College and Career-Ready Standards for School Leaders

Is UDL included in the common core?

• UDL is included in the section of the Common Core Standards called “application to students with disabilities”. In this section the authors referred to the definition laid out in the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (PL 110-135).The reference to UDL in this section may give the impression that UDL is just for students with disabilities. However, UDL not only applies to students with disabilities, it applies to all other learners as well. All students can benefit from the types of instruction used to reach learners “on the margins,” as the learning needs of all individuals vary a great deal. As such, UDL should be used within inclusive general education classrooms.
• Although this is the only specific mention of UDL, there are many concepts embedded throughout the Common Core Standards that are aligned with the UDL framework.