In the world of education, educators’ assumptions are the invisible architects of a student’s future. When we walk into a classroom, what we believe a student can do often dictates what we allow them to try.
Too often students, particularly those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, are met with a "they can't" mindset. At All Learners Network (ALN), we believe it is time to shift our perspective from student deficits to instructional opportunities.
Attitudes about a person’s perceived abilities to learn continue to threaten the civil and educational rights of too many individuals. This mindset endangers students’ opportunities to explore and encourage and reach their full potential. The concept of the Least Dangerous Assumption, first coined by Anne Donnellan in 1984, remains a cornerstone of civil and educational rights. It suggests that if we are unsure of a student’s potential, we should base our decisions on the assumption that will have the least negative impact if we are wrong.
"There is less danger to students if teachers assume instructional failure is due to instructional inadequacy, rather than student deficits (Donnellan, 1984, p. 47).”
If we assume that a student can learn and we're wrong, the consequence is relatively minor, perhaps some additional effort or unnecessary support. But, if we assume that a student cannot learn and we’re wrong, the consequences are severe and potentially irreversible because the student was denied meaningful instruction, opportunities, and dignity.
A fourth grader with significant disabilities has not yet demonstrated understanding of place value. A teacher is deciding whether to include them in a math lesson on multi-digit addition.
The Dangerous Assumption:
The teacher thinks: "This student hasn't shown they understand place value yet, so multi-digit addition is too advanced. I'll have them do something simpler, like adding single-digit numbers on a worksheet - while the rest of the class explores word problems related to multi–digit addition.”
If the teacher is wrong, this student has been excluded from the opportunity to participate in grade-level math, never given the chance to show what they can do, and the gap between them and their peers widens every year.
The Least Dangerous Assumption:
The teacher thinks: "I know this student has some prerequisite skills and concepts they need to build in order to independently add multi-digit numbers. I'll presume that with the right support and accommodations, they can be meaningfully included in our main lesson. I am going to consider what materials I need available for my students and consider a Launch task that provides an entrypoint for every student in the room.”
They might:
If the teacher is wrong and the student truly isn't ready that day, the worst outcome is that the student received some exposure to grade level math concepts among their peers, which is rarely if ever harmful and almost always beneficial for all students in the classroom.
The key point is that exclusion has a permanent cost for both the student being excluded and their peers, while inclusion with extra support has very little downside. The math content itself doesn't change. What changes is the belief about who deserves access to it.
Inclusive education is not just about a seat in a room; it is about access, equity, and quality of instruction. Students in inclusion-oriented classrooms possess a wide range of diverse abilities, cultural backgrounds, and learning needs for which teachers must adapt curriculum materials and tasks to support math learning.
Building that kind of environment requires intentional commitment to several core principles:
Change is rarely comfortable. It is natural for administrators and teachers to have concerns. We often hear questions like:
These are valid questions, but the answer isn't to shift to a “pull out” learning environment, it’s to move support in. Inclusion and quality instruction are not an "either-or" proposition. When general educators, special educators, and specialists collaborate and plan thoughtfully, inclusive practices naturally benefit every student in the classroom.
One common misconception is that grade level placement is synonymous with curricular readiness. Meaning, all students in third grade must complete the same third grade work in the same amount of time. If a student is in 5th grade, they belong in a 5th grade classroom environment, regardless of their current readiness grade-level content.
Take fractions, for example. In a single, inclusive 5th grade class:
The grade level content goal is the same, the community of learners is the same, but the entry point is intentionally designed to meet the needs of every learner. This is where equity meets high-quality math instruction. Much of what we do at ALN is to provide both content and pedagogy support so teachers do have the resources and skills necessary to design a meaningfully inclusive and differentiated learning opportunity for all students.
Our goal is to create classrooms where students have the opportunity to exceed our expectations and surprise us with their capabilities. When we provide the right environment, the right instruction, and the right supports, we stop placing ceilings on what is possible. Let’s choose the assumption that empowers.
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At All Learners Network, we support educators in building both content knowledge and strong pedagogy so they have the skills they need in order to design a meaningfully inclusive learning environment. In addition, our All Learners Online (ALO) platform and AI Math Coach have proven invaluable in districts using these high-quality student-facing resources to design effective Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). In order for educators to sustain truly inclusive learning environments for their diverse learners, they need the tools and skill set to ensure effective implementation.
"Every student deserves a teacher who believes in them before they've had the chance to prove it. Start here:"
All Learners Network is committed to supporting pedagogy so that all students can access quality math instruction. We do this through our online platform, free resources, events, and embedded professional development. Learn more about how we work with schools and districts here.