UDL and ESSA: An Educator's Guide to Effective Planning, Instruction & Assessment

In 2015, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed into law, reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and replacing No Child Left Behind (NCLB). The law significantly limits the role of the federal government in education policy, returning substantial responsibility and flexibility to states. It emphasizes the obligation districts have to making the curriculum accessible to all learners including students with disabilities and English learners by incorporating universal design for learning (UDL). While UDL is not a new concept, many teachers need support to plan, instruct, and assess students under this framework. UDL and ESSA, by Dr. Stacy Dean, provides this support in a handy, quick-reference tool for K-12 teachers. Features of this comprehensive yet concise laminated guide include: Review of UDL framework, including the Seven Guidelines of Universal Design; Provisions of ESSA related to UDL; 25 Classroom strategies for providing multiple means of representation; 25 Classroom strategies for providing multiple means of expression; 25 Classroom strategies for providing multiple means of engagement; Pre-planning checklist for teachers; Sample student planning template; Post-Planning checklist; 20+ online UDL tools and resources.

Stacy Pellechia Dean, Ph.D., CAS, NCED, earned her doctorate in special education from the University of Virginia. She is now an instructor at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. She teaches various coursework in special education and was a classroom teacher of students with special needs for ten years. Her interest areas include research and pedagogy in developmental disabilities and autism, evidence-based practices, assessment and universal design for learning. Furthermore, she presents nationally and internationally on effectively educating students with special needs. Dean is author of Lesson Plan Book for the Diverse Classroom: Planning for Accessibility through Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and UDL and ESSA: An Educator's Guide to Effective Planning, Instruction & Assessment.