April 25-28, 2011: CEC Convention Session Leader: Elizabeth Dalton, Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities, Rhode Island College Presenter: Elizabeth Hartmann, Lasell College

1. Postdoctoral Fellows for Leadership in
Universal Design for Learning
Grant sponsored by the US Office of Special Education Programs
(H325D090016)
September 1, 2009 to August 30, 2013
Richard M. Jackson, Project Director
Tracey Hall and Elizabeth Murray, CAST site coordinators
Grace Zamora Durán, OSEP Project Officer

2. CEC 2011 Presenters…
2010 Post-doctoral UDL Leadership
Fellows
Dr. Elizabeth M. Dalton Dr. Elizabeth Hartmann
Rhode Island College Lasell College
edalton@ric.edu ehartmann@lasell.edu

3. Richard Jackson
Project Director
Associate Professor
Boston College/The Lynch School of
Education
Long-term Affiliation between
Boston College & CAST, Inc.
Boo Murray
Senior Research Scientist
Tracey Hall
Senior Research Scientist
CAST Project
Coordinators

4. What were we
getting ourselves into?
First UDL Fellows

5. Betsy Dalton
Assistant Professor
Special Education Department
Coordinator of Universal Design for
Learning & Assistive Technology
Paul V. Sherlock Center
on Disabilities
Rhode Island College
Liz
Hartmann
Assistant Professor
Education Department
Lasell College
Newton, MA

6. What is UDL?
 A conceptual framework for teaching and
learning
 A paradigm shift
◦ “Scientifically valid framework” (HEOA)
 Design for variation as the norm
(not a retrofit model)

7. UDL is based in 3 Neural Networks
linked to learning processes
Recognition
Strategic
Affective
(CAST, 1999)

8. The 3 Principles of UDL
 Multiple Means of Representation
◦ To increase recognition
 Multiple Means of Expression
◦ To expand strategic output
 Multiple Means of Engagement
◦ To enhance involvement in learning

9. The Challenge
 Variability in classrooms
 Learning and expertise in the 21st century
 Standards of achievement

10. Purpose of the Fellowship
“The goal or purpose of the post-
doctoral program is to provide
knowledge and experiences to
post-doctoral fellows that result in
the competence to provide state
and national leadership needed to
address pressing policy and
systems issues in the scaling up of
UDL”.

11. Path to Leadership
 Coursework
 Mentor relationships
 Immersion at CAST
 Program development
 Teaching
 Research initiatives
 Personal direction in UDL Leadership

12. Major project components
I. Leadership Colloquium on
Universal Design for Learning
II. Mentors for Fellows
III. National UDL Center
IV. UDL Faculty
V. Policy involvement
VI. Research opportunities

13. UDL Leadership Focus Areas
as identified by the UDL Task Force
 Teacher Preparation and Professional
Development Liz & Betsy
 Curriculum and Instructional Practices Liz
 Formative and Summative Assessment
Systems Betsy
 Policy Development at National, State and
Local Levels

14. Fellowship Goals
Liz Hartmann
How does UDL connect to my areas of
research
Supporting Learners with Severe or
Complex Learning Needs
Teacher Education

15. Supporting Learners with
Complex Support Needs
 UDL is a framework for all learners
 How does it improve school for these
learners with complex support needs?
 How might the UDL framework be
informed by these learners?

16. Supporting Learners with Complex
Support Needs
 UDL the focus is on the whole child and
their value as a lifelong learner
 Acknowledgment of the learner as being
an expert
 How is the learner being knowledgeable,
strategic and purposeful?
 How might curriculum improve their
quality of life?
 Engagement

17. Teacher Education
 How do teachers understand
the UDL framework?
 How does this lead to a
reconceptualization of
disability and learning
supports?
 Lasell College
 CAST – UDL Faculty

18. Fellowship plus+
Betsy Dalton
Assessment Teacher Preparation and PD
 “Technology Enhanced  Faculty Development @
Assessment” (BC) CAST – UDL Faculty
 Leadership Colloquium &
 CAST Assessment Team: Coursework - BC, RIC
several projects
 RI College faculty
development – Summer
 Survey to assess Educator
UDL beliefs and current  SITE, ISTE, RI-IDA, IASE,
practice KDP , RI Adult Learning
 Articulation across UDL, IT,
 IES SPED Research Grant: & AT
Identify UDL teacher
competencies  UDL & Diverse Cultures

19. RI UDL Outcomes
Workgroup: Amy Grattan, Deborah Abruzzini, Jonathan Dyson, Julie Coiro, Maria Lawrence, Mark Gunning,
Susan Brand, Toni Favazza, Ann Roccio, Carol Gillen; Betsy Dalton, Coordinator
Target/ Outputs Intermediate Final Outcomes
Topic Outcomes
Needs Assessment to Understanding: *HE faculty use methods
1. Higher Deans in HE & State Ed *Use of digital text/AIM beyond just lecturing
Education leaders - online survey
*Course design/delivery *HE faculty employ a variety
RI UDL Leadership of resources & materials that
Symposium *Assignments that involve convey knowledge and
authentic tasks develop skills
PD for HE on UDL
*Matching instruction to *HE faculty use performance
Follow-ups – online and content nature/rigor assessments (variety of
face-to-face assessments) that
*Diversified assessment demonstrate K & S of students
Research projects linked to systems& methods
UDL & changes in practice
*Relevant research
Ultimately,
Future: HE UDL & AIM *Integration of teaching *RI (and other) IHEs
Consortium pedagogy demonstrate greater student
(RI HE & NE HE) retention and student success
*Cultural competence
*Technology to support
diverse instruction

20. Not AT vs IT, but…
All
Technology Supporting
Learners
Technology Continuum in ASSISTIVE!
All technology is UDL environments

21. Not Prescriptive Guidelines Implementation;
UDL cannot thrive through mandated rules
Instead – Support UDL personalization
Teachers need to OWN their UDL interpretation

22. The resources are growing…
CAST: (a few of many resources)
 National Center on UDL
 UDL Focus
 AIM Center
ISTE: SETSIG - 2011 UDL Playground & WIKI
SITE: New UDL SIG (conditionally
approved)
UDL-IRN: Implementation & Research

23. UDL moving forward…
 Where does UDL need to go?
◦ Models of best implementation practices
◦ Documentation of validity – research
◦ Documentation of impact – research
◦ Post-secondary integration
◦ Professional development & resources

24. UDL moving forward…
 How will leadership in UDL make a
difference?
◦ Change the conversation
◦ Change teacher preparation
◦ Achieve educational parity across all groups

25. UDL as education reform
Articulate UDL Principles &
UDL Curriculum (goals, methods, materials
and assessments) in relation to:
RTI
PBIS
HS Reform
Common Core Standards
and others…

26. Fellows Now and In the Future
 Four cohorts of UDL Fellows
 Two fellowships awarded per year
 Cohorts 1 – 3 awarded
 Cohort 4 – to be awarded

27. Cohort 2:
Don Glass
and
Patti
Ralabate
Cohort 3:
Joanne
Karger and
Frances
Smith

28. The UDL Fellows Project is funded by:
U.S. Office of
Special Education Programs
Personnel development to improve
services and results for children with
disabilities
Our Sincere Thanks…. Questions?