Needs of LD students in era of reform and CCSS studied
 
 A study published in this month's Exceptional Children examines  the types of intervention that will be necessary for students with learning disabilities in light of the Common Core's increased academic standards.

The researchers studied the effects of inclusive instruction vs. specialized intervention in math in 3 consecutive randomized control trials during three academic years, Year 1 before Common Core was instituted, and Years 2 and 3 with Common Core in place. Subjects were 203 students who scored below the 10th percentile in math on the WRAT-4 at the start of grade four. All were randomly assigned to receive either inclusive instruction (within the classroom plus 30 mins/wk supplemental instruction) or specialized intervention (small group tutoring for 35 minutes three times/wk outside of classroom, with less demanding problems) in fractions during a 12-week period. At the end of each of the three years of the study, results favored students receiving specialized intervention, regardless of Common Core use. Authors noted that in Years 2 and 3, when CC had been implemented, the achievement gap increased between the experimental students and their classmates who were not struggling in math.

Researchers discuss the implications of these findings with regard to LD students struggling in math in Common Core. First, they recommend specialized intervention over inclusive instruction as having the most value. Secondly, they recommend that specialized intervention be provided at a greater intensity than in the randomized control trials in the study.  Most importantly, they state that the Common Core mandate for LD students to have "access to the general curriculum" needs to be defined. The authors argue that "access to the general curriculum" should not be interpreted by where a student receives their instruction, but rather by evidence that a student has achieved adequate academic outcomes, regardless of service delivery mode. This study demonstrates that students struggling in math were better served outside of the inclusive classroom using methods different from those used in the inclusive classroom, leading authors to propose that the definition of "access to the general curriculum" be based on evidence of adequate student performance, regardless of setting.

Johns Hopkins University 

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