Modified Work and Reasonable Adjustments

The classroom teacher is responsible for the development and implementation of modified work and reasonable adjustments for students working below the expected level or who are on an IEP. Students who are identified within the categories outlined below are flagged on Compass and discussed at the commencement of each school year. In addition, students identified throughout the year may also require modified work and/or reasonable adjustments to be made.

Modifying work can include changes to the following:

Instructional level – for example, LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY – Adapt the skill level, problem type, or the rules of how the learner may approach the work, different Victorian Curriculum Level.
Content/Curriculum – for example, SUBSTITUTE CURRICULUM – Provide different instructions and material to meet student goals e.g. creating a mind map instead of writing an essay, scoring, and umpiring instead of participating in a sport (physical), assisting in recording results of an experiment instead of completing the experiment, cloze activity instead of writing a maths equation.
Performance criteria – for example SIZE – Adapt the number of items the learner is expected to learn.

Once a student joins Senior School at the commencement of Year 10, it is important to understand that working to a MODIFIED curriculum does not prepare a student to sit exams for the purpose of gaining an ATAR score to enter university. It is, however, the teacher’s responsibility to ensure that the curriculum is targeted at students’ individual levels regardless of their intention to pursue an ATAR score post-Year 10 completion.

For further information please review the Reasonable adjustments handbook and the Disability rights and responsibilities handbook from the Victorian Department of Education (DET).

Refer to the Macleod College VCE VM handbook for the VCAA guidelines.

*Refer to the slide 'Alternative Victorian Curriculum Levels' for the table with the adjustments and codes.

Differentiation

Differentiating is making changes to content, product and process. Refer to Staff Handbook.