From Access to Achievement: The Power of Specially Designed Instruction

Define It: What Makes Instruction “Specially Designed”?

Participants will unpack the essential components of Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) and learn how SDI differs from accommodations, modifications, interventions, and high-quality general education instruction. Teachers will explore how to connect SDI directly to individual student needs and IEP goals across service settings and content areas.

LEARN MORE

Design It: Adding the “Special” to Education

Participants will build a practical instructional toolkit for designing and delivering SDI that responds to how individual students learn best. Teachers will gain high-impact instructional and technology strategies they can use across inclusive, co-taught, small-group, and specialized settings to remove barriers, scaffold learning, and increase student independence and achievement.

LEARN MORE

Collaborate & Implement It: SDI Across Co-Teaching Models

Participants will explore how to intentionally embed and deliver SDI across multiple co-teaching models, leveraging both educators to differentiate instruction, provide targeted support, and increase access for diverse learners while using practical data collection strategies to measure impact and guide next steps.

LEARN MORE

This workshop can also be delivered as a powerful, in-depth three-part Special Education Community of Practice series, providing educators with sustained opportunities to deepen their understanding of Specially Designed Instruction, apply high-impact strategies, collaborate around implementation, and strengthen practices that increase academic achievement for students with disabilities.