Resources for Educators

Program Administrator:  Nancy Childress, Personnel Development Consultant

• Exceptional Children Tuition Reimbursement Opportunity Memo  
• All details for this program as well as the application are located in the Exceptional Children Tuition Reimbursement Guidebook

Lead:

Crystal Patrick, Office of Exceptional Children

Accessible Educational Materials was previously referred to in the IDEA as Accessible Instructional Materials. “Educational materials and technologies are “accessible” to people with disabilities if they are able to “acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services” as people who do not have disabilities. As a person with a disability, you must be able to achieve these three goals “in an equally integrated and equally effective manner, with substantially equivalent ease of use” (Joint Letter US Department of Justice and US Department of Education, June 29, 2010).” (AEM Center)The NC Policies Governing Services for Children with Disabilities cites IDEA on Accessible Instructional Materials.

“The National Center on Accessible Educational Materials for Learning at CAST provides technical assistance, coaching, and resources to increase the availability and use of accessible educational materials and technologies for learners with disabilities across the lifespan.” (AEM Center) Resources include a decision-making tool the AEM Navigator.

National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC) is federally funded through the IDEA 2004. National Center on Accessible Digital Educational Materials & Instruction (NCADEMI) developed more information on what Education Agencies need to know regarding laws, implementation, eligibility, and procurement.

A NC Request for Accessible Formats including NIMAC form is available for educators to complete on behalf of eligible students in North Carolina. This form collects information on the requested accessible educational materials format(s) required for the student. Once complete the NIMAC Coordinator will contact and share options for acquiring the format(s), in a timely manner with the Public School Unit.

For question or concerns regarding NIMAC or students requiring AEM please contact Crystal Patrick

Contacts:

NCDPI Autism Team

This program serves as a resource to Public School Units (PSUs), including charter schools. The goal is to help ensure that students with ASD develop intellectually, physically, socially, emotionally, and vocationally. NCDPI Consultants for Autism accomplish this by providing universal, tailored, and customized support through professional learning and technical assistance to PSUs throughout the state. This fosters capacity building and sustainment of best practices for PSUs to provide appropriate individualized education programs in the least restrictive environment.

Access the topic areas for more information, guidance documents, and resources for public school educators working in PSUs in North Carolina and other interested stakeholders. 

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The Google Site for DeafBlind professionals has moved to a Canvas Hub. Please visit the Canvas hub to view professional development offerings (both current opportunities and previously recorded webinars) and explore numerous resources.

Dr. Alan Chase - 984-236-2582

Virginia Madorin - 984-236-2307

The North Carolina DeafBlind Project (NCDBP) is a federally funded grant through the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and is administered through the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) in the Office of Exceptional Children. The mission of NCDPI and the NC DeafBlind project is to assist educators, related service providers, and families to gain knowledge to enable children who are DeafBlind to access the general curriculum and to gain skills and experiences that prepare them to successfully transition to adult life. NCDPI in collaboration with East Carolina University Teacher Support Program for Learners with DeafBlindness and the Exceptional Children's Assistance Center, directs grant activities such as the annual child count (census), educator support activities (such as financial support to attend professional development activities), educational training for families, and collaboration with other state DeafBlind projects.

For additional information about the North Carolina DeafBlind Project, as well as additional resources, please visit the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Site.

DPI maintains multiple listservs for professionals working with students who are deaf, hard of hearing, visually impaired, or deafblind. To be added to a listserv, please contact the listserv administrator below:

• Deaf and Hard of Hearing - Virginia Madorin
• Visual Impairment - Alan Chase
• DeafBlind - Virginia Madorin

Each year the NCDBP is required by the federal government to conduct a child count and submit specific information. This information determines North Carolina’s share of federal grant money which is used to provide professional development and technical assistance to families and service providers of children who are identified as DeafBlind. The count is a snapshot of eligible students on December 1st. The count includes infants and toddlers, children, and youth birth through 21 years of age.

The DB Census should include “Children with COMBINED FUNCTIONAL or documented vision and hearing loss which may interfere with their ability to a) communicate and interact with others in educational and/or social settings; to access information (spoken, social media, print); and b) move about safely and efficiently in familiar and unfamiliar environments”. The definition also includes individuals with documented functional loss and/or with progressive conditions such as Usher's Syndrome.

• Area of Eligibility (primary or secondary) identified on IEP
• Receiving Special Education and/or Related Services such as Vision, Hearing, OT, PT, APE, etc.
• The presence or absence of additional disabilities

The North Carolina DeafBlind Project provides free technical assistance to children and youth with DeafBlindness from birth through 21 years of age and their families. The following are examples of the type of assistance which may be offered:

• Information and Referrals: Access state and national resources. Receive a free resource packet.
• Consultation: Speak with a Family Engagement Coordinator
• Training: Attend conferences and meet national/international experts, learn at a workshop/retreat or online.
• Networking: Meet and share with other families, bi-monthly phone family phone calls.

NC DeafBlind Project Family Engagement Coordinator: 

Nancy Giurato

Brittany Cutshaw

A DeafBlind Intervener is a skilled person who can facilitate access to environmental information, communication, and social and emotional well-being for a student with DeafBlindness.

For more information about interveners, visit the National Center on DeafBlindness or view the previously linked Canvas hub which holds additional technical assistance information for IEP teams considering the use of a DeafBlind Intervener for a student with DeafBlindness.

Training and Professional Development Opportunities

The East Carolina University Teacher Support Program (ECU TSP) provides a no-cost year-long DB Intervener Cohort virtual training opportunity. Once cohort participants complete the modules, they are invited to proceed with pursuing national certification through one of the pathways offered by the National Center on DeafBlindness. During this time, ECU TSP will continue to provide mentor support and intensive technical assistance at no cost to individuals pursuing national certification. For more information about the East Carolina University Teacher Support Program’s support for DeafBlind Interveners, please visit their website or contact Julie Brickhouse.

Join Our Listservs: The DHH team maintains multiple listservs for professionals working with students who are deaf or hard of hearing, including Educational Audiology, Deaf Education, NC Deaf/Blind, Educational Interpreters and Transliterators. To join any of our listservs, please subscribe using the Listserv Registration Link. 

Developmental delay means a child aged three through seven, whose development and/or behavior is delayed or atypical, as measured by appropriate diagnostic instruments and procedures, in one or more of the following areas: physical development, cognitive development, communication development, social or emotional development, or adaptive development, and who, by reason of the delay, needs special education and related services.

Please view other disability areas for additional resources that could help support students identified as having a Developmental Delay

Contacts:

Lisa Taylor 984-236-2624 Northeast, Southeast, North Central, Sandhills
Felicia Goodgion 984-236-2625 Northwest, Southwest, Piedmont-Triad, Western

Disabilities Covered under Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

The following defines each area of disability included in the Policies Governing Services for Children with Disabilities (Amended – June 2010), Public Schools of North Carolina, State Board of Education Department of Public Instruction: Office of Exceptional Children, Section NC 1500-2.4 (b) (1-14) Definitions:

Emotional Disability (ED) (also referred to as Serious Emotional Disability)

Serious emotional disability is a condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects a child’s educational performance:

• An inability to make educational progress that cannot be explained by Intellectual sensory or health factors.

• An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers.

• Inappropriate types of behaviors or feelings under normal circumstances.

• A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression.

• A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems.

Serious emotional disability includes schizophrenia. The terms do not apply to children who are socially maladjusted, unless it is determined that they have an emotional disturbance related to (5) (A-E) above.

Disabilities Covered under Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

The following defines each area of disability included in the Policies Governing Services for Children with Disabilities (Amended – June 2010), Public Schools of North Carolina, State Board of Education Department of Public Instruction: Office of Exceptional Children, Section NC 1500-2.4 (b) (1-14) Definitions:

Other Health Impaired (OHI)

Other health impairment is having limited strength, vitality or alertness, including a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli, that results in limited alertness with respect to the educational environment, that-

• Is due to chronic or acute health problems such as asthma, attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, diabetes, epilepsy, a heart condition, hemophilia, lead poisoning, leukemia, nephritis, rheumatic fever, sickle cell anemia, and Tourette’s Syndrome, etc.; and

• Adversely affects a child’s educational performance.

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Contact: 

Beverly Colwell, Consultant

The Intellectual Disabilities Program serves as a resource to public school units, adult service agencies, parents and state-operated educational programs. The Consultant for Intellectual Disabilities is involved with state and local program planning and evaluation, policy development and inter-agency collaboration. A major focus of the program is the provision of professional staff development to teachers and administrators related to providing access to the general education curriculum.

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Contact:

Dreama McCoy, Section Chief

This program serves as a resource to Public School Units (PSUs), including charter schools. The program supports LEAs in curriculum adaptations to address the Extended Content Standards, methodology and best practices, implementation of the NCEXTEND1, and other issues regarding students with severe/profound or multiple disabilities.

For more information, guidance, and resources for public school educators working in Public School Units (PSUs) in North Carolina and other interested stakeholders.

Additional supports and resources can be found further down on this page within Curriculum and Standards section.

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Multiple disabilities means two or more disabilities occurring together (such as intellectual disability blindness, intellectual disability orthopedic impairment, etc.), the combination of which causes such severe educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for one of the impairments. Multiple disabilities does not include deaf blindness.

Please view other disability areas for additional resources that could help support students identified as having a Multiple Disabilities.

Orthopedic impairment means a severe physical impairment that adversely affects a child's educational performance. The term includes impairments caused by a congenital anomaly, impairments caused by disease (e.g., poliomyelitis, bone tuberculosis, etc.), and impairments from other causes (e.g., cerebral palsy, amputations, and fractures or burns that cause contractures, etc.).

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Definition of Dyslexia:

“Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.”

Adopted by the IDA Board of Directors, Nov. 12, 2002. This Definition is also used by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).

Policy Spotlight: 
SESSION LAW 2017-127 HOUSE BILL 149 

An act to require the state Board of Education and local boards of education to develop tools to ensure identification of students with Dyslexia and Dyscalculia.

Resources

IDA Webinars

Structured Literacy

Especially for Parents

The following videos provide parents and other interested individuals information about the characteristics of dyslexia and how dyslexia is addressed in North Carolina Public Schools.

This document, a collaboration between the Exceptional Children’s Assistance Center and the NC Department of Public Instruction, provides questions parents can ask about reading improvement and dyslexia, so you can mutually gather the information needed to support your child’s growth.

Dyscalculia

Dyscalculia is a specific learning disability in math for a child who does not learn at an adequate rate when provided sustained, high quality instruction and scientific research-based intervention matched to their needs.

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Speech or language impairment means-A communication disorder, such as an impairment in fluency, articulation, language, or voice/resonance that adversely affects a child's educational performance. Language may include function of language (pragmatic), the content of language (semantic), and the form of language (phonologic, morphologic, and syntactic systems). A speech or language impairment may result in a primary disability or it may be secondary to other disabilities.

Additional Resources and Support can be found under Speech-Language Services on our Programs and Services page.

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The NC DPI Consultant for Psychological Services, Lynn K. Makor, is responsible for the coordination and management of the training required by NC Policy in the evaluation and identification of Traumatic Brain Injury, including:

• Ongoing development of TBI  training and services
• IDEA evaluation and identification procedures
• Maintenance of the TBI Registry of Approved Providers
• Communication with and support of TBI Approved Providers
  • Assistance to LEAs in need of securing TBI Approved Providers 

APH Federal Quota System

NCAPH has removed PSU allotment for Quota Fund spending. Instead, all PSUs are encouraged to order what is needed to meet the unique needs of a registered student. For questions or concerns, please contact Terri Terrell (NC Ex-Officio Trustee) 984.236.2581 or ncaph@dpi.nc.gov.

NCAPH Legally Blind Guidance - Updated August 2025

Contacts:

Sherri Vernelson - Section Chief, Sensory Support & Assistive Technology (SSAT), 984-236-2584
Crystal Patrick -  984-236-2617
Terri Terrell - Data Specialist/APH Ex-Officio Trustee, 984-236-2581

NCVI Listserv
NCVI Listserv Join self-subscribe 

Visual impairment is a low incidence condition, but it can have a high impact on student performance. Material and equipment must be carefully chosen to meet the unique needs of each student with a visual impairment. The Office of Exceptional Children of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction has developed a Statewide System of Support for Students with Visual Impairments to help public school units (PSUs) understand and meet the needs of their students with visual impairments. Information and resources are available on the VI Resources Canvas Hub. 

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The National Agenda

This National Agenda represents a broad consensus of how educational programs must change to meet the needs of students with visual impairments. Commitment to achieve the National Agenda goals has come from the full range of individuals involved in the educational service delivery system, including individuals with visual impairments, parents, educators, and professionals responsible for program administration and personnel preparation. Once achieved, it is anticipated the National Agenda will improve overall educational services so that teachers and students will have the tools they need to improve teaching and learning. Partnerships will be strengthened among university training programs, school administrators, educators and parents. Referral and assessment procedures will be enhanced to ensure that all students with visual impairments are learning what they need to know to succeed.

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The Expanded Core Curriculum for the Visually Impaired

• Compensatory or functional academic skills, including communication modes
• orientation and mobility
• social interaction skills
• independent living skills
• recreation and leisure skills
• career education
• use of assistive technology
• sensory efficiency skills
• self-determination

• English Language Arts 9-12
• Introduction to Mathematics
• NC Math 1
• Financial Management
• Biology
• Applied Science
• Physical Science
• Earth/Environmental Science
• Founding Principles of the United States of America and North Carolina: Civic Literacy
• American History
• American History I
• American History II
• Economic and Personal Finance
• Employment Preparation I Science
• Employment Preparation II Citizenship 1A & 1B
• Employment Preparation III Citizenship 2A & 2B
• Employment Preparation IV Math
• Occupational Preparation I
• Occupational Preparation II
• Occupational Preparation III
• Occupational Preparation IV
• Self-Advocacy Development (previously Social Studies II)

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Occupational Course of Study (OCS) Notebook

North Carolina Standard Course of Study

Contact:

Dreama McCoy, Section Chief

English Language Arts

The new Extended Content Standards ELA K-12 adopted June 2017 for IMPLEMENTATION 2018-19 school year

K-8 Mathematics Extended Content Standards

The new K-8 Extended Content Standards were adopted September 2017 for Implementation 2018-19.

ECS - Math  K-8 Crosswalk 2017

Extended K Mathematics

Extended 1^st Grade Mathematics

Extended 2^nd Grade Mathematics

Extended 3^rd Grade Mathematics

Extended 4^th Grade Mathematics

Extended 5^th Grade Mathematics

Extended 6^th-8^th Grade Mathematics

NC Math 1A&B Extended Content Standards - Implementation SY 2017-18

Extended Essential Standards Financial Management

New Science Standards for 2024-2025 Implementation

Science Extended Content Standards

Standard Course of Study Science Standards

Standard Course of Study to ECS

2011 Science Extended Content Standards

Extended K-2 Science

Extended 3-5 Science

Extended 6-8 Science

Extended High School Life Science

Extended HS Biology A&B

New Social Studies Extended Content Standards Effective 2022-23 school year

Extended K Social Studies

Extended 1st Grade Social Studies

Extended 2nd Grade Social Studies

Extended 3rd Grade Social Studies

Extended 4th Grade Social Studies

Extended 5th Grade Social Studies

Extended 6th Grade Social Studies

Extended 7th Grade Social Studies

Extended 8th Grade Social Studies

For Students New to High School 2022

Extended Founding Principles

Extended American History

Extended World History

For Students Entering High School Prior to 2022

Extended Civics and Governance

Extended American History I and II

For Students Entering High School 2021

Extended Economic & Personal Finance

Vocational Preparation

Health, Safety, and Independent Living

Graduation Policy

Course Code Website

Alternate Assessments

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ECS Adapted Literacy Assessments - The purpose of this document is to provide PSUs with guidance in administering state required assessments in foundational reading skills for K-3 students instructed towards the Extended Content Standards. If students are not able to access the mCLASS DIBELS 8 assessments, they must still participate in an alternative assessment according to state requirements. Collecting data on literacy skill development is essential for developing appropriate Individualized Education Plans, tailoring instruction to individual needs, and sharing progress with families and educational staff. 

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