AbleNet’s Equals Math Curriculum for Students with Disabilities - Research Coming Soon

April 10, 2012 - PRLog -- AbleNet’s Equals Mathematics Curriculum provides achievement with higher expectations in math instruction for students with mild, moderate and severe disabilities.

ROSEVILLE, Minn. – April 10, 2012 - The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004 charged schools with providing students with disabilities a standards-based education with  “…the challenging expectations that have been established for all children; and be prepared to lead productive and independent adult lives, to the maximum extent possible.”  The notion that higher expectations correlate to higher achievement for all children, both in general and special education, is well-known. It is upon this ideal that Equals K-12 Mathematics Curriculum was developed three years ago.

Grounded in sound general education math methodologies in combination with differentiated instruction at three levels and hands-on adapted materials, Equals Math gives special education teachers what they need to help their students meet higher expectations. In the three years since Equals has been introduced to over 5,000 classrooms across the country, special educators are discovering their students are achieving more in mathematics than they thought possible.  

“I am VERY happy to report,” writes Denise Grabmiller, a teacher for students with autism from Michigan, “that I have just successfully taught one of my first graders how to read and write number sentences with the symbols < and >. In the beginning of the year he had no concept of more/less/equal. I wouldn’t have ever thought to teach that before Equals."  A special educator from Texas stated, “My favorite lesson is on the Venn diagram. My students got it!”  In Florida, a teacher commented to her colleague, “Did you see the assessment? This is real math for my students.”

To further understand these gains in achievement, AbleNet is working with schools in the states of Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon and Wisconsin to coordinate classroom research around students’ achievement throughout the 2011-2012 school year.  “The results are being reviewed carefully and we’re looking forward to learning more about the data and results of students using the program.” Said Karen Ross-Brown, Research and Development with AbleNet.  Final results from this study will be available later this year.

Equals Mathematics Curriculum is the first comprehensive math program specifically designed for students with disabilities. Special educators finally have access to systematic instruction in lessons placed in sequential order. Students make sense of what they learn in the context of the system of numbers, not limited by learning isolated skills. For the many and varied individual needs of students in special education, Equals Math provides access to differentiated instruction in every lesson as well as a complete differentiation guide for choosing adaptations and assistive technology to support students as active learners. Equals Math is what special educators have been asking for – the lessons, the tools, and the support to teach their students with higher expectations than ever before.

For more information on AbleNet’s Equals Mathematics, visit http://www.ablenetinc.com/ Curriculum-Software/Equals-Mathematics-Program.

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AbleNet is an international company and industry leader in providing educational and technical solutions to help children and adults with disabilities lead productive and fulfilled lives. This includes a complete line of communication aids for nonverbal individuals; access aids, such as switches and wheelchair-mounting devices for people who require physical supports; and special education classroom curriculum and software that both enhance and help ensure learning progress. Our products are used in hundreds of thousands of homes, clinics and classrooms in the United States and across the globe. AbleNet is an ESOP company located in Roseville, Minnesota. For more information visit http://www.ablenetinc.com.