The Styer-Fitzgerald Program for Functional Academics helps teachers create rigorous and challenging learning opportunities for students with mild, moderate, and severe disabilities, including autism. The lessons from The Styer-Fitzgerald Program have been aligned with the Common Core (Dynamic Learning Maps) Essential Elements and the Michigan Alternate Content Expectations for ELA and Math and the North Carolina Extended Content Standards for ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies. Alignment with the Essential Elements for Science is actively underway. Currently, there are no plans for developing Essential Elements for Social Studies, so SDES is actively integrating alternate Social Studies standards from a few different states that can be used to assist with alignment in your state.

Because the Essential Elements, Michigan Alternate Content Standards, and North Carolina Extended Content Standards are nearly identical to one another, the Core Content Connectors, and other alternate state standards, districts have been using these existing alignment documents to meet other relevant standards with simple modifications. Our consultants, made up of teachers and administrators, have included suggestions for how teachers can modify lessons when needed to reach students with varying ability levels. Although these suggestions are specific to the Essential Elements, Michigan, and North Carolina, the strategies are easily used to fulfill the requirements of other specific state standards.

We have included samples to show how the lessons provided in the Styer-Fitzgerald Program have been aligned with these alternate state standards. Final alignment documents will continue to be posted as they are completed. Upon request, we are happy to provide an electronic draft of the working documents that are coming soon.