School Specific Resources

• Success for all Students in the General Education Classroom
  A Guide for Inclusive Practices
  Presented by The Maryland State Department of Education
  October 2024

In the state of Maryland, and nationwide, the majority of students with disabilities ages five
(kindergarten) to 21 are educated alongside their non-disabled peers for all or most of their
instructional day (Maryland State Department of Education, 2022). Inclusive schools provide
access to equitable outcomes for all students. Decades of research shows that intentional
inclusion of students with disabilities alongside their non-disabled peers leads to:
• Stronger rates of reading and mathematics performance
• Higher rates of attendance
• Higher rates of high school graduation
• Higher rates of post-secondary school enrollment
• Decreased behavioral concerns
• Higher rates of employment and independent living into adulthood

Read full document here:

Accommodating all learners Final version

• Appendix A: Participation Criteria and Checklist

Presented by The Maryland State Department of Education

March 2024

IEP teams are required to use this Participation Criteria and Checklist when determining eligibility for students with a “significant cognitive disability” for participation in the alternate assessments and/or alternate achievement standards. The IEP team must use multiple sources of information, such as the current IEP, results from formal and informal assessments, data gathered from classroom assessments, and information gathered from parents/guardians/students that document academic achievement to guide the decision-making process for participation in the appropriate instructional framework and statewide assessment. This form must be stored in the student’s electronic file.

Full document can be found here:

Appendix A_Participation Crite Checklist