This article focuses on the preparation phase of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) implementation by describing processes that ensure readiness to begin implementation. Within this article, there is a review of preparation activities of a large suburban school district where UDL is being implemented with fidelity across multiple schools. 

How does it relate to the UDL-SICC?

This article aligns with the Leadership and Management Domain, Element 2 (D3, E2), which focuses on school leaders leading, supporting, and monitoring UDL implementation across the school community.

How might you use it?

• School leaders can review this article with leadership teams to identify similarities that may exist between schools described in the article and their own school to move through the preparation phase of UDL implementation.
• School Leadership teams can use aspects of the article (including proposed “Preparation Timeline”) to determine whether their school is ready to begin the UDL journey.
• School Leadership teams can identify steps and activities discussed in this article to prepare the team and school to begin UDL implementation.

Earlywood Educational Services and Goalbook partnered to explore how perceptions of educators’ self-efficacy influence educator practice in applying UDL strategies to support specially designed instruction (SDI) and foster collaboration with general educators in supporting ALL students with MTSS-appropriate tier 1 best practices. 

This interactive session will dive into the findings from years 1 and 2 of this mixed-methods inquiry. The successes, challenges, and findings of UDL strategy implementation by special education personnel provide valuable insights into the connection between special educator efficacy as an “expert learning specialist” to the utilization of UDL strategies as a co-contributor to teaching and learning in the general education classroom to address learner needs.

Session Video Recording
Padlet

This session is supported by current research and will provide attendees with strong evidence related to the outcomes of UDL implementation. We employed resources to work with and support staff across a Higher Education Institute to build greater capacity to curriculum design and teaching practices to ensure a positive student experience with robust academic standards which contributes significantly to increasing retention. Establishing a strategic UDL work plan that includes a collaborative and interdisciplinary project with key initiative activities, ensures the findings add to the theoretical discourse of how accessibility can be facilitated through UDL.

Session Video Recording

Choose your own adventure using our virtual Seesaw workshop! Pick and choose from a variety of video examples and share our experiences, resources, and journey toward intentionally developing a primary grades learning environment that meets the needs of all students and empowers them to become expert learners, whether in person or remotely. Participants control their experience based on individual and district needs. Leave the session with ready-to-implement ideas and resources for developing a culture and environment of curiosity and creativity regardless of who and where your students are!

Session Navigation Instructions
Slide Deck (with Navigation to Padlet)

As teachers become more fluent and proficient in the UDL applications to instructional practices, there may be activities that are working well and some other activities that need to be changed. Finding out how to make changes to refresh and elevate both cases while keeping their core intentions can be challenging. Viewing UDL applications from different angles can leverage the current learning and instructional features. Our presentation highlights resources and strategies to refresh and advance current teaching ideas and strategies are discussed and shared during this presentation.

Wakelet

This panel presentation highlights the work of “UDLPartners”, a strategic collaboration between the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit, a professional development K-12 service provider, and the Cabrini University School of Education. The session explains our cohort model design, framing UDL implementation with an explicit lens on CRT and social-emotional learning, with the primary goal of increasing practical and theoretical capacities to engage all learners. We will share components of our professional communities and introduce our new social media and web presence to share strategies and resources to the larger UDL community. The impact of our work both in K-12 and teacher preparation will also be featured.

Session Video Recording
Resources

Join the UDL-IRN UDL Implementation Special Interest Group leaders Cherie Smith and Elizabeth Stark for a networking discussion around UDL implementation.

Session Video Recording

The UDL- SICC Goal Setting and Planning Tool can be used to turn data from the UDL-SICC Self-Assessment into meaningful, realistic implementation goals. School teams may choose to build on areas of UDL implementation strength or focus on areas of needed growth. Setting goals across several domains helps ensure a global, holistic approach to UDL school improvement.

Click here to view the UDL School Implementation & Certification Criteria (UDL-SICC)

The self-assessment is designed to help school teams map their school’s current UDL practices to determine where they are and what next steps they can take on their UDL journey. Leadership teams use school data to identify areas of strength and growth related to schoolwide UDL practices and to identify potential entry points for improving UDL implementation. School teams can use the outcomes of this self-assessment to:  

• determine an area of focus;
• set an improvement goal;
• identify ongoing data that can be used to substantiate progress toward the goal;
• develop an action plan; 
• determine a timeline for revisiting and revising the plan and goal; and
• determine readiness for UDL School Certification

Click here to view the UDL School Implementation & Certification Criteria (UDL-SICC)

The UDL-SICC Full Criteria document provides a comprehensive description of the SICC. The UDL-SICC is built around four domains; School Culture and Environment, Teaching and Learning, Leadership and Management, and Professional Learning. They provide an organizational structure for thinking about schoolwide UDL implementation. Each domain is defined by its four elements, which guide implementation and are measured during certification. It includes grounding information about the criteria organization and structure, and provides detailed information, by domain, for all elements. Each element is defined by intent, indicator, and level. 

• Intent describes the purpose behind the element and its significance to school-wide UDL implementation.
• Indicators define and set the standard for full implementation of each element, and are used to monitor progress toward implementation. 
• Levels describe the continuum of practices that improve implementation, leading to certification of the element.

Click here to view the UDL School Implementation & Certification Criteria (UDL-SICC)