HLP 15

Unlike some other HLPs, there is a strong and specific evidence base for the use of scaffolded supports with students with disabilities in a range of age levels, content areas, and disability types (Mariage & Hicks, 2023).  Scaffolds should be identified in collaboration with colleagues and family members to ensure they are appropriate given a range of instructional settings.  Educators should also remember that all scaffolds need to be explicitly taught to students and the students must receive feedback so they know the extent to which they are making appropriate use of the tool(s) (Mariage et al., 2019).  It is also critical for students to learn to use scaffolds across different settings so they are better prepared for the rigors of life beyond school and can continue to draw upon strategies and tools for ongoing success (Alber-Morgan et al., 2023).  

Graphic organizers and content enhancements are perhaps the best-known examples of scaffolded supports.  For example, Dexter and Hughes reported strong results when using graphic organizers with upper elementary and secondary level students with learning disabilities in content areas.  One of the most effective lines of scholarship in the domain of scaffolded supports is content enhancement routines.  For example, Schumaker and Fisher reviewed 35 years of content enhancement routines and their collective impact on the content area learning performance for students with disabilities.  A common thread of the respective reviews by Dexter and Hughes (2011) and Schumaker and Fisher (2021) is that the use of explicit instruction to teach students how to use various scaffolds for learning is critical to success.  

Continuing in the tradition of graphic organizers and content enhancements, Barns and colleagues (2023) reported on effective interventions, including scaffolded supports for students with disabilities in secondary-level science classrooms.  These supports include graphic organizers, but also technology-based and other supports for students.  Computer-driven supports are a common form of scaffolded supports in today’s classrooms.  For example, Vernon and Shumaker (2021) used computerized scaffolds to support the development of social skills of adolescent students with disabilities.  Shumaker (2021) also used a computer-based program including various scaffolds to support writing outcomes for adolescents with learning disabilities.

Mathematics and writing are two other domains where scaffolded supports are often used and effective.  Powell and colleagues (2022) reviewed effective mathematics instruction and how scaffolded supports such as manipulatives and other tools can make abstract concepts more concrete.  Evmenova and Regan (2019) are engaged in a longstanding line of scholarship using technology scaffolds for students with disabilities to demonstrate positive effects on student outcomes.

Hovey and colleagues (2019) reported on scaffolded supports that can be used for students with learning disabilities and multilingual learners in middle schools to support a range of academic outcomes.  Similarly, Calvin and Gray (2020) used graphic organizers to support reading comprehension outcomes for multilingual students with learning disabilities.  These two studies give evidence that the use of scaffolds for diverse students with unique language and learning needs can also benefit from the use of scaffolded supports.

In summary, scaffolded supports have a longstanding history of effective use with students with disabilities across grade levels and content areas.  This includes graphic organizers, content enhancements, computer-aided tools, manipulatives in mathematics, and other individualized supports for students.  Researchers and practitioners have also worked to make scaffolds culturally inclusive to further influence their effectiveness and capacity for personalization.

By integrating culturally inclusive pedagogies and practices (CIPP) into scaffolded supports, educators can create an inclusive and equitable learning environment that honors the cultural identities of all students.  Educators should consider cultural inclusivity while they are instructing with scaffolded supports.  For example, educators can incorporate a myriad of learning materials, examples, and contexts into their scaffolded supports that relate to the backgrounds of their students.  Additionally, as the provision of scaffolded supports is often language-dependent, educators should consider providing additional language supports for students who are multilingual learners or for those whose first language differs from the language of instruction such as using cue words from their first language or examining how the words are similar or different from words in their first language.  Individualizing scaffolded supports to student understanding, language, or intersectional needs ensures that students see themselves and their cultures positively represented in the educational content.