some students in need of differentiated supports include multilingual learners, and/or students with 504 Plans or Individualized Education Plans (IEPs). 

For students with 504 plans or IEPs, the district has identified a handful of practices within the UDL that provide for maximum impact. These UDL practices will be listed as universal accommodations in all 504 and IEP plans. Additionally, these universal accommodations will be offered to all students in all learning settings as their known needs dictate.

Those universal accommodations are as follows:

• Time for Learning: Extra time on activities/tests in classroom and homework, breaks from work and classroom as necessary.
• Proximity for Learning: Preferential seating that supports learning, close to teacher/presentation, with or without select students, separate when necessary.
• Presentation of Learning Materials: Written, verbal, digital, visual, presentation of instructions, activities, tests, and other materials as necessary to support learning (e.g., text-to-speech and speech-to-text).
• Demonstration of Learning: Differentiate methods for students showing what they know with respect to skills being measured (i.e., demonstrating understanding in written, verbal, visual, digital, etc. formats).
• Organization for Learning: Consistent routines and agendas presented in multiple modes, regular understanding checks, chunking larger tasks, use of time amounts and timers for tasks, preview changes when possible, provide graphic organizers and mind maps, clear deadlines that are regularly revisited and adjusted as necessary.