An Instructional Support Method for Students with Disabilities

The purpose of this qualitative case study using grounded theory analysis was to explore the administration and implementation of shortened assignments for four students with disabilities and to describe the perceptions of co-teachers and parents of how shortened assignments assist or hinder their learning within a co-teaching context at an urban middle school. The Individual with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) 2009, a federal special education law, states that students with disabilities requiring special education services can use accommodations or adaptations of the curriculum to access the general education curriculum. A shortened assignment, as an accommodation, can help students with emotional disabilities learn and demonstrate their knowledge. Thorough interviews of these participants were conducted as well as classroom observations of how the shortened assignment was administered. Document analysis of student work samples was also conducted to explore how shortened assignments have been used with student class work. Data collected from the interviews, observations, and work samples answered four research questions.