NCAC Publications

The publications listed below were developed by NCAC researchers to provide support to educators interested in learning about policies and practices related to improved access to the general curriculum. Most are available as Web pages and as downloadable Word and PDF documents. Please note that some of the hyperlinks within these documents may be out of date. We plan to review the links shortly and update the documents as necessary.

Curriculum 1

Effective Classroom Practices

Supported by theory and research, each Classroom Practices report is written to provide the reader with a definition and description of essential features and attributes. Evidence of effectiveness is presented based on foundational and current research. The applications of each practice to the general education setting are addressed and finally, each report includes links to websites by primary researchers, developers, practitioners, and users which contain information, examples, and applications about the classroom practice.


Curriculum 2

Curriculum Enhancements

It is difficult to separate a course of study, media, and materials used for learning from the appropriate instructional methods; however, for clarity and to isolate selected details for study and discussion, we attempt to do so here. By querying the NCAC staff and affiliates, along with experts in the field, the Curriculum Group has selected a number of promising responses to barriers to the general curriculum (enhancements and/or accommodations) through which they have examined existing published research. The selected enhancements and/or accommodations represent a range of modalities, practices, and critical elements of universal design for learning.


Teacher Practice

Teaching is an increasingly challenging and personally rewarding profession. Engaging students with disabilities in classroom instruction requires careful attention to planning for individual needs, making decisions about materials and activities, selecting fair and equitable assessments, accommodating for students' differences, modifying curriculum goals, and collaborating with families and other school personnel.


Policy

General and special education policies clearly influence practice within our schools. The National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum was interested in determining the impact of existing policies on access to, participation in, and progress within the general education curriculum.


Policy Briefs Prepared by Martha Minow, Harvard Law School



Consensus Building

The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) helped the NCAC connect with major education associations and organizations in order to increase awareness of Universal Design for Learning and the objectives of the National Center.


Other