Working in the inclusive classroom Prof Bob Conway School of Education, Flinders University

The key concepts Rights of those with special needs to be involved in meaningful ways ACCESS PARTICIPATION Curriculum Relevant Broad Qualification outcomes Content Teaching/learning activities Student Engagement Active learning © R Conway, 2012

Four key issues – outcomes to date  Nationally consistent data  Gonski Review and disability  Disability adjustment categories  Disability Standards for Education 2005 and review © R Conway, 2012

Categories of disability under National Consistent Data  Physical  Cognitive  Sensory  Social/Emotional DEEWR, 2012

Disability categories – Descriptors for adjustment No adjustments at this time Supplementary Substantial Extensive © R Conway, 2012 The level of adjustment may change over time and across curriculum areas

DEEWR, 2012

Disability Standards for Education 2005 © R Conway, 2012

Standards covered in the DSE  “On the same basis”  Enrolment  Participation  Curriculum development, accreditation and delivery  Student support services  Harassment and victimisation © R Conway, 2012

DSE Participation compliance  Flexibility  Alternate activities to ↑ participation  Negotiate, agree and implement programs to ↑ participation  Additional support to assist achievement of learning outcomes  Reasonable substitute activities for those who can’t participate  Non-classroom and extra-curricula activities are designed to include the student © R Conway, 2012

DSE Curriculum development, accreditation and delivery compliance  Reasonable adjustment to:  Curriculum  Teaching materials  Assessment and certification  Teaching and learning activities  delivery modes including non-classroom  Assessment procedures and methodologies adapted to allow students to demonstrate knowledge skills and competencies © R Conway, 2012

UDL and Differentiation UDL  Plan for the needs of all students – whole class not the few  Conscious and deliberate creation of lessons and outcomes that enables all to access and participate in the same curricula  Can have two different versions to access Differentiation   Recognises differences in learning   Ways of presenting key concepts in accessible ways   Can have different activities and outcomes for sub-groups © R Conway, 2012

What does an inclusive classroom look like? Teacher PeerFactors BEHAVIOUR, LEARNING AND TEACHING Curriculum Physical and ResourcesSettingFactors © R Conway, 2012 Student(s) with additional needs

What do we want students to learn? Why do we want them to learn these things? How best can we help them to learn? How will we know when they have learned? Operating within Curriculum Guidelines for all © R Conway, 2012

A shared curriculum framework model The supports and adjustments are required to enable the student to access the curriculum and participate in the life of the school © R Conway, 2012

Issues in making decisions on programming and teaching activities  What’s the purpose of the task?  What are the outcomes I want for the class and the individual student(s)?  How does this task relate to the broader learning needs? other curriculum framework areas? existing knowledge/skills? planned outcomes? What and How to teach – What and How to assess © R Conway, 2012

What types of supports and adjustments may be required? Curriculum decisions What to teach and assess Teaching and learning activities How to teach and assess Technology and other instructional supports – Phone apps; Tablets © R Conway, 2012 Who will teach and who will support?

Need to be aware of the learning abilities and limits of students © R Conway, 2012

Disability categories – Descriptors for adjustment No adjustments at this time Supplementary Substantial Extensive © R Conway, 2012 The level of adjustment may change over time and across curriculum areas

Learning and teaching options Adopt the class program? Adapt the class program? Create a new program?   Same curriculum but with modifications   Multilevel or mixed ability teaching   Curriculum overlapping or alternate curriculum focus © R Conway, 2012

Descripter - None at this time Some students with disability, at particular stages during their time at school, may not require any personalised adjustments beyond the resources and services readily available in the school for all students.

Adopt the existing program Consider whether you need to alter any of these: format of instructional materials format of assessment tasks altered teaching or learning styles to meet specific disability needs adaptive technology for specific disability needs © R Conway, 2012

In practice - No adjustment at this time Examples of adopting the curriculum – areas and topics? What adjustments/differentiations have been needed? What are the issues/challenges in addressing Adoption strategies? Who benefits from the adjustments/differentiations? © R Conway, 2012

Descripter - Supplementary Supplementary adjustments are provided when there is an assessed need at specific times to complement the strategies and resources already available (for all students) within the school. These adjustments are designed to address the nature and impact of the student’s disability, and any associated barriers to their learning, physical, communication or participatory needs. Typical adjustments: Adjustments to teaching and learning might include: modified or tailored programs in some or many learning areas; modified instruction using a structured task-analysis approach; the provision of course materials in accessible forms; separate supervision or extra time to complete assessment tasks; and the provision of intermittent specialist teacher support. Adjustments might include: modifications to ensure full access to buildings and facilities; specialised technology; programs or interventions to address the student’s social/emotional needs; and support or close supervision to participate in out-of-school activities or the playground. These adjustments may also include the provision of a support service that is provided by the education authority, or that the school has sourced from an external agency. Typical students: Students with disability and lower level additional support needs access and participate in schooling on the same basis as students without disability through the provision of some personalised adjustments.

Instructional levels Year 11 Year 9 Year 8 Year 5 Material instructional level Grade level Teacher instructional level Student instructional level ///////////////////////////////////////////////// ///////////////////////////////////////////////// ///////////////////////////////////////////////// ///////////////////////////////////////////////// ///////////////////////////////////////////////// For a hypothetical Year 9 classroom © R Conway, 2012

Making adapting decisions  Content Decisions   Vocab Decisions   Essential   Alter precipitation rain   Delete Must Know Should Know © R Conway, 2012

Presenting adapted materials  Worksheets etc use visual cues reduce readability more shorter sentences use vocab that’s used & understood predictability cloze procedures only 60% of page consider the audience when using written material   Alternate teaching approaches remember that comprehension of oral is higher than written use the learning styles of the students variety of teaching approaches and activities ALSO ADAPT ASSESSMENT © R Conway, 2012

Descripter - Substantial Substantial adjustments are provided to address the specific nature and significant impact of the student’s disability. These adjustments are designed to address the more significant barriers to their engagement, learning, participation and achievement. Typical students: Students with disability who have more substantial support needs generally access and participate in learning programs and school activities with the provision of essential measures and considerable adult assistance. Typical adjustments: These adjustments are generally considerable in extent and may include frequent (teacher directed) individual instruction and regular direct support or close supervision in highly structured situations, to enable the students to participate in school activities. They may also include adjustments to delivery modes, significantly modified study materials, access to bridging programs, or adapted assessment procedures (i.e. special provisions) such as the use of assistive technology or a scribe. Other adjustments may be the provision on a regular basis of additional supervision, regular visiting teacher or external agency support, frequent assistance with mobility and personal hygiene, or access to a specialised support setting. Close playground supervision may be required at all times, or essential specialised support services for using technical aids, or alternative formats for assessment tasks, to enable these students to demonstrate the achievement of their intended learning outcomes.

Teaching adapted curriculum units 1. Determine the objectives, content and vocabulary 2. Divide the content into smaller manageable units 3. Teach each sub-topic 4. At the end of the sub-topic assess progress mastery? - extension activities not mastered? - remediation activities & re-assess 5. At the end of the unit assess key content & vocabulary knowing that sub-unit content is known © R Conway, 2012

Working together in collaborative teams  Trying to meet needs alone is difficult and frustrating and ultimately doomed  Working as a team benefits all participants  In secondary, consider grade groups for curriculum, learning and teaching adaptations or subject area teams  Develop materials and then file for sharing based on take an example and return it with another you develop. © R Conway, 2012

Failure to plan adequately can have unintended consequences © R Conway, 2012

In practice - Adapting/Supplementary Examples of adapting the curriculum – curriculum areas and topics? What Supplementary adjustments/differentiations have been needed? What are the issues/challenges in addressing Adaption/Supplementary strategies? Who benefits from the differentiation? Who took responsibility? © R Conway, 2012

Descripter - Extensive Extensive adjustments are provided when essential specific measures are required at all times to address the individual nature and acute impact of the student’s disability and the associated barriers to their learning and participation. These adjustments are highly individualised, comprehensive and ongoing. Typical students: Students with disability and very high support needs generally access and participate in education with the provision of extensive targeted measures, and sustained levels of intensive support. Typical adjustments: These adjustments will generally include personalised modifications to all courses and programs, school activities and assessment procedures, and intensive individual instruction, to ensure these students can demonstrate the development of skills and competencies and the achievement of learning outcomes. Other adjustments might be the provision of much more accessible and relevant curriculum options or learning activities specifically designed for the student. They may involve the use of highly specialised assistive technology, alternative communication modes, the provision of highly structured approaches or technical aids to meet their particular learning needs, and some students may receive their education in highly specialised facilities.

Create: Developing individual learning plans  When? A student’s difficulties significantly differ from those of the other students Modification of existing programs isn’t sufficient to meet the student’s learning needs. © R Conway, 2012

Developing individual learning support plans  What is it? A framework to integrate a student’s specific learning needs within KLAs  What does it contain? Specific teaching activities and strategies Who will be involved in the program implementation © R Conway, 2012

Individual needs Curriculum requirements/guidelines Planning Programming Individual goals Supports Adjustments What to teach? Adjustments Assessment Learning Support Plan (LSP) Individual Education Plan (IEP) Individual Transition Plan (ITP) Class Program © R Conway, 2012

Changing levels of planning for students with special needs IFSA Family Focus developmental IEP KLA Focus growth through broad curriculum exposure ITP Post school Focus employment options recreation “life skills” curriculum © R Conway, 2012

In practice - Creating/Substantial or Extensive Adjustment Examples of Substantial/Extensive Adjustment to the curriculum including creating activities and resources – curriculum areas and topics? What Substantial/Extensive adjustments/differentiations have been needed? What are the issues/challenges in addressing Substantial/Extensive adjustment strategies? Who benefits from the differentiation? Who took responsibility? © R Conway, 2012

Adapt assessment not just teaching © R Conway, 2012

Alternate assessment approaches Option 1 Same task - Same Assessment Strategy Option 2 Same task - Alternate or modified assessment strategy Option 3 Different task - Alternate or modified assessment strategy Option 4 Exemption from assessment task © R Conway, 2012

Measuring the outcomes Outcomes are: Knowledge and understandings Skills Values and attitudes Stage appropriate outcomes Ability appropriate outcomes © R Conway, 2012

In practice - Reporting  How do you address reporting a student with special needs to parents in terms of academic performance?  What are the issues for the school, the parents and the student? © R Conway, 2012

Achieving effective learning and teaching Curriculum issues linking current and past learning how achievable is the task or materials? does the student identify the goal of the task and recognise its relevance and application? Instructional issues pacing instruction (task size) types and amounts of feedback productive learning time strategies such as prompting, modelling, chaining The learning context classroom management and organisation classroom climate communication processes Effective learning and teaching experiences © R Conway, 2012

We need to be realistic in our expectations of all students © R Conway, 2012

5 Criteria of a positive inclusive classroom  Substantial student-teacher interaction being asked questions, responding, receiving feedback  Opportunity to respond critical to being involved and included non-responding can lead to potential behaviour problems  Academic engaged time meaningful engagement with learning tasks high achievers > 85% of time; low achievers < 40% of time  Relevant curriculum skills, processes, content for now and the future taught and assessed within the jurisdictional curiculum framework  Maximisation of student success keeping within the frustrational levels of the student © R Conway, 2012

Teacher behaviours found to facilitate inclusive learning  expecting student differences within any one class  having knowledge of a wide range of instructional strategies and the know-how to match them to the nature of the student  varying the amount of instruction and practice with the needs of the individual to provide activities at the students’ levels  being flexible with class routines  continually assessing students’ levels of understanding  making activities relevant and interesting to the learner © R Conway, 2012

Teacher behaviours found to facilitate inclusive learning  Not the nature or severity of a student’s learning needs  Not the facilities or particular resources associated with different school settings What the teacher does is far more important: having high expectations and being positive will have the most positive effect on student learning. © R Conway, 2012

Some students need additional support to ensure they can fully participate in the inclusive school © R Conway, 2012