Innovations in Rural Sites of LearningCommunity partnerships, technology, and functional curriculum: A look at the combined impact on rural secondary students with special needs

Secondary special needs students with moderate to profound disabilitiesThe combination of differentiated curricula and a blended learning instructional approachThe development of community partnerships that provide customized opportunities for students to strengthen skills and abilities necessary for life outside of school

What’s so unique?

Blended Learning Approach

Face to face small group instructionInteractive instruction using technologyGuided in-school simulationsReal-life experiences in the community

Context and Participants

Rural high school of 150 students with 14% identified as special needsFive moderate to profound intellectually disabled students from 10th and 11th gradesTwo community partners

Differentiated Functional Curricula

Social skills and mannersPersonal care and attireNumeracy (calendar, date formats and codes)Literacy (following lists, maps, and instructions)Lifeskills (food preparation, pouring and serving, table setting, dishwashing, coffee maker and kettle use, microwave use, recycling, elevator use)

Grocery store

Food serving etiquette

Evaluating success

Performance rubricsCommunity partner, parent, and teacher surveyStudent video interviewsStudent questionnaire

Tell me what you think

Future plans

Sustain current partnershipsAdd new community partnershipsExpand functional differentiated lifeskills curricula with embedded technology

Thank you!

For more information on SD51’s grant project and downloadable resources, please visit:

http://www.ruralteachers.com Growing innovations link, scroll to School

District 51, Community Partnership project