High-leverage & Evidence-based Practices

An evidence-based practice is an instructional strategy or procedure (or set of procedures) for which researchers have provided findings that show the practice produces positive student outcomes. Evidence-based practices take the guesswork out of teaching by providing specific approaches that have meaningful impacts on learning.

The UDL Research and Resources tab goes deep into the research behind this framework and each checkpoint (or instructional practice) that guides this way of designing instruction. 

What about Assistive Technology and Augmentative Alternative Communication? 

Under UDL checkpoint 4.2 (optimize access to tools and assistive technologies), CAST provides some insight on the research behind these strategies and tools and some good general scholarly reviews. AT and AAC are necessary, and if needed, they must be provided as part of the development of an IEP for every student with a disability (what CAST refers to as “face validity”). But when evaluating specific practices, strategies, or tools, the evidence is a little more challenging to find. A good place to search is the Education Resources Information Center [eric.ed.gov] and the search engine provided by this extensive clearinghouse. 

On this page, you can review the reference sheets that Open Access created when developing the training resources for these projects and curating the resources of the AT and AAC Resource FlipKits. This is a starting point, and the Open Access team will add to these as time passes.  Click on the buttons below to read through the reference sheets.

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