The "SAME" Project: achieving "one curriculum for all" in Hong Kong.

The "SAME" Project: achieving "one curriculum for all" in Hong Kong. Introduction The notion that every single student has the right to access thesame curriculum is a vital concern and has been discussed in the pastfew years in countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States United States,officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. .(Abell, Bauder, & Simmons, 2005; Askew a��skew?adv. & adj.To one side; awry: rugs lying askew.[Probably a-2 + skew. , Millett, Brown, Rhodes,& Bibby, 2001; Forlin & Forlin, 2002; Forlin & Lian, 2008;Kluth, Biklen, & Straut, 2003; King-Sears, 2001; Muijs &Reynolds, 2001; O'Leary, 2001; Wehmeyer, Lance, & Bashinski,2002; Westwood, 2002). Although "one curriculum for all" hasbeen emphasized in the field of special education in Hong Kong Education in Hong Kong has a similar system to that of the United Kingdom, in particular the English education system of Hong Kong was modernized by the British in 1861. The system can be described as extremely competitive by global standards. since therelease of the consultation document on education reform in 2001 (CDC See Control Data, century date change and Back Orifice. CDC - Control Data Corporation ,2001), the guidance on direction and ways for achieving this is lacking.Each special school in Hong Kong Hong Kong(hŏng kŏng), Mandarin Xianggang, special administrative region of China, formerly a British crown colony (2005 est. pop. 6,899,000), land area 422 sq mi (1,092 sq km), adjacent to Guangdong prov. currently develops its own"school-based" curriculum, making a great amount of effort indelivering the eight key learning areas (KLAs) and related subjects. Ahigh incidence of schools (about 80% of local special schools) claimedin a survey that their school-based curricula make reference to thecentral curriculum (The Special Education Society of Hong Kong, 2002);however, the survey showed no details to the extent of references made.A study of contemporary trends and experiences in accessing Hong Kongcentral curriculum becomes urgent in the effort to move towards"one curriculum for all." The purpose of this paper is to (a) review the trends and relatedstudies on "access to central curriculum" from internationalexperiences; (b) discuss the concerns on assessment and curriculumdevelopment for improving access to central curriculum for students withspecial education needs (SEN SEN. This is said to be an ancient word which signified justice. Co. Litt. 61 a. ) in Hong Kong with respect to "onecurriculum for all"; and (c) describe the SAME Project in Hong Kongand to highlight the accomplishment of Phase 1 of the project. Theimplications to the field are also discussed. International Trends Equity of Learning Opportunity Accessibility of central curriculum for ALL students is beingdiscussed around the world in numeral numeral,symbol denoting anumber. The symbol is a member of a family of marks, such as letters, figures, or words, which alone or in a group represent the members of a numeration system. places like the United Kingdom,the United States, Australia, Taiwan as well as Hong Kong. The need toensure that all students, including those with SEN, are treated equallyby being able to access appropriate programs under the same universalcurriculum has recently been advocated (Abell, Bauder, & Simmons,2005; Forlin & Forlin, 2002; Forlin & Lian, 2008; King-Sears,2001; Kluth, Biklen, & Straut, 2003; O'Leary, 2001; Wehmeyer,Lance, & Bashinski, 2002; Yung, 2006). Researchers includingMcLaughlin (1999) and Browder, Spooner Spooner is an English surname of Anglo-Saxon origin, and may represent people as well as certain places : PeopleArthur Spooner, fictional character played by Jerry Stiller on The King of Queens television show , and Bingham (2004) have stressedthe need for students with SEN to have access to the general curriculumdue to the educational equity of offering the same opportunity to learn.Their emphasis is consistent with Cole's (2000) promotion thatevery student has the right to become an educated person by enhancinghis or her curiosity of the world around him/her. The UNESCO UNESCO:see United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. UNESCOin full United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (1999)posited the right to a higher standard of education to clearly implythat objective measurement and qualitative improvement should take placein order to raise the level of educational achievement of learners whohave SEN. For example, in the United Kingdom, "one curriculum forall" is a practical reality for many schools. Byers (2004) citedthat the set of purposes of the National Curriculum includes thestatement that education is a route to equality of opportunity with astrong emphasis on providing effective learning opportunities for ALLlearners. In Western Australia Western Australia,state (1991 pop. 1,409,965), 975,920 sq mi (2,527,633 sq km), Australia, comprising the entire western part of the continent. It is bounded on the N, W, and S by the Indian Ocean. Perth is the capital. , levels of "foundation" aredeveloped under the first key stage to include all students in thecurriculum framework (Education Department of Western Australia, 1998). Curriculum Adaptation and Development The first step to ensure access to the central curriculum forstudents with SEN, especially those with intellectual disabilities (ID),would be the curriculum planning and design process and the developmentof a list of standards (Wehmeyer, Sands, Knowlton, & Kozleski,2002). As Nolet and McLaughlin (2000) suggested, a holistic HolisticA practice of medicine that focuses on the whole patient, and addresses the social, emotional, and spiritual needs of a patient as well as their physical treatment.Mentioned in: Aromatherapy, Stress Reduction, Traditional Chinese Medicine view oncurriculum development in the field of special education while using themodel for universal curriculum in the project would serve this purpose. Over the past fifteen to twenty years TWENTY YEARS. The lapse of twenty years raises a presumption of certain facts, and after such a time, the party against whom the presumption has been raised, will be required to prove a negative to establish his rights. 2. , the provision for childrenand young people, who are now described as having severe learningdifficulties, has moved from the medical/care model of treatment invarious settings onto the education of these individuals in schoolclassrooms. This advancement has led to creative thinking in many areasof the field of education that ensures greater access to a widercurriculum for the learners (Bovair, 1991). Similarly, McLaughlin (1999)stated that a balance between remediation and instruction is necessarybecause of the tendency of special education teachers to work solely ormainly on remediation. In the past, teachers tended to focus onfunctional skills drilling in daily lessons while an importantinstructional content may have been missed. According to according toprep.1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians.2. In keeping with: according to instructions.3. informal sharing and conversations with field expertsand school heads on development of universal curriculum, experiences inthe United Kingdom showed that in using the model for universalcurriculum, many schools have greatly benefited in having a commonlanguage in student performance, a clear direction of teaching, and abrief and concise report of information for tracking student progress.The importance of this model can be reflected by the number of schoolsjoining the scheme in the UK; and the number of schools in the schemehas increased from around ten to more than a hundred in five years. Westwood (2002) stated that all students follow a common curriculumwith varied amount of assistance in achieving objectives. This would fitthe idea of central curriculum access for students with SEN. Controversy over Accessing Central Curriculum for Students with SEN Among studies on accessing general education curriculum andassessment for students with SEN, there have been arguments against themodel for universal curriculum. They mainly focus on problemsencountered and teacher's perception and attitude towards thechange. In Agran, Alper, and Wehmeyer's (2002) study, the majorconcern is the teacher's disagreement on the need of students withsevere disabilities to access the general curriculum and the need toassess and evaluate students against academic contents and standards.Two other studies have also found a major rejection from teachers tousing the model. Teachers felt that the purpose of assessing andevaluating students with severe disabilities was to detect very subtlechanges in behavior (Donnelly, 2005) and complained about the largerpaperwork involved (Abell, Bauder, & Simmons, 2005). Common Concerns in Hong Kong In developing the curriculum and assessment for students with SEN,especially those with intellectual disabilities (ID), there are severalissues that concern special school practitioners in Hong Kong. The firstis the difficulty in helping students with ID access the centralcurriculum by developing a school-based curriculum and assessmentsystem. Based on the principle of "one curriculum for all,"students with SEN, including those with ID, are expected to be under thesame curriculum framework as those in the mainstream or generaleducation schools and to be offered the same essential learningexperiences (Curriculum Development Council, 1997, 2001; Lian, 2007,2008); however, many local schools complained about the difficulties incompliance since there is no guidance on how to fit these students intothe central curriculum framework. Second, a common "language" has not been used for specialschools to describe students' learning progress among and withinthe schools, especially relating to relating torelate prep → concernantrelating torelate prep → bez��glich +gen, mit Bezug auf +accthe eight key learning areas. The"missing gap" in Hong Kong is that there are no agreed-uponperformance standards to describe students' attainment in each keylearning area for reference. Third, with the legacy of the traditional perspective onindividualized in��di��vid��u��al��ize?tr.v. in��di��vid��u��al��ized, in��di��vid��u��al��iz��ing, in��di��vid��u��al��iz��es1. To give individuality to.2. To consider or treat individually; particularize.3. and segregated education, teaching in special schools hasplaced over-emphasis on skill-based training by looking solely at thestudents' daily living needs. Students with SEN (particularly thosewith lower-end ability) may show restricted learning needs due to theirvery limited cognitive and expressive abilities (e.g., students withprofound intellectual disabilities without verbal expression Noun 1. verbal expression - the communication (in speech or writing) of your beliefs or opinions; "expressions of good will"; "he helped me find verbal expression for my ideas"; "the idea was immediate but the verbalism took hours"verbalism, expression couldhardly demonstrate their interest in learning science if they have neverhad a chance to be exposed to the related context); this may result inlimited learning experiences and opportunities and, thus,under-expectations for these students. Fourth, the guidance for helping students' access to centralcurriculum is lacking; the ultimate goals or the rationale for teachingeach item in every key learning area would easily be overlooked byteachers in special schools. The direction of teaching would then befocused on skills-oriented tasks such as each step in toilet training toilet trainingn.The process of training a child to use a toilet for defecation and urination.Noun 1. toilet training - training a young child to use the toilet ,grooming, and using spoon spoon,n an instrument with a round or ovoid working end; designed to be used for scraping or scooping. for self-feeding, etc. The lack of direction of teaching, high focus on skill-basedtraining, and the low expectations often lead to under-achievement ofstudents with SEN, which appears to be the common weakness in schoolsaccording to verbal reports from building principals and classobservation data from the research centre (Lian, 2006). This phenomenonreflects exactly the results of "A Study of the Effectiveness ofSpecial Schools" as reported by the Education and Manpower Bureau The Education and Manpower Bureau (Traditional Chinese: 教育統籌局; Pinyin: Ji��oy��tǒngch��uj��; Jyutping: gaau3 juk6 tung2 cau4 guk6; abbr. (2005). In summary, the above factors led to the motivation forestablishing a network among some (if not all) special schools in HongKong List of special schools in Hong Kong Special schoolsB. M. Kotewall Memorial School the Spastics Association of Hong Kong Buddhist TCFS Yeung Yat Lam Memorial School Caritas Jockey Club Lok Yan School Caritas Lok Jun School in their attempt to find a way forward in resolving these problemsand concerns, ending up with the birth of the SAME Project. The SAME Project Background of the SAME Project Prior to the project, a local research centre, the Centre forAdvancement in Special Education (CASE), called for meetings in order togather views on and discuss with practitioners of local special schoolsthe future direction of curriculum and assessment for students with SEN.During the meetings, participating schools voiced their concerns andneeds on development of an appropriate curriculum and assessment system.With these concerns, the centre tried to explore development models fromoverseas countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom, and the UnitedStates as reference. The centre came across a model for universalcurriculum derived from the UK that a local special school affiliatedwith the English School English schoolDominant school in painting in England from the 18th century to c. 1850. From 1730 to 1750 two distinctive British forms of painting were perfected by William Hogarth: genre scenes depicting the “modern moral subject,” and the small-scale Foundation (ESF (1) (Extended SuperFrame) An enhanced T1 format that allows a line to be monitored during normal operation. It uses 24 frames grouped together (instead of the 12-frame D4 superframe) and provides room for CRC bits and other diagnostic commands. ) in Hong Kong has been using formore than five years. This school pointed out its advantages in terms ofassessment, curriculum content, teacher planning, student program, andreporting system. The model was then introduced to the local schools; many of whichwere impressed im��press?1?tr.v. im��pressed, im��press��ing, im��press��es1. To affect strongly, often favorably: and inspired by the conceptual framework For the concept in aesthetics and art criticism, see .A conceptual framework is used in research to outline possible courses of action or to present a preferred approach to a system analysis project. comprising of(a) sets of agreed-upon performance scales; (b) a correspondingassessment package; (c) schemes on key learning areas based on thecentral curriculum; and (d) a student performance profiling system fortracking learning attainment and achievement, as a model for developingthe universal curriculum for students with SEN. Accordingly, the centreinitiated the SAME Project with nine special schools to develop a localcurriculum framework for delivering the same curriculum for studentswith SEN (especially those in special schools) in a local context, byusing the development model derived from the UK. It perfectly matchedthe principle of "one curriculum for all" as proposed by HongKong Education Bureau. Aims of the SAME Project The SAME Project (Systematic Approach to Mainstream Education) isaimed at: (1) raising the standard of educational achievement for allstudents in special schools; (2) giving all students in special schools the equal opportunity tohave access to the Hong Kong central curriculum; and (3) supporting teachers in achieving these goals (Humphreys,2006b). Rationale The project is based on the equity of learning opportunities inaccessing the central curriculum, with the ultimate goal of raising thestandard of education achievement of students with SEN. In the model fordeveloping a universal curriculum, there are two meanings conveyed inthe term 'universal.' One is the universality of curriculumconceptualization con��cep��tu��al��ize?v. con��cep��tu��al��ized, con��cep��tu��al��iz��ing, con��cep��tu��al��iz��esv.tr.To form a concept or concepts of, and especially to interpret in a conceptual way: for the school-based curriculum of special schools andthe mainstream school curriculum. Its focus is to match the principlesof "one curriculum for all" for students with SEN, which hasbeen promoted by the CDC since 2001. The other meaning is theuniversality of different school-based curriculum. With thisuniversality, different special schools have compromised in using sharedand agreed standards, learning objectives, a curriculum framework (withkey learning area based), and an assessment and reporting system. Components of the SAME Project In the model of universal curriculum in the SAME project, four maincomponents are involved, namely, the Central Curriculum, AttainmentScales, SAME Curriculum Assessment for Learning Effectiveness (SCALE)and Schemes of Work. They are four individual components, (i.e., schoolswould have flexibility to use any one of these or any combination amongthese) but closely inter-related with each other. Each of thesecomponents and their relations will be briefly introduced in thefollowing sections. The Central Curriculum The Curriculum Development Council recommended that "thecentral curriculum includes the aims and goals of the school curriculum,five essential learning experiences, the curriculum framework of eightKey Learning Areas" and "the Curriculum Framework has threeinterconnected components: (1) Key Learning Areas, (2) Generic Skillsand (3) Values and Attitudes. The framework has been so designed as toallow different pathways to understanding variable breadth and depth ofcontent, and the flexible use of a range of learning strategies andstyles to suit individual needs." (Curriculum Development Council,2002). In the SAME project, the central curriculum is defined as aframework used by all schools to ensure that teaching and learning isbalanced and consistent by setting out (1) the key learning areas; and(2) the knowledge, skills, and understanding required in each KeyLearning Area (KLA KLA Kosovo Liberation ArmyKLA Key Learning Area (NSW Department of Education)KLA Kansas Livestock Association (Topeka, KS)KLA Kentucky Library AssociationKLA Kansas Library Association ), which includes English Language English language,member of the West Germanic group of the Germanic subfamily of the Indo-European family of languages (see Germanic languages). Spoken by about 470 million people throughout the world, English is the official language of about 45 nations. Education, ChineseLanguage Education, Mathematics Education, Personal, Social &Humanistic Education Humanistic education is an alternative approach to education based on the work of humanistic psychologists, most notably Abraham Maslow, who developed a famous hierarchy of needs, and Carl Rogers. , Science Education, Technology Education, ArtsEducation, and Physical Education. With each KLA curriculum guide, an overview of a student'sexpectation at the Key Stages (age-related) in each KLA should beprovided to the teachers. Nevertheless, many practitioners working withstudents with intellectual disabilities come across many difficulties inmaking reference to these central curriculum guides in order to helptheir student access the central curriculum. With this concern, teachersin the SAME project would be required to study the central curriculumguide in depth and develop curriculum guide supplement for each KLAspecific to students with SEN, based on the structure and rationale ofthe central curriculum. Attainment Scales Attainment scales consist of a set of performance descriptors undereach strand (knowledge aspect) of the Key Learning Areas. These scalesare shared and agreed "standards" indicate the level ofattainment of students. It should provide teachers, or even parents,with a common language to communicate on students' learningprogress. In each set of attainment scales, there are twelve AttainmentLevels for each of the strands of the eight key learning areas (KLA)including English, Chinese, Mathematics, Personal, Social &Humanistic Education, Science, Technology, Arts, and Physical Education.The levels range from A1 (the lowest level) to A12 and describe theperformance required for the specified level in the particular strand.A1 to A3 are the earliest levels of general attainment where thesensory-motor stage of cognitive development perspective (Piaget, 1955)is adopted. The subject matter in each KLA is the content of learning,not the focus; hence, same performance descriptors are used across allKLAs. A4 to A12 are subject-related attainment where subject matter isthe focus. A9 to A12 are the bridging levels to the average levels ofstudents at Key Stage 1. Attainment scales are therefore an extension to and an integralpart of the central curriculum to help teachers track student progressand set targets for students at early developmental levels with a commonlanguage within and between schools. SAME Curriculum Assessment for Learning Effectiveness (SCALE) SAME Curriculum Assessment for Learning Effectiveness (SCALE) is anassessment package with an objective assessment device to measure astudent's learning progress corresponding to the attainment scales.It is also a method of assessment that sets measurable targets at theappropriate key stages using relevant performance criteria and allowsfor straightforward conversion into attainment level scores. Initially,only the four core key learning areas will be covered in the assessment(i.e., Chinese Language, Mathematics, Science, Personal-Social &Humanistic Education). In every key learning area, the assessmentactivities highlight one of the items of the performance descriptions onthe attainment scales. In general, the SCALE can serve as a summary assessment of learningby evaluating annual progress (not weekly progression). The relativeprogress of an individual student over a year, in a given key learningarea, in comparison with other students in the cohort cohort/co��hort/ (ko��hort)1. in epidemiology, a group of individuals sharing a common characteristic and observed over time in the group.2. who are the sameage and started at the same level of attainment can be monitored. A Student Performance Profiling System will then be developed basedon the validated val��i��date?tr.v. val��i��dat��ed, val��i��dat��ing, val��i��dates1. To declare or make legally valid.2. To mark with an indication of official sanction.3. attainment scales and assessment. With the attainmentscales and the objective assessment, schools will be encouraged tosubmit student performance data based on the attainment scales indifferent key learning areas to a central system on performanceprofiling. A report of the analysis of student attainment andachievement, via figures and charts, will then be provided to schools.In the system, attainment refers to current level of ability of thestudent expressed as an attainment scales score; while achievement isthe way the progress of individual student compare with the progress ofother students of the same age with same baseline of attainment. The Schemes of Work The Scheme of Work is a practical way of organizing and deliveringthe requirements of the central curriculum for students with SEN byproviding a framework that sets out teaching objectives, resources,vocabulary and activities (Ayres, 2006). The key learning areas coveredin the SAME Schemes of Work include Chinese Language, English Language,Mathematics, Science, Personal Social & Humanistic Education,Technology, Arts Education (Visual Arts and Music), and PhysicalEducation. This teaching framework would help teachers organize anddeliver the content of central curriculum with appropriate expectationsbased on students' key stage (age and social appropriateness) andcognitive ability (attainment levels). In summary, the SAME project does not create a new or separatecurriculum. It is a way for teachers to teach students with SEN underthe same curriculum framework with a major focus on cognitivedevelopment which is built from the learning of key learning areas. Inaddition, it attempts to move from a functional skills training basisfor teaching to a higher level of cognitive development basis. Scope of Work This project was conducted in an action research approach ofdifferent qualitative and quantitative methods for data collection andanalysis. It comprised a variety of methods by means of professionaldevelopment training seminars and workshops; steering committee steer��ing committeen.A committee that sets agendas and schedules of business, as for a legislative body or other assemblage.steering committeeNoun (keyleaders or members), project (whole capacity) and team (small group)meetings; hands-on experience (e.g. actual participation in thedevelopment work in the project such as writing KLA guidebooks, etc.) inthe following different phases of the work: Phase 1 (Development of Conceptual Framework and Attainment Scales)During this phase, the conceptual framework for the development ofuniversal curriculum for students with SEN and the attainment scales arethe main products. During all of the development phases, the'consumer based approach' will be used. This initially appliesto the identification of student performance with different abilitylevels for developing the SAME attainment scales; the development isbased on professional experiences and judgment (Humphreys, 2006b). Themain focus is to use the professional understanding of teachers toidentify a way forward. Validation See validate. validation - The stage in the software life-cycle at the end of the development process where software is evaluated to ensure that it complies with the requirements. of Attainment Scales will beconducted after the completion of the first draft of the scales done byfield tests in participating schools. Phase 2 (Development of SAME Curriculum Assessment for LearningEffectiveness) At this phase, the assessment package with objectiveassessment criteria and procedures will be developed to measure studentattainment levels at each strand of each KLA. Validation of theAttainment Scales Assessment will be conducted after the completion ofthe first draft of the assessment done by field tests in participatingschools. Phase 3 (Development of Schemes of Work) In this phase, sets of detailed guidance for teaching on each KLAwill be developed. Field tests will be conducted by implementing theSAME in the participating schools with a teaching plan design andassessing student performance by using the SAME materials. In themeantime Adv. 1. in the meantime - during the intervening time; "meanwhile I will not think about the problem"; "meantime he was attentive to his other interests"; "in the meantime the police were notified"meantime, meanwhile , on-going visits, interviews with teachers and classobservations will be used to collect data on the views and process inthe implementation of the SAME materials. Phase 4 (Development and Validation of Student PerformanceProfiling System) The mechanism and system framework will be built up atthis phase and a pilot study will be conducted by feeding in studentperformance data and generating reports by a trial run of the system.Many cycles of planning, acting, evaluating and revising will beundergone in the entire development process. Participants The project has just completed the second phase at the time thispaper was written. Nine special schools for students with intellectualdisabilities ranging from mild, moderate to severe grade possiblytogether with physical and multiple disabilities and visual impairment Visual ImpairmentDefinitionTotal blindness is the inability to tell light from dark, or the total inability to see. Visual impairment or low vision is a severe reduction in vision that cannot be corrected with standard glasses or contact lenses and participated in the project on a volunteer basis. Each school assignedappropriate teachers or subject specialists in developing the documentsfor Phase 1 and/or other phases. All teachers joining the project arerequired to participate in all relevant meetings, seminars, workshopsand consultancy services. More schools will be recruited to join theproject at each phase. CASE, the research centre, plays a role inoverseeing, co-ordination, consultancy, editing of materials, organizingrelated seminars and workshops, and research-oriented work in theproject. Instrumentation instrumentation,in music: see orchestra and orchestration. instrumentationIn technology, the development and use of precise measuring, analysis, and control equipment. Regarding assessment, an assessment package, portfolio,observation, enquiry with parents and therapists, and authenticassessment Authentic assessment is an umbrella concept that refers to the measurement of "intellectual accomplishments that are worthwhile, significant, and meaningful,"[1] as compared to multiple choice standardized tests. will be used and evidence-based data on student performancewill be collected by using video-taping, portfolio, photos and classobservation. For project evaluation, tools such as questionnaires,interviews and class observation will be used to collect views on theusefulness and effectiveness of the SAME project, advantages anddisadvantages of the model, etc. Highlight of the Accomplishment Benefits Throughout the process of professional development in the form ofseminars and workshops attendance, hands-on experience in producing theattainments scales, and collaboration of teachers from differentschools, the following benefits have been found via informal means suchas observation, information conversation, sharing sessions, andmeetings. Most schools reported that the model can definitely serve as ameasurement to account for students' learning efficacy, though itmay not be valid and reliable enough at the current stage, because therewas no comparable model in the past. It can also serve a similarfunction as the public exams (i.e., special schools can use this as anindicator to show progress or performance of students with ID). Schools also viewed the positive impact on programs for studentswith intellectual disabilities by raising expectations for students.Their standard of educational achievement and the school accountabilityfor student achievement gains could be enhanced. With the design of the Attainment Scales and Schemes of Work,students' learning experiences and opportunities in participationhave increased. Some schools reported that, before this model had beenintroduced, they did not expect students at the lower end of abilitylevel to learn science-focused topics such as energy which could beinterpreted in terms of fire and light for students with SEN; butfollowing the framework suggested, the students at a particular keystage, no matter the attainment level, are expected to touch on thiskind of topic. Experience showed that they can learn from this by havingthe exposure to the topic. As the awareness of giving learningopportunities to students with SEN increases, more appropriateexpectations will be set for students. In addition, a rise in confidenceand self-esteem was observed, as students, especially ones with physicaldisabilities, had the opportunity to learn the same topics as theirmainstream school peers. The most significant benefit is that teachers can share a commonlanguage in discussing student performance and progress within andbetween schools. They can communicate with other colleagues just bysaying, for example, 'his mathematics is at about A4' and theyhave a mutual understanding of what a student at A4 can achieve. Thecommon language serves as a better means for communication. In addition to the benefits mentioned above, there were somepositive by-products from the project. They include (a) a betteropportunity for communication & collaboration with more discussionand sharing among colleagues; (b) enhancement of staff professionaldevelopment by establishing a more professional atmosphere for sharingteaching strategies (as teachers were involved inco-planning/co-designing in the development work at phase 1 and sharingsessions and activities); and (c) a better grasp of understanding of theconcept of curriculum development. Lastly, the concept of 'broad and balanced' curriculumcan be strongly experienced in all participating schools even at theearly phase of the project. The focus of teaching is not skills trainingoriented o��ri��ent?n.1. Orient The countries of Asia, especially of eastern Asia.2. a. The luster characteristic of a pearl of high quality.b. A pearl having exceptional luster.3. ; the topic of teaching and learning is widened and theexpectation for students is higher, etc. Challenges and Difficulties Apart from the benefits, notable challenges and difficulties thathave been or will be encountered in the first phase of the project areas listed below: 1. Demanding resources--Much time and manpower were and will beinvolved for understanding the concept and for developing or revisingthe contents of the materials. 2. Change in school curriculum--It was a risk for schools to jointhe project as they may have had to change the development plan anddirection for the school curriculum. It would be a huge change to adopta curriculum framework with broad and balanced focus, as opposed to askills-training focus. 3. Teachers' and parents' perception, attitude andacceptance--Many teachers and parents are comfortable with the presentsituation with students only being taught/trained functional skills fortheir daily life such as toileting, feeding, and dressing; they argueagainst the needs for students with SEN to learn 'science' orelements from other key learning areas following the mainstreamcurriculum framework. This echoes the results from Donnelly's study(2005). 4. No precedent on the success of the model--It is not yet clear ifdata collected can benefit the educational program of the students sincefew studies have been done to investigate how the universal curriculumaffects the learning efficacy of students with SEN in local orinternational contexts. 5. Limited professional training--Intensive training is importantfor quality control in the development and design of the project.Nevertheless, due to limited resources in conducting this study, some ofthe teacher training sessions must be delivered by the project teamsince it may be difficult for experts from relevant countries such asthe UK or the US to travel to Hong Kong for training. 6. Need for collaboration--Since it is at the first stage of theproject, there are still difficulties in communication and collaborationbetween the centre and schools and the sharing of details inimplementation and policies among schools. Implication for the Field of Special Education in Hong Kong From early stages (introduction to conceptual model), to laterstages (organizing seminars and workshops), to the current status atPhase 1, seventeen months of work have been put into the project.Experiences of the past activities are indeed worth sharing with fieldpractitioners working towards the mission of 'raising the standardsof education for all' (Humphreys, 2006). Implications for the fieldon aspects such as school culture, school partnership, continuum ofability and IEP IEPIn currencies, this is the abbreviation for the Irish Punt.Notes:The currency market, also known as the Foreign Exchange market, is the largest financial market in the world, with a daily average volume of over US $1 trillion. will be discussed in this section. School Cultures for the New Paradigm New ParadigmIn the investing world, a totally new way of doing things that has a huge effect on business.Notes:The word "paradigm" is defined as a pattern or model, and it has been used in science to refer to a theoretical framework. on Special Education In this project, a paradigm shift A dramatic change in methodology or practice. It often refers to a major change in thinking and planning, which ultimately changes the way projects are implemented. For example, accessing applications and data from the Web instead of from local servers is a paradigm shift. See paradigm. has occurred involvingteachers' teaching and curriculum concept where the focus is theenhancement of student's cognitive development in a broad andbalanced curriculum instead of skills oriented education. Educationshould involve helping students develop and 'grow' indifferent aspects including cognitive, psychological and functional.There is the belief that exposure to and participation in differentexperiences may enhance students' development in education. Thebuilding up of a school culture by empowering staff and parents withthis new paradigm needs to be explored. School Partnership and Collaboration In compromising on a conceptual framework, strong intra- (withinthe same school) and inter- (across the participating schools) bondingamong teachers, schools, tertiary tertiary(tûr`shēârē), in the Roman Catholic Church, member of a third order. The third orders are chiefly supplements of the friars—Franciscans (the most numerous), Dominicans, and Carmelites. institutions are essential. Forming abonded community among teachers and schools would also be a means forenhancing the quality of the project. Continuum of Ability The concept of 'Continuum of Ability', describing thelearning outcomes of the students with ID, was shown in the centraldocument (Education and Manpower Bureau, 2006). In the document, thereare sub-levels under Level 1 (equivalent to the level of averagestudents at Key Stage 1); however, in the principle of 'samecurriculum framework', the continuum should be taken as a fulldescription of ALL students. That is to say, the first level of thecontinuum should be describing the lowest ability of students in oureducational system in Hong Kong. With this awareness of including students with SEN in thecurriculum, knowledge relating to key learning areas would be increasedby providing meaningful and enjoyable learning opportunities withencouraging responses to the student's level of curiosity. Thiswould imply further professional development activities to be held and aschool culture of enhanced teachers' enthusiasm to be built. Individualized Education Plan (IEP) The importance of IEP has always been valued for the education ofstudents with disabilities (Wehmeyer, Lance, and Bashinski, 2002). Whenconsidering a student's formal curriculum, it may be that somestudents can progress on portions of the central curriculum; studentswith intellectual disabilities would most likely need someaccommodations or modifications (Wehmeyer, Lance, and Bashinski, 2002).As suggested by Wehmeyer et. al. (2002), the three levels of curriculummodification involved when considering the IEP are as follows: 1. Curriculum adaptation--Efforts to adapt the curriculumpresentation and representation or the student's engagement withthe curriculum; 2. Curriculum augmentation--Additional content is added to thecurriculum to enable the student to progress; 3. Curriculum alteration--Changes to the general curriculum to addcontent specific to the student's needs, which might includefunctional skills or other needed skills not in the general curriculum. 4. For many students with ID, curriculum alteration Modification; changing a thing without obliterating it.An alteration is a variation made in the language or terms of a legal document that affects the rights and obligations of the parties to it. is the commonpractice. Nonetheless, Weymeyer et. al. (2002) suggested that curriculumadaptation and augmentation AUGMENTATION, old English law. The name of a court erected by Henry VIII., which was invested with the power of determining suits and controversies relating to monasteries and abbey lands. levels should have been considered first forthe IEP, for the student's maximal max��i��maladj.1. Of, relating to, or consisting of a maximum.2. Being the greatest or highest possible. benefit from and progress in thegeneral curriculum. The documents produced from the SAME project arebuilt on the curriculum adaptation and augmentation levels. Schools canuse this as a unified basis for planning an individual's IEP. Conclusions The SAME project introduces an important paradigm shift incurriculum for students with SEN (from daily living skills focused tobroad and balanced focused) which provides challenges and opportunitiesfor special schools. Some major features of the project can be noted,including (1) a shared common language; (2) the concept of continuum ofability for moving towards inclusion; (3) an enhanced learningexperience and opportunity; and (4) a holistic view of student'slearning. Moving through the attainment scales is not the main goal; the realsuccess is in achieving, for each student, a BROAD, BALANCED, andRELEVANT education to result in the highest possible performance of theindividual's ability (Ayres, 2006). This paper has consideredcontemporary ideas relating to improved access to the central curriculumfor ALL students, particularly those with SEN. A project has beenintroduced to provide a process for previewing a number of issuesassociated with the development of a universal curriculum to improveaccessibility. The project also focused on significant issues such aslearning opportunities and experiences, and equity issues. Thedevelopment of the model of universal curriculum is an attempt to assistschools for students with SEN, especially special schools, to considerall aspects of a broad and balanced curriculum in education. Products of the project would hopefully provide schools andteachers with a more holistic view of students' learning andprogress. Schools may need to include some subsidiary outcomes but the"route map" should help staff to identify where the student isand any gaps in development. It is hoped that materials produced afterthe project will provide a consistent approach and shared language forteachers of students with SEN, particularly with ID and help them todevelop a manageable system to record student performance and progress.It is also hoped that related researches will continue to providemomentum to the equity of learning opportunity and raise the standard ofeducational achievement and further enhance the education of allstudents including those with identified special education needs. Futuredevelopments include working with this holistic framework to provideguidance on how to use the materials to further develop the school-basedcurriculum (more specific view of curriculum). The quotation QUOTATION, practice. The allegation of some authority or case, or passage of some law, in support of a position which it is desired to establish. 2. 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