Let’s face it – students can receive accommodations and differentiation within the General Education setting, but that does not mean it is Specially Designed Instruction (SDI). In fact, it isn’t.
In today’s blog post, we’re going to break down the differences between what SDI is and what SDI is not.
What are General Education Practices?
The purpose of general education practices, even when highly effective, are designed to meet the needs of the general student population.
General education practices aim to support a diverse range of learners, including those with varying abilities and learning preferences.
General education practices are delivered by general education teachers.
Exemplary general education practices improve access and equity for all students but do not explicitly modify or adapt content, methodology, or delivery based on a student’s disability. Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) bridges this gap by ensuring the student has meaningful access to the curriculum and educational opportunities.
What is Specially Designed Instruction (SDI)?
This means that SDI, in contrast to general education practices, must be designed, monitored, and delivered by special education teachers or related service providers, ensuring compliance with the IEP and IDEA.
SDI is individually tailored to meet the unique needs of a student with a disability as outlined in their IEP.
SDI specifically addresses the unique challenges and needs that result from a student’s disability, ensuring their right to a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) under IDEA.
For a more in depth definition of SDI, check out this blog post all about understanding SDI for IEP writing and implementation.
Grab this SDI Scheduling and Lesson Planning documentation tracking sheets in our Member’s Resource Library.
Other Common SDI Misconceptions:
- Differentiation = SDI: Differentiation in the general education classroom adjusts instruction for all students, but does not meet the legal and educational standards required for SDI. Read more here.
- Universal Design for Learning (UDL) = SDI: UDL offers access through proactive design for all learners but does not replace the individualized, targeted, and legally mandated nature of SDI.
- Response to Intervention (RTI) = SDI: RTI is a general education framework aimed at early intervention and supports, but is not a replacement for the specialized and documented strategies of SDI. Additionally, RTI and MTSS programs are general education “products” that teams use and they do not require consent to be used with students (unlike IEPs and SDI).
Implications for Practice and Implementation of SDI
To meet the needs of students with disabilities in the general education classroom, IEP teams must keep these things in mind:
- Collaboration:
General and special education teachers must work together to ensure that SDI complements general education practices without substituting one for the other. - Clear Documentation:
SDI must be explicitly outlined in the student’s IEP, including the content, methodology, and delivery method to avoid confusion with general education practices. Read more about Team Collaboration with data collection here. - Professional Development:
Educators should be trained to distinguish between high-quality general education strategies and the specialized requirements of SDI, ensuring appropriate supports are provided.
SDI Alongside General Education Practices
Here are specific examples of how SDI might look in practice when paired with general education practices. These examples you see below will demonstrate how SDI is implemented to provide individualized support, while also ensuring the student is able to participate meaningfully in the general education curriculum with his or her peers.
1. Reading
General Education Practice:
- The class is working on analyzing informational texts and identifying the main idea.
SDI in Practice:
- The special education teacher provides explicit, systematic instruction on how to identify the main idea using sentence starters, graphic organizers, and teacher modeling.
- During the general education reading block, the student uses a customized graphic organizer to break down the text, provided as part of SDI.
- The special education teacher or paraprofessional reteaches skills in a small group or 1:1 setting during a pull-out session, focusing on comprehension strategies outlined in the IEP.
2. Math
General Education Practice:
- The class is solving multi-step word problems involving fractions.
SDI in Practice:
- The special education teacher provides direct instruction in understanding fraction concepts using manipulatives like fraction tiles.
- The student is provided with a step-by-step checklist for solving word problems, created specifically for their needs.
- In the general education classroom, the student uses visual aids or modified problems that emphasize one step at a time, allowing them to access the same material as peers.
- A special education teacher collects progress monitoring data by observing and documenting the student’s accuracy and independence during the activity.
3. Writing
General Education Practice:
- The class is writing an opinion essay with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion.
SDI in Practice:
- The special education teacher provides reteaching sessions outside of class to build sentence structure skills.
- The special education teacher explicitly teaches the student how to use a sentence frame (e.g., “In my opinion… because…”) and a graphic organizer to plan their essay.
- The student receives word banks and scaffolds tailored to their needs, such as simplified vocabulary options.
- In the general education classroom, the student works on the essay alongside peers but may write fewer sentences or focus only on the introduction and one supporting paragraph.
4. Behavior
General Education Practice:
The class has a group science project requiring collaboration and sharing tasks.
SDI in Practice:
- The special education teacher provides the student with direct instruction in social skills, such as turn-taking and conflict resolution, prior to the activity.
- The student uses a visual behavior cue card or checklist to remind them of steps for working in a group.
- During the group activity, the paraprofessional monitors and prompts the student as needed, reinforcing skills taught in the SDI session.
- Progress is tracked using a behavior monitoring chart to document how often the student engages appropriately with peers.
All IEP team members should remember the purpose of special education is deeply rooted in two foundational principles: (1) providing Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) to address the unique needs of students with disabilities, and (2) ensuring students are educated in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) to the greatest extent appropriate.
These two principles are interdependent and critical for achieving equity and meaningful access to the general education curriculum.