Inclusion at Peirce September 13, 2018

Agenda What questions do you have about Special Education at Peirce? Inclusion: Philosophy and Practice The Gust Foundation: a Peirce Partner in building Inclusive Practice Questions and Answers Next Steps

Inclusion Philosophy and Practice All students can learn, and that students with disabilities learn best when they have the opportunity to learn with their peers in the General Education setting. This is based on Federal Law: IDEA 2004, LRE Mandate IB Standards and Practices Pierce School Mission

IDEA 2004, Least Restrictive Environment Mandate To the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities, including children in public or private institutions or other care facilities, are educated with children who are not disabled, and special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs only when the nature or severity of the disability of a child is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily. (IDEA, 2004).

IB and Inclusion IB Programme Standards and Practices (2014) requires that schools demonstrate their support for learning diversity. “Inclusion is an ongoing process that aims to increase access and engagement in learning for all students by identifying and removing barriers.” Learning Diversity and Inclusion in IB Programs (2016)

Peirce School Mission Our mission is to guide students to take ownership of their learning through experiential engagement and reflective thinking. We provide a balanced curriculum designed to meet the academic, cultural, and social-emotional needs of our diverse student body. All members of the Peirce community are committed to grow as productive, globally-minded citizens. Through our rigorous Primary Years and Middle Years Programmes and a differentiated instructional approach: We challenge our students to become critical thinkers while meeting their individual academic needs. We cultivate a learning environment that fosters intellectual, social, and emotional growth. We aspire to develop parental and community partnerships in order to nurture a holistic learning environment and create life-long student achievement that will prepare our students for real-world experiences and higher education.

Inclusive Practice Provides Special Education Supports and Services in the General Education classroom setting through Co-Teaching. Co-Teaching is a service delivery option: -Two or more professionals with equivalent licensure but differing expertise. -Shared instructional accountability for a single group of students. -Level of participation based on their skills and the needs of the group.

What does Co-Teaching look like? General Education Teacher and Special Education teacher collaborate to design , plan and deliver instruction that meets the needs of all students. Co-Teaching Delivery Approaches One Teach, One Observe Station Teaching -divides content and students Parallel Teaching Alternative Teaching Team Teaching One Lead, One Assist

Where is Co-Teaching happening at Peirce? Almost every classroom at Peirce has a student with a disability. Several classrooms also have a Special Education Teacher who is Co-Teaching with the General Education teacher for some or part of the day. The following classrooms have a co-teacher for all or part of the day: Kindergarten: Room 110, Ms. Fabianski and Mr. Cortright 1st Grade: Room 105, Ms. GIbson and Ms. Fitzgerald 2nd Grade: Room 224, Ms. Baumgarten and Ms. Graney 3rd Grade: Room 203, Ms. Lynn and Ms. Wasson 4th Grade: Room 204, Ms. Sweeney and Mr. Trad 4th Grade: Room 209, Ms. Drase and Ms. Frauenheim 5th-8th Grades are Departmental with a variety of co-teaching partnerships

Inclusive Education Inclusive education meets the needs of Diverse Learners (students with Special Needs) in the least restrictive environment and insures that we meet the needs of all learners by providing instruction that is differentiated in content, process or product, and delivered by two equally licensed teachers with specific expertise. Provides high levels of support with high expectations for all students.

Gust Foundation A new partnership with Peirce School to support the development of inclusive practices.

Questions and Answers

What can I do to support Inclusion? -Ask questions of teachers and parents of Diverse Learners. Engage in discussions. -Encourage your child to participate in activities where she can meet children her same age with different abilities. -Help your child develop friendships with classmates or other neighborhood children with different abilities. -Share your goals and expectations for your child.

Resources Making Inclusion a Reality from PBS.org: http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/learning-disabilities/inclusive-education/making-inclusion-a-reality/ 5 Benefits of Inclusion Classrooms: https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention- issues/treatments-approaches/educational-strategies/5-benefits-of-inclusion-classrooms Inclusion in an IB Context http://www.ibo.org/globalassets/digital-tookit/flyers-and- artworks/inclusive-education-en.pdf Contact: Athanasia Kolontouros, Case Manager at atkolontouro@cps.edu