The Role of Special Education Services in an Equitable Multi-Level System of Supports - Revised

Oct 15, 2026

Explains how high-quality instruction and special education services support equitable access within a multi-level system of supports. Defines what high-quality instruction looks like for students with IEPs, including Universal Design for Learning, standards-based and data-driven practices, and culturally and linguistically responsive approaches. Clarifies meaningful access to grade-level standards, instructional expectations, academic and behavioral standards, and how special education must address each student’s unique needs while maintaining rigorous expectations and progress toward grade-level goals.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Section 1: High Quality Instruction and Special Education Services

What is high quality instruction and what does it look like for students with IEPs?

What does meaningful access to grade level standards look like for students with IEPs?

What are the instructional standards (academic and behavioral) for students with IEPs?

What is special education?

Section 2: Delivery and Receipt of Intervention Including Specially Designed Instruction

Who receives universal, selected, intensive, and specially designed instruction?

Who can deliver specially designed instruction?

Who can provide supplemental aids and services?

Can certified general and special education teachers deliver specially designed instruction?

Section 3: Strategic Assessment and Collaboration

Should students with IEPs participate in screening and assessments?

How frequently should progress be monitored?

What are the requirements for monitoring progress for students with IEPs?

Section 4: Documentation and Funding for Specially Designed Instruction

How is specially designed instruction documented compared to general education interventions?

How should intensive tier 3 interventions be listed on an IEP?

Can CEIS funds be used for intensive interventions under IDEA criteria?

The Role of Special Education Services in an Equitable Multi-Level System of Supports Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Carolyn Stanford Taylor, State Superintendent Revised 10/3/2022 Click on a question to go directly to that answer. Section 1: High Quality Instruction and Special Education Services 1. What is high quality instruction and what does it look like for students with IEPs? 2. What does meaningful access to grade level standards look like for students with IEPs? 3. What are the instructional standards (academic and behavioral) for students with IEPs? 4. What is special education? 5. Question removed 10/3/2022 6. Is specially designed instruction an intensive (tier 3) intervention? Section 2: Delivery and Receipt of Intervention Including Specially Designed Instruction 7. Who receives universal (tier 1) instruction, selected (tier 2) intervention, intensive (tier 3) intervention and specially designed instruction? 8. Who can deliver specially designed instruction? 9. Who can provide supplemental aids and services? 10. Can adually certified (general and special education) teacher deliver specially designed instruction per a student’s IEP? 11. Can adually certified teacher (general and special education) represent both the special education teacher and the general education teacher on an IEP team? 12. Can specially designed instruction be provided in any location, based on the student’s need for such service? 13. If a student is receiving specially designed reading instruction and academic concerns are noticed in mathematics, how is that addressed? Section 3: Strategic Assessment and Collaboration 14. Should students with IEPs participate in a school’s screening and interim and summative assessments? 15. How frequently should a student’s progress be monitored within an equitable multi-level system of supports? 16. What are the requirements for monitoring progress for students with IEPs? 17. How do IEP teams make decisions about continuing eligibility when a student with an IEP is successful without specially designed instruction? 18. For a student receiving specially designed reading instruction, what is the role of the reading teacher in assessing reading for this student? 19. What are the roles of a general and special education teacher in a co-teaching model? Section 4: Documentation and Funding for Specially Designed Instruction 20. How is specially designed instruction documented compared to general education interventions for students within an equitable multi-level system of supports? 21. Should general education intensive (tier 3) interventions be listed under accommodations, modifications or supports (supplementary aids and services) in a student’s IEP? 22. Can Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS) funds be used to provide intensive interventions to students who are not identified as students with IEPsin accordance with IDEA? Section 1: High Quality Instruction and Special Education Services 1. What is high quality instruction and what does it look like for students with IEPs? High quality instruction for all students is curriculum, instruction and assessment that is: • engaging and differentiated through the principles of Universal Design for Learning • standards based • data driven • research or evidence based • culturally and linguistically responsive to the students being instructed High quality instruction and instructional expectations are the same for students with IEPs as for students without IEPs and includes all developmental, academic, behavioral, social, and emotional learning. High quality instruction ensures meaningful access by each student with an IEP to the same rigorous, standards-based, grade level instruction provided to students without IEPs. This includes students with significant disabilities who may be supported through modified instruction or, for a very small number of students with

FAQs

What is high quality instruction for students with IEPs?

It is curriculum, instruction, and assessment that is engaging and differentiated through Universal Design for Learning, standards-based, data-driven, research or evidence-based, and culturally and linguistically responsive. It includes the same developmental, academic, behavioral, social, and emotional learning expectations as for students without IEPs.

What does meaningful access to grade level standards mean for students with IEPs?

It includes opportunities to use and benefit from instructional materials and services in any setting, maintaining high expectations across developmental and behavioral areas, and ensuring students with IEPs make progress on grade-level standards. It also emphasizes general education participation to the maximum extent appropriate with reasonable accommodations and supports to remove barriers.

How do instructional standards for students with IEPs differ from those without IEPs?

Academic and behavioral instructional standards are the same in general terms. Academically they refer to grade-level content standards, and behaviorally to social and emotional learning competencies and school-wide behavioral expectations, with scaffolding toward grade-level standards when alternate standards are appropriate.

Oct 15, 2026

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