Dynamic Learning Maps: Unveiling Essential Elements for Inclusive Education
Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) are a critical component of modern inclusive education, especially for students with significant cognitive disabilities. This article delves into the essential elements of DLM, exploring their design, implementation, and impact on student learning.
Understanding Dynamic Learning Maps
The DLM system is designed to map a student’s learning throughout the year, utilizing items and tasks embedded in day-to-day instruction. This approach contrasts with traditional methods, providing a more comprehensive view of a student's academic progress. The DLM system is designed to map a student’s learning throughout the year. The system will also use items and tasks that are embedded in day-to-day instruction.
The Concept of a Learning Map
A learning map is a network of sequenced learning targets. It illustrates how skills build upon each other, creating a learning landscape where multiple skills are interconnected. Dynamic learning maps not only show the relationships between skills but also show multiple learning pathways. Instead of assuming that all children learn a skill in the same way, allowing for multiple pathways recognizes that there are alternate ways to learn the same skill.
Flexibility in Learning Pathways
Dynamic learning maps emphasize the importance of multiple learning pathways. Recognizing that students learn in different ways, DLM allows for alternative approaches to mastering the same skill. This flexibility ensures that instruction can be tailored to meet the individual needs of each student.
Essential Elements: Defining Learning Expectations
Essential Elements are grade-level-specific expectations about what students with the most significant cognitive disabilities should know and be able to do. These elements are related to college- and career-readiness standards for students in the general population and, in Science, are aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).
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Alignment with Standards
Essential Elements are carefully aligned with both college- and career-readiness standards and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), ensuring that students with significant cognitive disabilities are working towards meaningful and relevant learning goals. Instruction for these students is based upon the Wisconsin Essential Elements and aligns with the Wisconsin Academic Standards.
DLM Assessments: Measuring Student Progress
DLM alternate assessments are delivered online on a variety of devices and have an administrative application to manage student information. Items in the DLM alternate assessment are grouped into testlets. Students could receive five to 10 testlets in each subject, depending on the grade and subject.
Testlets: Grouping Assessment Items
Items in the DLM alternate assessment are grouped into testlets. Students could receive five to 10 testlets in each subject, depending on the grade and subject.
Accessibility and Accommodations
Accessibility and Accommodations informationAll appropriate accommodations for an individual child are identified through the IEP team decision-making process. Accommodations to be considered by the IEP team are determined by the DLM partner states and in limited circumstances, a request for a unique accommodation may be made to your local education agency.
IEP Team Decision-Making
All appropriate accommodations for an individual child are identified through the IEP team decision-making process. This collaborative approach ensures that each student receives the necessary support to succeed.
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Accommodations by DLM Partner States
Accommodations to be considered by the IEP team are determined by the DLM partner states. In limited circumstances, a request for a unique accommodation may be made to your local education agency.
The First Contact Survey: Gathering Essential Student Information
Each year, teachers must complete or update each student’s First Contact Survey. It is important to update this information annually to ensure students’ strengths and needs are accurately considered for instruction and testing. The First Contact Survey is a series of items that goes beyond basic demographics and covers a variety of areas, including communication, academic skills, and attention.
Comprehensive Information Gathering
The First Contact Survey is a series of items that goes beyond basic demographics and covers a variety of areas, including communication, academic skills, and attention. It is important to update this information annually to ensure students’ strengths and needs are accurately considered for instruction and testing.
Importance of Annual Updates
Each year, teachers must complete or update each student’s First Contact Survey. It is important to update this information annually to ensure students’ strengths and needs are accurately considered for instruction and testing.
Mathematics in DLM
Mathematics. Special Education 1% Threshold InformationThis justification process is required by federal law to be submitted to the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) when a local education agency anticipates exceeding the one percent threshold limiting the number of participants in an alternate academic assessment for students with significant cognitive disabilities.
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Special Education 1% Threshold Information
This justification process is required by federal law to be submitted to the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) when a local education agency anticipates exceeding the one percent threshold limiting the number of participants in an alternate academic assessment for students with significant cognitive disabilities.
External Review of Testlets
2025 DLM External Review of Testlets in Kansas City, MOOver the course of five weeks, 80+ general and special education experts helped shape the growth and success of Dynamic Learning Maps® (DLM®) alternate assessments by contributing to content and fairness panels at the 2025 DLM External Review of Testlets event last summer.
Contributions from Education Experts
Over the course of five weeks, 80+ general and special education experts helped shape the growth and success of Dynamic Learning Maps® (DLM®) alternate assessments by contributing to content and fairness panels at the 2025 DLM External Review of Testlets event last summer.
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