Get in Touch

Universal Design and Assessment: A Pedagogical Practice for Access, Rigor, and Belonging

Please scan the QR code to access this page

1

Universal Design

Plan for access

2

Appropriate Educational Programming in Manitoba

Understand the target

3

Assessment

Gather fair, responsive evidence

Inclusive assessment is not about lowering expectations. It is about understanding what students are working toward, removing unnecessary barriers, and gathering valid evidence of learning.

Manitoba Foundation: Universal Design, AEP, and Assessment

Why Manitoba policy matters

Manitoba Education describes Universal Design as planning for the full diversity of the student population. Universally designed schools, classrooms, curricula, and materials provide students with access to the resources they require, regardless of diverse abilities and needs.

Instructional Supports for Diversity

  • Differentiated instruction
  • Adaptation
  • Modification
  • Individualized programming

Each responds to specific programming needs connected to expected learning outcomes or student-specific outcomes.

Assessment Policy Explained:

Designing rigorous pathways for students to show what they know

Assessment should help more students show what they know, not simply sort who can succeed in one format. Educators can keep strong assessment practices that maintain high expectations AND increase access, flexibility, and clarity for diverse learners.

Effective assessment and grading practices are based on what students know and can do relative to the curriculum.

Rehumanizing Assessment

Expanding what counts as evidence

Assessment is not only a task, mark, or product. It is a way of gathering evidence of learning. Tom Schimmer and Natalie Vardabasso use the language of rehumanizing assessment to describe assessment that gathers evidence of student learning through storytelling, connecting assessment with student agency, culturally responsive practice, reflection, creative responses, personal meaning, and authentic ways for students to express knowledge.

Oral Language & Story

How can students show understanding through oral language, storytelling, dialogue, and lived experience?

Identity & Culture

How do we honour student identity, language, culture, and ways of knowing while keeping the learning goal clear?

Land & Community

How do we create space for land-based connections, community knowledge, and relationship as valid evidence?

Avoid Confusing Format with Understanding

Do not confuse written output, speed, test performance, or compliance with actual understanding of the learning goal.

.

Move 1: Clarify Learning Goals and Success Criteria

“Success Criteria should provide a clear answer to the question:

  • How will I know that I have learned it?

or

  • How we will know that we have learned it?”

(Fisher & Hattie, 2019)

Inclusive Assessment, Engagement, Grading & Reporting

Engagement matters

If a student is engaging with grade-level outcomes, we can collect evidence (even if they need considerable support).

Assessment and Evaluation/ Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning 🔗

Manitoba grade scale anchor

"Limited" ("1" on the ordinal scale; 50% to 59%) is a passing grade; that is, the student is engaging with grade-level outcomes and is progressing, albeit with limitations requiring significant attention and support.

Assessment and Evaluation/ Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning 🔗

Achievement profile lens

Profiles describe achievement across the scale, including language such as:

  • "Requires considerable, ongoing teacher support …"
  • "Requires occasional teacher or peer support …"

And they clarify that references to "support / prompt / teacher support / peer support" do not refer to adaptations.

Achievement Grade Profiles/ Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning 🔗

What this means for inclusive assessment (K–12)

When assessing students (including ASD & co-occurring needs), always ask:

  • Is the student engaging with the outcome (even with significant support)? If yes, you can gather evidence toward a 1 / Limited level.
  • Which supports are universal scaffolding (available to anyone; not automatically "adaptations")?
  • Which supports become documented adaptations (planned changes to access conditions)?
  • What evidence will you accept so the grade reflects learning, not barriers (writing, reading volume, time pressure, sensory load, task completion)?

What Stays the Same

  • The learning goal
  • The success criteria
  • The cognitive demand
  • The connection to the curriculum or student-specific outcome

What Can Change

  • The format
  • The materials
  • The timing
  • The supports
  • The way the student communicates understanding

Use formative assessment to guide next steps

Bringing It Together

Inclusive assessment: clear target, flexible path, responsive evidence

Universal Design

Helps us plan for access across the full diversity of the student population.

Appropriate Educational Programming

Helps us understand the target — what the student is working toward and why it matters.

Manitoba Assessment Policy

Helps us use evidence responsibly, grounded in curricular learning goals and professional judgment.

Rehumanizing Assessment

Reminds us that students are whole people with identities, cultures, stories, strengths, and ways of knowing.

UDL-Aligned Assessment

Helps students show what they know through multiple, flexible, and meaningful pathways.