Department of Specialized Instruction & Student Services Strategic Plan – Initiative 1

Our new Teaching and Learning Framework for Global Competence is inclusive of all learners. What elements of the framework might require additional focus for our SWD and how might those be amplified in our classrooms, both with students included in the general education classroom and in self-contained?

Knowledgeable learners access and understand information: Offer opportunities for “Blended” classrooms in every discipline (at least in high school) Gather information using multiple resources: Offer Computer Tech skills class for all 6th grade students Encourage students to access technology to research, organize, and communicate information Assure that students are aware of available accommodations and assistive technologies and have understanding of how to access these Communicate information effectively: Differentiate instruction (written, verbal, video/slide, etc.) Educate students, thoroughly, to access information in the way that best helps them. (Self awareness of needs and self-advocate before entering high school) Allow students to achieve an understanding or "Mastery of Concepts“ – through teaching and flexible assessment opportunities, to demonstrate mastery Offer clear communication to both students and parents regarding opportunities to achieve Mastery of Concepts

Read, write, and speak: Require “Expository Writing” as an academic elective for all middle school students Hold “student led” conferences, individually, with students, their parents, and teachers Celebrate strengths and differences in others/ Assume personal responsibility in group settings: Teach students to be a productive member of work groups (beginning in classroom setting) Begin teaching “roles of group members” in grade 3 and consistently monitor throughout elementary, middle, and high school levels Help students to identify strengths they offer to their group and the importance of each group member’s role Allows students to be a positive influence on one another Teach students to work together and share ideas. Clear role definition promotes accurate assessment of group work and the importance of all team members Building and sustaining relationships/ Empower others: Peer mentoring – socially and academically (sustain outside of school day setting) Important and difficult for different learners when they don't follow the same "track" as typical learners do. **Give support in general education setting

Generate new ideas, plans and paradigms: Innovate Day – Use full school days to facilitate school-wide small group work Think BIG / Produce High quality original work: Students should be encouraged to have high expectations for themselves Less focus should be on making things that are immediately attainable; set the bar high. Expand focus to not only include IEP type goals, but long term, life goals (just like typical peers)

Take responsibility for learning: Assign peer mentors for social and academic growth Assist students in learning “how to ask for help” Motivate themselves and others/ Self guided: Help students to identify their own learning styles (beginning by start of 6 th grade for all students) Understand Multiple Intelligences and deliver instruction appropriately Assist students in using their own strengths (multiple intelligence/learning style) Set challenging goals and monitor progress: Have student-led conferences 2-3 times per year (beginning in Middle School) Students set 1 goal for each category: academic, social, physical health Students use technology to make a presentation to parents and teacher discussing goals for the school year Identifying their strengths and weaknesses Self monitor progress

It is not enough to learn about critical thinking. Students must engage in critical thinking regularly if they are to improve: Teachers need to model critical thinking to the students Ask open ended questions, that do not have one right answer Listen attentively and teach students how to listen (to ask follow up questions) Make students aware of the components of critical thinking Apply multiple strategies/ persevere and persist: A positive classroom climate characterized by high expectations, teacher warmth, and encouragement enhance the learning of critical thinking skills and risk taking Avoid memory overload Assign manageable amounts of work as skills are learned Build retention by providing consistent review of information, accompanied by application of the knowledge Provide supervised practice to assure proper learning and application of skills or information Make new learning meaningful by relating practice of subskills to future tasks

Promote social justice/ collaborate in cross-cultural teams: Encourage students to share their own experiences with their classmates Relate curricular topics to real-life situations in our students’ homes or community Understand languages and people: Offer additional “world language” opportunities for all students. Some ASD and PEEP students are currently learning American Sign Language, but that opportunity is not available to all general education students in our district Make this an option (at least beginning in 9 th grade) Engage in service learning; respond to a “call for action”: Service learning projects should include input from all students and should help students become aware of needs in our local community, as well as global community Encourage class projects that go out into our local community and help students to continue to stay connected beyond the initial project… i.e. pen-pals in lower socio-economic, neighboring school districts, help with group homes (for disabled adults, homeless, refugees)….