TIES Center: Increasing Time, Instructional Effectiveness, Engagement, and State Support for Inclusive Practices for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities

Description

Creates sustainable changes in school and district educational systems so that students with significant cognitive disabilities can fully engage in the same instructional and non-instructional activities as their general education peers while being instructed in a way that meets individual learning needs. Project activities support increased student engagement and improved learning outcomes for students with significant cognitive disabilities.

The primary outcome of the TIES Center, which is a National Technical Assistance Center on Inclusive Practices and Policies, is to improve the quality of instruction for students with significant cognitive disabilities in inclusive environments through the use of existing curriculum and instructional materials. The center also provides models and coaching to both general education and special education teachers to create more inclusive opportunities. In addition, the TIES Center support changes to inclusive practices and policies within partner state and local education agencies.

The TIES Center has identified five goals to support its outcomes:

  1. Develop professional learning communities in partner state and local education agencies.
  2. Develop coaching models for implementation of resources, inclusive practices and communicative competence.
  3. Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of existing resources.
  4. Support parents to become partners in the practice of inclusion for students with significant cognitive disabilities.
  5. Support systems change within the leadership of state and local education agencies for implementation of inclusive practices.
Contact
Kristin K Liu PhD
Director
Kristin K Liu PhD
Website
tiescenter.org/
Past funder
Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education
Funder
State of Washington, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
Collaborators
Arizona Department of Education
CAST
University of Cincinnati
University of Kentucky
University of North Carolina Charlotte
University of North Carolina Greensboro

Staff

Jessica Bowman :: Research Associate


Kristin Dean :: Director of Information Technology


Gail Ghere :: Research Associate


Debbie Hansen :: Office Manager


Sheryl Lazarus :: Director, National Center on Educational Outcomes


Kristin K Liu PhD :: Director, TIES Center


Michael L Moore :: Editor/Writer


Darrell H Peterson :: Education Program Specialist


Chris Rogers :: Research Fellow


Yi-Chen Wu :: Research Associate


Jennifer E Sommerness :: Research Associate


Product

TIES Inclusive Practices Series (TIPS): TIES TIP #3: Getting to Know Students who use AAC

This TIP describes how educational team members can develop and use student profiles, communication plans, and daily plans to guide the successful involvement of students with significant communica…

Published: January 2020

TIES Building Engagement with Distance Learning Series: DL #29: Collaboration in the Trenches: Lessons Learned about Inclusive Technology During COVID

In this DL post, the specific collaborative activities to support continued use of assistive and educational technology during distance learning are explored. Lessons for teachers and leaders from …

Published: February 2021

TIES Center Briefs: 10 razones para apoyar a las comunidades escolares inclusivas para todos los estudiantes

Educators, students, and families have found many compelling reasons to support inclusive education for students with and without disabilities. This Brief, translated into Spanish, delineates ten …

Published: June 2020

TIES Center Briefs: 10 Reasons to Support Inclusive School Communities for ALL Students (#1)

Educators, students, and families have found many compelling reasons to support inclusive education for students with and without disabilities. This Brief delineates ten reasons that supporting...

Published: November 2018

TIES Center Reports: How States Interpret the LRE Clause of IDEA: A Policy Analysis (#101)

The purpose of this report is to analyze how states interpret special education regulations associated with the Individuals with Disabilities (IDEA) regulations, specifically around least restricti…

Published: November 2018

TIES Center Briefs: Grading My Child with Significant Cognitive Disabilities in an Inclusive Classroom (TIES Center Brief #6)

Grades are assigned and report cards given in inclusive classrooms. It is important that thought has been given to how work from students with significant cognitive disabilities will be graded and …

Published: February 2021

Parent Video Series: Supporting the Learning of Children with Significant Cognitive Disabilities at Home: Helping Your Child with Checking Progress at Home

This video describes easy ways for parents to check on their child's progress in academics and behavior while learning at home. It also suggests ways to talk to the school about a child's progress …

Published: July 2021

Parent Video Series: Supporting the Learning of Children with Significant Cognitive Disabilities at Home: Helping Your Child with Academics at Home

This video provides parents of students with disabilities, specifically those with the most significant cognitive disabilities, with tips on how to support their child’s standards-based instruction…

Published: November 2020

Parent Video Series: Supporting the Learning of Children with Significant Cognitive Disabilities at Home: Helping Your Child with Writing at Home

This video describes practical ways to support students with significant cognitive disabilities as they grow in their writing skills. It also describes the types of supports a parent can ask for …

Published: July 2021

TIES Center Reports: Using Systems Change Efforts to Implement and Sustain Inclusive Education Practices in General Education Settings for Students with the Most Significant Cognitive Disabilities: A Review of the Literature (#102)

This report presents the findings from a literature review that examined how systems change efforts can guide initiatives to increase and sustain the placement of students with the most significant…

Published: June 2019

TIES Inclusive Practices Series (TIPS): TIP #18: Choosing Accessible Grade-Level Texts for Use in Inclusive Classrooms

This TIP will outline considerations for choosing appropriate accessible grade-level texts for students with significant cognitive disabilities in inclusive classrooms

Published: May 2021

Parent Video Series: Supporting the Learning of Children with Significant Cognitive Disabilities at Home: Helping Your Child with the Foundations of Reading at Home

This video describes ways parents of students with disabilities can help their child with the foundations of reading while at home. The video discusses why it is important to focus on foundations …

Published: March 2021

TIES Center Reports: Instructional Practices for Students with the Most Significant Disabilities in Inclusive Settings: A Review of the Literature (#104)

The purpose of this literature review is to extend previous literature reviews to bring the review of literature up-to-date on pedagogical practices for students with the most significant disabilit…

Published: 3/10/2020

TIES Center Reports: Communication Competence in the Inclusive Setting: A Review of the Literature (#103)

This report presents findings from a literature review that was conducted to identify evidenced-based approaches to supporting the development of communicative competence for K-8 students in …

Published: June 2019

TIES Center Reports: A Literature Review of School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports for Students with Extensive Support Needs (#106)

This report presents the findings of a literature review to summarize the current literature of School-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), a multi-tiered framework that …

Published: August 2022

Impact: Feature Issue on Inclusive Education for K-8 Students with the Most Significant Cognitive Disabilities

An issue in the Impact series that examines K-8 inclusive education. Historically, students with the most significant cognitive disabilities were often taught only functional skills in our K-12 …

Published: Winter 2018-19

TIES Center Briefs: Understanding the Role of Paraprofessionals in Your Child’s Education in Inclusive Classrooms (TIES Center Brief #7)

Paraprofessionals should be available to students with significant cognitive disabilities in the inclusive classroom. Depending on each student’s needs, paraprofessionals may provide supports, …

Published: 11/1/2021

TIES Building Engagement with Distance Learning Series: DL #28: Not letting LRE Slide: Ensuring inclusive education during COVID

During COVID, how can teams prioritize the least restrictive environment and inclusive education? How do we assure that we are teaching students with significant cognitive disabilities in the …

Published: February 2021

TIES Inclusive Practices Series (TIPS): TIP #21: How to Support Students With Significant Cognitive Disabilities During Think-Alouds

This TIP discusses how to engage students with significant cognitive disabilities in think-alouds in the inclusive classroom.

Published: 11/3/2021

TIES Inclusive Practices Series (TIPS): TIP #23: Supporting the Communication Needs of Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC) Users who are also English Learners

Students with significant cognitive disabilities who are also English Learners or emergent multilingual language users present unique opportunities for inclusive education teams. This TIP provides …

Published: April 2021

TIES Building Engagement with Distance Learning Series: An Example of UDL and Online Collaboration (DL #30)

"What does it look like?" has always been one of the biggest questions about including students with significant cognitive disabilities. This post is one example of how a middle school in Carroll …

Published: March 2021

TIES Inclusive Practices Series (TIPS): Preparing the AAC User for the Next Grade (#25)

For students who are non-speaking and communicate using Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), it is important to support their communication needs during grade level transitions to …

Published: August 2022

MTSS for All: Including Students with the Most Significant Cognitive Disabilities

The purpose of this Brief is to provide suggestions for ways in which the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) can include students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. 

Published: 1/23/2020

Parent Video Series: Supporting the Learning of Children with Significant Cognitive Disabilities at Home: Helping Your Child with Reading at Home

This video describes ways parents of students with significant cognitive disabilities can help their child expand reading skills while at home. The video discusses why it is important to focus on …

Published: March 2021

TIES Center Briefs: Providing Meaningful General Education Curriculum Access to Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities (TIES Center Brief #4)

This brief addresses the question of what access to and progress in the general education curriculum means for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. It provides examples of …

Published: August 2020

TIES Center Briefs: Developing IEPs that Support Inclusive Education for Students with the Most Significant Cognitive Disabilities (#3)

​This Parent Brief focuses on developing Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) that support inclusive education for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. 

Published: 2/5/2020

TIES Center Briefs: Communication Supports for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities: What Parents Need to Know (TIES Center Brief #9)

This Brief describes how families and other members of Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams can help students get the supports they need to build their communicative competence in inclusive…

Published: June 2022

TIES Center Briefs: Taking the Alternate Assessment Does NOT Mean Education in a Separate Setting! (#2)

This Parent Brief describes how participation in the alternate assessment does not automatically mean that a student is in a different instructional setting from his or her same-age peers without …

Published: May 2019

Parent Video Series: Supporting the Learning of Children with Significant Cognitive Disabilities at Home: Helping Your Child with Communication at Home

This video describes ways that parents with students with disabilities can help support their child’s communication development at home, and provides sources for more information.

Published: November 2020

Parent Video Series: Supporting the Learning of Children with Significant Cognitive Disabilities at Home: Helping Your Child with Routines at Home

This video helps support parents of students with disabilities in establishing routines at home, in order to promote better behaviors and communications. It also provides other sources for more …

Published: November 2020

Reading Literature Inclusive Lesson Planning (Inclusive Big Ideas)

Educators can use these “Inclusive Big Ideas” to plan grade-level standards-based lessons for all students, including those with significant cognitive disabilities. Working with their colleagues, …

Published: 2022

Parent Video Series: Supporting the Learning of Children with Significant Cognitive Disabilities at Home: Helping Your Child with the Foundations of Math While at Home

This video describes ways parents of students with disabilities can help their child with the foundations of math while at home. The video discusses why it is important to focus on foundations of …

Published: March 2021

TIES Center Briefs: Debunking Myths about Inclusive Education for Students with the Most Significant Cognitive Disabilities (TIES Center Brief #8)

Controversy often surrounds the inclusion of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities in the general education classroom and curriculum. This is the case even though the Individual…

Published: 2/22/2022

TIES Center Briefs: Providing Access to School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities (TIES Center Brief #10)

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is an evidence-based approach used to promote inclusive environments and prevent and decrease challenging behavior for all students. However, …

Published: 7/7/2022

TIES Inclusive Practices Series (TIPS): Tip #2: Using Collaborative Teams to Support Students with Significant Communication Needs in Inclusive Classrooms

A tip sheet outlining how to employ collaborative teams to support students with significant communication needs in inclusive classrooms. Collaborative teams will require additional planning for general and special education teachers as well as related service providers.

Published: 2019

Reconsidering LRE: Students with the Most Significant Cognitive Disabilities and the Persistence of Separate Schools

This report has highlighted an important and persistent challenge: Many students with the most significant cognitive disabilities in the U.S. still attend separate schools. However, the huge …

Published: 2022

TIP #4: Successfully Using Communication Practices in the Inclusive Class

This TIP provides background on the use of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices for students with significant cognitive disabilities in inclusive classrooms. Key sectionsaddress…

Published: January 2020

TIES Center Reports: Separate School Placement Trends by Category and Age for Students with Extensive Support Needs (#105)

The purpose of this report is to examine the trends across the country over the past decade related to the placement of students with extensive support needs (ESN) in separate schools.Published: 8/1/2022

TIES Inclusive Practices Series (TIPS): Learners with Cerebral/Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) and Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC) (#24)

Students with Cerebral/Cortical Vision Impairment (CVI) may have difficulty processing the images their eyes see, which can affect many areas of basic visual functions. This TIP focuses on students…

Published: August 2022

TIES Inclusive Practices Series (TIPS): Tip #1. How Peers Can Support AAC Use by Students with Significant Communication Needs

A tip sheet showing how inclusion, friendship, and communication ensure valued social roles and life-long learning. Peer-mediated supports combined with training are essential for supporting …

Published: 2019

TIES Center Briefs: The General Education Curriculum - Not an Alternate Curriculum! (Brief #5)

This parent brief was developed to help parents determine whether their child with significant cognitive disabilities is provided meaningful access to the general education curriculum. It addresses…

Published: August 2020

Parent Video Series: Supporting the Learning of Children with Significant Cognitive Disabilities at Home: Helping Your Child with the Foundations of Communication at Home

This video provides parents and siblings of students with disabilities with tips on how they can support the development of communication skills of their child (or sibling) at home, and provides …

Published: November 2020

Parent Video Series: Supporting the Learning of Children with Significant Cognitive Disabilities at Home: Helping Your Child with Math While at Home

This video describes ways parents of students with significant cognitive disabilities can help expand their child’s math skills at home. The video discusses why it is important to focus on math at …

Published: March 2021

Topics

  • Education practices (K12 and transition)
    • Dropout prevention and student engagement
    • Inclusive education
    • Family engagement
  • Specific life stage
    • Children
  • Educational accountability and assessment
    • Evaluation of education programs
    • Instruction
    • Intellectual/Cognitive Disability
    • Students with Disabilities