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2. Mathematics K–6 Support Document for Students with Special Education Needs
3. Case studies

Case studies

Teachers may use a variety of strategies when planning and programming to meet the needs of diverse learners in their classrooms. The case studies are examples only. They demonstrate the use of the programming diagram included in the document. (See Relating the case studies to the steps of the programming diagram.)

Five of the eight case studies are informed by decisions made during the collaborative curriculum planning (CCP) process.

Case Study	Year of schooling of class	Stage(s) of learning	Strand (Substrand) Syllabus reference(s) (PDF, 201 pages, 960 KB)	CCP	Adjustments to the learning experiences and assessment opportunities
1 >>	1		Number (Whole Numbers)		tiered outcomes and content, learning experiences and criteria for assessment
		ES1	p 41
		1	pp 42, 43
2 >>	6		Number (Multiplication and Division)		instructional scaffolding (selection and sequencing of examples) opportunities for additional guided practice opportunities for additional feedback (provision of immediate feedback; number of problems completed correctly is graphed) use of grid paper to assist with the setting out of work use of a permanent model (multiplication grid)
		3	p 56
3 >>	4		Number (Chance)		changes to classroom organisation (positioning of student) use of audiology devices (FM transmitter and hearing aids) pre-teaching of the articulation of mathematics-specific language provision of increased processing time
		2	p 69
4 >>	5		Data (Data)		tiered outcomes and content, learning experiences and criteria for assessment instructional scaffolding (slides of instructional steps; selection of examples; scaffold to record data; scaffolded questions; provision of symbols and a grid to create a picture graph) presentation of content in smaller, more manageable steps additional modelling of mathematics-specific language
		1	p 86
		2	p 87
		3	p 88
5 >>	3		Measurement (Volume and Capacity)		instructional scaffolding (instructional steps on cue cards with designated group roles; provision of a choice of two strategies; use of sentence stems/cloze sentences) changes to classroom organisation (grouping with an appropriate peer model) opportunities for additional feedback
		2	p 105
6 >>	2		Measurement (Area)		tiered outcomes and content, learning experiences and criteria for assessment instructional scaffolding (instructional steps recorded on an MP3 player; questioning using simplified language) use of assistive technology opportunities for additional modelling and guided practice
		1	p 97
		2	p 98
7 >>	K		Space and Geometry (Three-dimensional Space and Two-dimensional Space)		changes to classroom organisation (organisation of resources; positioning of students) use of alternative/adapted materials opportunities to use planned grips, holds, lifts and in-hand manipulations
		ES1	p 118, 124
8 >>	2		Space and Geometry (Position)		tiered outcomes and content, learning experiences and criteria for assessment instructional scaffolding (instructions paired with physical prompts; support from peers) presentation of content in smaller, more manageable steps changes to classroom organisation (positioning of student) use of assistive technology (VOCA)
		ES1	p 134
		1	p 135

Relating the case studies to the steps of the programming diagram

The information below relates the steps within the programming diagram to the areas designated in each of the case studies. (The numbers in brackets refer to the relevant step(s) in the programming diagram.)

Determining the starting point for instruction

The teacher:

• determines the criteria for assessment that will be used to make judgements about students’ knowledge, skills and understanding. These judgements are informed by the evidence of learning gathered in relation to the selected outcomes and content to be assessed (1)
• uses gathered evidence to make judgements about students’ knowledge, skills and understanding in relation to the outcomes and content of the syllabus (2) (assessment of students’ prior knowledge, skills and understanding may involve previously gathered evidence or a particular assessment event).

Selection of outcomes and content

The teacher:

• selects outcomes at the Stage students are working towards (outcomes are central to programming as represented in the diagram)
• selects content in relation to the outcomes according to the students’ learning needs, from the ‘Students learn about’ and ‘Students learn to’ statements in the Syllabus (3).

Teaching strategies

The teacher:

• plans teaching strategies appropriate to the selected content, specific mathematical learning (facts, concepts, strategies and procedures) and phase of learning, and which will allow students to demonstrate achievement in relation to the selected outcomes (3).

Learning experiences and assessment opportunities

The teacher:

• plans learning experiences to address the selected outcomes and content (3)
• determines how and when to assess student achievement using the planned learning experiences (2)
• documents the adjustments that individual students require to access the planned learning experiences and assessment opportunities. Adjustments for individual students may be informed by the collaborative curriculum planning process.

Feedback

The teacher:

• monitors individual students’ work during the learning experiences (4) (2)
• considers the most effective forms of feedback for individual students (4)
• provides feedback to students based on the gathered evidence of learning (4) (2).

Evidence of learning

The teacher:

• uses the evidence of learning gathered during and following the learning experiences to determine whether students have made progress as a result of the learning experiences (5) (2)
• makes judgements in relation to students’ knowledge, skills and understanding using the criteria for assessment (5) (1)
• determines whether students are ready for the next phase of learning or require further learning experiences to consolidate their knowledge, skills and understanding.

Evaluation

The teacher:

• makes judgements about the effectiveness of the teaching program based on the evidence of learning (5). This informs future programming and instruction.

Tiered outcomes and content, learning experiences and criteria for assessment

In developing a whole class program, teachers can organise students into tiers based on their learning needs. Teachers assess students’ prior knowledge, skills and understanding in a particular strand, or strands, to determine the appropriate number of tiers and the placement of students in tiers.

When planning and programming a unit of work, the teacher determines which learning experiences and assessment opportunities will be tiered and the knowledge, skills and understanding that students require before commencing tiered learning experiences. For each tier the teacher:

• selects outcomes and content
• plans learning experiences and assessment opportunities to address the selected outcomes and content
• determines the size and the number of groups
• determines support/adjustments that are necessary for individual students
• selects appropriate resources
• determines criteria for assessment.

In the case studies the teacher organises students into three tiers based on their learning needs.

 

 

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