Shepherdsville Elementary
School Based Universal Design for Learning Grant
University of Louisville
College of Education and Human Development
October 10, 2007
Significance of the Project
The Universal Design for Learning project would be highly beneficial to
Shepherdsville Elementary for several reasons since we are a new school that
is serving a challenging population. Currently our enrollment is 561
students from preschool to 5th grade and our current level of students
receiving free and reduced lunch is 72%. The present special education
population in our building is approximately 14% with 50% of all students
being referred to special education not qualifying. In addition,
Shepherdsville Elementary also has identified achievement gaps in the areas
of students with disabilities, male students, and students who receive free
and reduced lunch. (See appendix A)
At Shepherdsville Elementary, we are fortunate to have an administrator who
sees the importance of technology. Our principal, Mr. David Pate, has been a
driving force behind getting technology into the classrooms. However, the
presence of technology is not the same as the implementation of Universal
Design for Learning (UDL) practices. Although some of our current teachers
are making strides in the area of using digital media in the classroom, as a
whole, it is still seen as an after thought. With this grant, we will be
able to move to the next level and begin to incorporate Universal Design for
Learning (UDL) practices as standard teaching practices in our school.
The two questions to be addressed by this grant are as follows:
(1) Will the integration of UDL principles into our daily curriculum allow
all students to achieve at higher rates thereby closing achievement gaps?
(2) Will the integration of UDL principles increase the accuracy of our
special education referral process by identifying students who continue to
struggle despite the integration of UDL practices?
This project will provide the resources necessary to train a team of
teachers (TAT, Teachers as Trainers) representing each grade level. Seven
classrooms will serve as models teaching our staff and district about the
benefits of UDL. However, we do not want to stop there. Each member of the
TAT will be responsible for the implementation of UDL practices within their
grade level teams. This will in effect allow us to train our whole school in
best practices of UDL.
In order to carry out this great undertaking we plan to form a group of
teachers to be trainers (TAT) and work with the School Implementation Team
(SIT). The TAT will receive 5 days of professional development in UDL
practices. After each professional development session the TAT will work
with their grade level teams to implement and model what they have learned.
All professional development will receive continued support during our staff
meetings.
Quality of Project Design
This project will be divided into two different components. The first
component will be to determine if the integration of UDL principles into our
daily curriculum will allow all students to achieve at higher rates thereby
closing achievement gaps. While student learning is the goal of every
school, Shepherdsville Elementary is in a unique position to see whether UDL
practices will make a difference in our overall student achievement. Bullitt
County Schools has implemented the use of Think Link testing as a district-
wide assessment occurring three times a year. The first Think Link
assessment was administered in September and will be our baseline for this
project. Results of the September Think Link assessment will be used to
identify those students who are struggling to achieve at rates commensurate
with their peers. As UDL practices are integrated into our daily
instruction, the future Think Link assessments will be used to document the
success of all students, particularly those students identified in our
baseline assessment.
The second component of this project will be to see if the integration of
UDL principles will increase the accuracy of our special education referral
process by identifying students who continue to struggle despite the
integration of UDL practices. By creating this UDL environment our school
will be closer to implementing the Response to Intervention (RTI) model.
Data from the Think Link assessment, Success Maker, Diagnostic Reading
Assessments, Scholastic reading Inventories, CTBS, and CATS will be used to
document student growth.
UDL Practices and Daily Instruction:
It is the goal of this project for UDL practices to be used in every aspect
of our daily instructional routines. This means that from instruction to
assessment our students and teachers will be using UDL principles at all
times. With the resources we already have in place, many of our teachers are
already on their way to utilizing UDL practices in their daily instructional
routines. The use of the LCD projectors and AIRLINERS to present digital
text and media has become an every day occurrence in many rooms. For these
teachers it has become a way of teaching and not just a last second
modification to accommodate struggling students.
This year we have also pushed forward with attaining more of our curriculum
resources in digital formats. This will allow a greater freedom for the
students to access the curriculum in non-traditional ways. Students in our
fourth and fifth grade classrooms are able to check out copies of the
digital text books for school or home use allowing students a greater
freedom in accessing the curriculum.
Finally, we are beginning to look at technology and assessment. This is
still a new area to our staff although a few of our teachers are leading the
way with digital projects. It is the goal of this project to help educate
our staff on the importance of assessment based on UDL principles. As a
result, we expect our school to reach more students at higher rates with
better results.
Professional Development Plan:
Our professional development plan will center on training a team of people
(TAT) who will be responsible for training other members of our staff. (See
appendix C for Budget) The TAT will consist of the members of the School
Implementation Team (SIT committee) and a representative from each grade
level. This will allow each trained member to meet with their grade level
teams and share what they have learned.
The professional development for this project will be broken down into four
areas: (1) Planning for Universal Design Learning, (2) UDL and the
Curriculum, (3) Student Access, and (4) UDL and Assessment.
In order to carry out these trainings, members of the TAT will attend a
total of 5 days of training during the school year. This will be an in-house
training led by the SIT team. Each member of the TAT will receive
appropriate materials and resource to support these trainings. In turn, the
TAT will return to their teams and help model and teach UDL practices. By
doing this we will have seven model classrooms set up and running during the
school year.
The content of each session will be as follows:
1. Planning for Universal Design Learning will be a 2-day training led by
the SIT for all members of the training team (TAT) to work through the
Universal Design for Learning Facilitator’s Kit from Don Johnston
Professional Services.
2. UDL and the Curriculum will be a one day training for members of the
(TAT) to work together with district and school level leaders to apply UDL
practices to the core curriculum.
3. Student access will be a one-day training for the (TAT) to look at ways
to incorporate UDL practices into student access of the daily curriculum.
4. UDL and Assessment will be a one-day training the (TAT) to develop
practices in the use of UDL in the area of assessments.
Each of these professional development opportunities will be designed to
model best practices of UDL and to equip the teachers with the skills needed
to implement UDL in their classrooms.
Quality of Project personnel
The personnel who have been chosen for the implementation of this project
represent a range of abilities and qualifications in the area of Universal
Design for Learning (Please see appendix B). The committee is made of school-
level administrators, regular education teachers, special education
teachers, and a school psychologist. Each of these members share a
commitment to excellence in the classroom and hold high expectations for
student achievement believing that the use of technology is an integral
component for the future success of all students. Each member brings a
unique set of experiences and knowledge to the project while focusing on
maximizing student learning as the ultimate goal.
This project is fully supported by our principal, Mr. David Pate, who has
worked very hard to make sure that every teacher is provided with the
resources they need to be successful. In the area of technology, Mr. Pate
has been the driving force at Shepherdsville Elementary investing in
AIRLINERS and LCD projectors for the classrooms. We began with six of each
last year and as of October 1, 2007; we are up to 15 AIRLINERS and LCD
projectors. Our goal is to have one in every classroom by the end of the
year.
Direct support from our central office will come from three areas: The
Technology Integration Specialist (TIS), the Assistive Technology
consultants, the School Psychologist and the Curriculum Coach. These
individuals are already connected to Shepherdsville Elementary as support
staff from the district and have committed to supporting our move to embrace
UDL practices. In addition, the Director of Special Education, the District
Technology Coordinator, and Assistant Superintendent of Student Learning
fully stand behind this project.
Quality of Management Plan
Table One:
OBJECTIVES
ACTIVITIES
PERSON RESPONSIBLE
TIMELINE
MILESTONE
SIT committee and training team will gain understanding of the UDL program
Professional Development "Planning for Universal Design Learning"
Project Director and SIT committee
November 2007
Training team completes 2 day training
Training team will gain understanding in the area of UDL and the daily
curriculum
Professional development "UDL and the curriculum"
Project Director and SIT committee
December 2007
Training team will begin implementing UDL practices in daily lesson plans
Training Team will gain understanding of how to create learning
opportunities for student access
Professional Development "Student Access"
Project director and SIT committee
January 2007
Student assignments will reflect students access to UDL practices
Training Team will gain understanding of how to create authentic assessment
that is based on UDL principals
Professional Development "UDL and Assessment"
Project Director and SIT committee
February 2007
Student assessments will demonstrate the integration of UDL practices
Classroom teachers will receive training from training team on UDL practices
Monthly Team Meetings
Training Team
Monthly November 2007 – June 2008
Lesson plans will reflect integration of UDL practices
Faculty and Staff will gain understanding of UDL practices and language
Monthly team meetings and Bi-weekly Staff Meetings
Training team and SIT committee
Monthly November 2007 – June 2008
Lesson plans will reflect integration of UDL practices
Time Commitments:
The project manager will be responsible for over seeing the scheduling and
planning of all professional development opportunities associated with this
project. In addition the project manager will be responsible for milestone
checks and the collection of evidence to support the progress of the
project. Other members of the SIT committee will assist the project manager
in these areas.
The TAT will be responsible for facilitating UDL practices at their grade
level. These members of the TAT will meet a minimum of once a month with
their team members in order to model best practices and train their team
members. TAT members will also be responsible for establishing their
instructional classroom as a UDL model.
District personnel will be available to aid this project on an as-needed
basis.
Adequacy of Resources
Currently our existing resources in the area of technology are as follows:15
LCD Projectors, 15 AIRLINERS (interactive smart board slates), 29 Computers
in a Computer lab, 141 Classroom and office computers, Internet access on
all computers, Enchanted Learning, A to Z Reading, Read, Write, Gold,
Harcourt Kentucky Science series with digital text, Harcourt Social Studies
Series with Digital Text, Everyday Math with Digital Text, 5 Scanners, Scan
converters in every classroom, Televisions in every classroom, VCR/DVD
players in every classroom, 1 Digital camera, 3 Document cameras, 1 Digital
video camera, Teacher web pages for every teacher, voice amplification
system in every classroom, Microphones and headsets for computers, Reading
Counts, Destiny, Britannica Online, and United Streaming.
District resources in the area of technology include access to assistive
technology consultants to help train staff members in implementing assistive
technology in the classroom setting. The district also provides a Technology
Integration Specialist, who provides strategies for integrating technology
in daily lesson plans.
Appendix B
School Implementation Team Qualifications
Katrina Lee
Katrina Lee is our half time Assistive Technology consultant and half time
Speech Language Pathologist for the district. She began her career in
Bullitt County as an SLP in 2005, and expanded in 2007 to the role of
Assistive Technology Consultant. Prior to her employment in Bullitt County,
Katrina worked with students with autism through the Kelly Autism Program at
Western Kentucky University. This job provided Katrina with her first
experience in using assistive technology to help students succeed. Katrina
received her BS and MS in Communication Disorders from Western Kentucky
University and her Rank I in Assistive Technology from the University of
Louisville. Katrina has experience with several different types of
technology, including: Writing With Symbols, Inspiration, Kidspiration,
Intellikeys, Boardmaker, Speaking Dynamically Pro, Edmark Reading, as well
as several different types of communication devices. Her responsibilities
include assessments, training, and consultation in the area of assistive
technology, as well as evaluating and treating students with communication
disorders. Katrina’s professional affiliations include: American Speech
Language and Hearing Association, Kentucky Speech Language and Hearing
Association, and the Kentucky Board of Speech Language Pathology.
Tyler Lee
Tyler Lee is our half time Assistive Technology consultant and half time
Speech Language Pathologist for the district. He first started as a SLP for
the district in 2005 and fall of 2007 added another role to his career as an
Assistive Technology Consultant for the district. Tyler received his BS and
MS in Communication Disorders from Western Kentucky University and his Rank
I in Assistive Technology from the University of Louisville. Tyler’s
favorite part of his job is the interaction of working with the students and
trying to aid them in any way he can. His responsibilities include
assessments, training, and consultation in the area of assistive technology
and evaluating and treating students that have communication disorders.
Tyler’s special interests and experience in the area of Assistive Technology
include the following: Augmentative Communication Devices, Integrating
technology in the classroom, alternate forms of assessment, specialized
reading, math, and writing software programs, alternate computer access
methods, and low tech solutions in the area of Assistive Technology. Tyler’s
professional affiliations include: American Speech Language and Hearing
Association (ASHA), Kentucky Speech Language and Hearing Association (KSHA),
and the Kentucky Board of Speech Language Pathology.
Carrie Gary
I have received a Master's degree in elementary education from Indiana
University Southeast. I have college credits in technology based curriculum.
This is my fifth year of teaching experience in an elementary classroom. I
have knowledge and experience of software/equipment such as: PowerPoint,
word processing, excel, internet, airliner, projector, basic pod casting,
digital cameras, and united streaming. Technology is an important part of my
daily instruction in my classroom.
Rick Lumpkins
My classroom experience is brief as I am beginning my fifth year as an
intermediate educator at the elementary level. This year marks my fourth
year using technology heavily in my classroom instruction. I utilize Corel
and PowerPoint as my basis instructional methods. My classroom is adequately
equipped to support full technological instruction. I am heavily including
embedded videos and on screen testing within my units. Technology plays a
major role in my educational experience for my students.
My relevance to this project would include helping to coordinate curriculum
to fully utilize the materials and to assure that educators using the
materials are getting the most up to date professional training that is
available.
My educational experience includes a rank 1 form the University of
Louisville in Curriculum and Instruction, Masters of Arts in Teaching from
Spalding University, and a bachelors of Science in Agricultural Entomology
form the University of Kentucky.
Michele Grey
I am currently serving as a 4th/5th grade teacher at the intermediate level.
I earned my bachelors degree and my masters’ degree in elementary education.
I have also completed my rank 1 in technology.
I am currently using technology as a daily part of my instructional
practices. I am received training and am comfortable using LCD projectors,
AIRLINERS, digital text, power points, document cameras, united streaming,
and many other aspects of technology.
Amy Maddox, LMS/STC
I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Intermediate Education with an emphasis in
Language Arts and Social Studies from Lindsey Wilson College in 1996. I
spent four years teaching 7th grade Language Arts and Reading in a low-
income, high minority school in South Carolina. In 2003, I earned a
Masters’ Degree in Library and Information Science from Spalding
University. Currently, I am the Library Media Specialist and School
Technology Coordinator for Shepherdsville Elementary. This is the fourth
year I have held this position at the elementary level. I have experience
with both PC and Macintosh formats, and utilize daily applications for both
including all Microsoft Office and iLife products. In addition, I have
experience using a variety of multimedia, presentation, and management
software and hardware across both formats.
Megan Sayler
Megan currently works as a school psychologist for Bullitt County Schools.
She has previous experience working in Fayette County and Scott County, KY.
Megan earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Louisville.
She attended the University of Kentucky for graduate school where she earned
a Masters degree in Educational Psychology and an Educational Specialist
degree in School Psychology. Her current research interests include
executive functioning and neuron-psychology.
Pat Wollam
I am a special education teacher that works with the students who have
learning disabilities and mild mental disabilities. I earned my bachelors
degree from Cumberland College in the areas of history and religion. I later
returned to school and earned my Masters degree in special education in the
areas of learning and behavior disabilities. I am currently working on my
rank 1 in the area of assistive technology.
In the area of classroom technology I have been trained in or am comfortable
using READ/WRITE/GOLD , Power points, Success Maker, Smart Board notebook,
use of an AIRLINER, Use of LCD projector, United Streaming, teacher web
page, and other internet resources.
Appendix C
BUDGET – year 1 = $5,000.00
Materials
Universal Design for Learning Facilitator’s Kit $535.00
Materials for training team $465.00
The Universally Designed Classroom 29.95 x 8 = $239.60
Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age 26.95 x 8 = $215.60
Misc. Supplies $ 9.80
Professional Development
In-House 2-day UDL Training of SIT and Team Leaders $1,600.00
"Planning For UDL"
1 day Training of SIT and Team Leaders $800.00
"UDL and the Curriculum"
1 day Training of Sit and Team Leaders $800.00
"Students Access"
1 day Training of Sit and Team Leaders $800.00
"UDL and Assessment"
Total Budget $5000.00
