“When we are not sure what students can learn, presume competence and the ability to learn.” – Cheryl Jorgensen
Equal opportunity means maximizing high expectations, academic access, and learning for all students. Presuming competence means that all children have the ability and right to learn grade level, general education curriculum in the least restrictive environment.
Presuming Competence: Raising Expectations
The purpose of Families to the MAX is to increase the capacity of Pennsylvania schools to provide all students, including those with complex instructional needs, with maximum access to learning of the general education curriculum and the Pennsylvania Core Standards.
Project MAX: Presuming Competence, Raising Expectations PDF
Proyecto MAX: Asumiendo Capacidades, Aumentando Expectaciones PDF
Standards Aligned System
Developed by the Pennsylvania Department of Education
Schools and educators across Pennsylvania are supported in their efforts to implement the Standards Aligned System (SAS) by the development of a state-of-the-art portal. SAS is a comprehensive, research-based resource to improve student achievement. SAS identifies six elements that impact student achievement:
- — Standards
- — Assessments
- — Curriculum Framework
- — Instruction
- — Materials & Resources
- — Safe & Supportive Schools
Standards Aligned Unit Planning (SAUP) Framework for Practice, Cheryl Jorgensen
The Standards Aligned Unit Planning (SAUP) Framework is a model for understanding and using SAUP in practice. This document provides a structure to guide professional collaborative conversations among vertical team members. This collaboration — and the accompanying tools to document important findings — can help guide the work of vertical teams to determine the criteria for developing common high quality unites of instruction.
Created by Cheryl Jorgensen, Ph.D., an inclusive education consultant in private practice.
Standards Aligned United Planning (SAUP) Framework
Introduction to Supports for Students with Complex Instructional Needs (Video)
This video is an introduction to Maximizing Academic Access Expectations and Learning for students with complex instructional needs. You will get an overview of the principles of MAX, the students who are focused on this work, and the steps that you can take to get started.
Maximizing Academic Access, Expectations, and Learning: Professional Development Tools
The goal is to optimize practice in the areas of leadership, curriculum instruction and assessment, least restrictive environment, individual student supports, family and community involvement and collaboration and problem solving. To achieve this, these professional development tools encompass the following key features:
- — Standards-aligned instruction
- — Coaching
- — Data-driven decisions making
- — Formalized teaming processes to support system change
Maximizing Academic Access, Expectations, and Learning: Professional Development Tools
Maximizing Academic Access, Expectations, and Learning: Supports for Educating Students with Complex Instructional Needs
This video highlights how Project MAX “maximizes” access to the Pennsylvania core and general education curriculum for all students, especially those students with complex instructional needs.
What is the Families to the MAX Pennsylvania Statewide Network?
This brochure explains what Families to the MAX is, reasons to join the network, and network activities.
