PEACZ rallies Universal Design for Zionsville schools

Staff report

Concerned about cost-cutting measures in Zionsville schools, a local group offered a parent advocacy program at Zionsville Town Hall.

The Parent Education and Advisory Council of Zionsville, a not-for-profit group advocating for students for more than 15 years in Zionsville schools, offered a meeting Thursday night, Feb. 25, to support Universal Design, a design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.

“The time for these changes is now with few aides left and a growing of students requiring services in every class,” said Sharon Thompson, president of PEACZ.

More specifically, Thompson said she called for implementation of complete online syllabuses, class notes and standardized assessments by fall in Zionsville classrooms. Nearly all of these items would have zero cost as online items can be uploaded into the current Angel online system.

Universal Design is a method of facilitating education for all students, making classroom materials and concepts accessible and consistently available to all learners. It is a standard used in most colleges today as well as with professional continuing education courses throughout the United States.

Based on the Americans with Disability Act, developing buildings for handicapped accessible use, this Universal Design concept has been extended to a Universal Design for Education inside the classroom.

In education, Universal Design assumes that there will be a range of students coming into each of the approximately 215 classes in Zionsville or any other school system. Based on research of the growing number of student learning differences, there will be a variety of needs in every classroom — from low vision, hearing, ADHD, learning disabilities to physical illnesses or mobility issues. Utilizing the brain based research such as that found in the Center for Assistive Technology, more research based educational methods of representation and student engagement are incorporated, making education more available to each student — instead of the ZCS method of planning just one IEP at a time.

Thompson said in light of the limitations of staff, budget cuts and time available per teacher in larger classrooms projected for 2010 and beyond, a group- based approach may be the most cost effective strategy. She said that this approach still does not take away the need for individual IEPs, but designs a welcoming and more functional classroom for a range of students.

PEACZ officials then focused on practical action items that would help every Zionsville student better achieve an excellent education with this method. The goal is to have classes demonstrate Universal Design by the following items:

• All notes for all class materials must be posted on Angel or the ZCS online system.

• No material can be included in tests that has not been presented in multiple formats — visual, class, writing, etc.

• Standardized formats and calendars for tests need to be in place, plus standard advance notices for major tests and projects. Additionally, a suggested test date calendar by subject — for example, tests by subject such as English on Monday, Math on Tuesday, Science on Wednesday, Specials on Thursday and Foreign Languages on Friday.

• Required syllabuses posted for all classes by the first week of class, including assignments and major tests and project descriptions plus their anticipated dates.

• Assistive technology passwords should be set up by the first day of class, including online passwords to textbooks so all students start with their materials on the first day of school.

“Together these measures will lay a more equal foundation for learning for all students, including special education students,” Thompson said. “These measures are also are more similar to the methods used in current college curriculums and work CEU requirements.”

Catherine Michael, chair of the Education and Juvenile Law Division at Hollingsworth and Zivitz, added, “This is really important information. This is the kind of educational design that could help all schools in Indiana during these challenging times.”

Michael, as well as Kylee Basset Hope from the Sarkine Autism Center, spoke during the meeting.

PEACZ is drafting a letter to be sent to Robison, as well as the school board members and principals. With fewer teachers and aides, this is one of the cost saving ideas that could actually improve every student’s ability to learn. A follow up advocacy group will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 18, as well as an Education and Autism program in April.

Visit the www.PEACZ.org for more information.

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