Beckie Rotondo Effective Inclusion Strategies for Students with Disabilities

Inclusive Education Legal Climate and Culture Collaboration Educational Placement Instruction Sustaining Inclusive Schools We need a framework, it won’t just happen It’s not just a good idea, it’s the law! Person First Language, Welcoming attitudes, presume competence LRE, SaS, Continuum of Services, Student Needs, Access to General Education, Scheduling Considerations Research based practices, using paraprofessionals effectively Planning together, supporting instruction together, and engaging parents

Inclusive Education Legal

Brown vs. Board of Education 1954 PARC Consent Decree 1971 Public Law Oberti Decision 1993 Gaskin Settlement Agreement 2005 Rosa’s Law 2010

Legal Reasons Gaskin v. Pennsylvania Least Restrictive Environment Supplemental Aids and Services Chapter 14 regulations FAPE & IDEA Fair doesn’t mean equal Social gains Generalization Access to same opportunities Special Education is a service NOT a place Other Reasons

Developmental Model 1970’s Functional, Life Skills Model 1980’s Social Inclusion and Self-Determination Model 1990’s Access and Participation in General Education Curriculum Universal Design for Learning present

Child must be educated in the general education setting to the greatest extent possible considering all of the possible supplemental aids and services Inclusion does not mean that the student’s progress must be measured by mastery of general education curriculum, but could be measured by progress made toward IEP goals and objectives The levels of supports and accommodations needed are to provide students the opportunity to participate with their non-disabled peers in a general education setting NOT to be used as a basis for placing them in an alternate (more restrictive) setting Burns,Edward. (2003) A Handbook for Supplementary Aids and Services. Springfield Ill: Charles C. Thomas

11 Membership Participation Learning I count I belong General Education Instruction Social & Other Academic Everything Else Adapted from Michael McSheehan, Institute on Disability, University of New Hampshire, 2009

General Education General Education with accommodations & modifications General Education with modifications & adaptations General Education with focus on IEP goals NOT grade level curriculum (collaboration with special education teacher) General Education with 1 on 1 supports % of day spent in alternate setting (smallest amount possible) Separate setting for majority of day within public school APS

% of special education students placed in: General Ed >80%65% General Ed 40-79%24% General Ed < 408.7% Alternate Placements3.3% 100 schools were identified over the last 5 years in PA for improvement plans in these various categories as a result of the Gaskins Settlement % of special education students placed in: General Ed >80%65% General Ed 40-79%24% General Ed < 408.7% Alternate Placements3.3% 100 schools were identified over the last 5 years in PA for improvement plans in these various categories as a result of the Gaskins Settlement

Inclusive Education Legal Climate and Culture Collaboration Educational Placement Instruction

I know it when I see and hear…

Activity #1: How do you know a school is inclusive? What do you see and hear? When you walk into a school ( your own or somewhere else) what do you see and hear that let you know the school is inclusive? Use verbs and observable behaviors (e.g. I hear laughter and see smiles) What do you see and hear each people in each of these roles doing/saying: Students Principal General Educators Special Educators Parents/Community

Read, Reflect, & Take a Break! Reflect and Take a Break!

Describes the successful education of students who have IEPs with the appropriate supports and services to participate and benefit in general classroom settings and other natural environments. Means more than physical proximity between students with and without disabilities. In inclusive schools and classrooms, students with disabilities are valued as contributing members of the school community, leading to a sense of belonging within the classroom and community at large.

The goal… “…the concern is no longer whether to provide inclusive education, but how to implement inclusive education in ways that are both feasible and effective in ensuring schooling success for all children” (Baker, Wang, & Wahlberg, 1995)

Applying a set of principles that guides our actions Belonging in a classroom and a community Being valued as a contributing member Attending neighborhood schools Providing the necessary supports

Diana Browning Wright, Teaching & Learning 2003 Ex. -Preferential seating, visual cues, repeated directions, use of a scribe, breaks if needed, guided notes, slant board, word processing device, voice output system, sign language, enlarged textbooks Accommodations - do NOT fundamentally alter or lower standards or expectations of course/standard/test Ex.- limit number of choices, receptively identify character from field of 2, use lower level text, minimize number of problems, answer concrete questions rather than abstract Modifications & Adaptations- DO alter or lower standards or expectations of course/standard/test

Inclusive Education Legal Climate and Culture Collaboration Educational Placement Instruction Person First Language, Welcoming attitudes, presume competence

LRE Inclusive Practices Mainstreaming Integration Inclusion Supplementary Aids and Services Educational Placement

It begins with all of us… Ableism  Model ‘people first’ language  Presume competence

skSrBRaJo skSrBRaJo

Article and Discussion

“…educational decisions ought to be based on assumptions, which if incorrect, will have the least dangerous effect…we should assume that poor performance is due to instructional inadequacy rather than to student deficits…” Anne Donnellan Ph.D University of San Diego

29 Viewing students through the lens of a disability label may increase the likelihood of misjudging capabilities and barring some students from opportunities to learn what other students their age are learning (Jorgensen, McSheehan & Sonnenmeier, 2007)

It begins with all of us… Ableism  Model ‘people first’ language  Presume competence  Practice ability awareness  Utilize disability etiquette with all students

“The idea of belonging and membership, being part of a community, is a basic human need. It’s one of the principles of our democratic society. We all have the same needs, we want to be loved, we want to have friends, we want to feel that we are making a contribution in our families, in our communities….We learn about understanding what someone’s interests and point of view are by interacting with them. To include everyone is to open up those possibilities for learning and appreciating our humanity.” Dr. Joseph Petner, Educator Dr. Joseph Petner, Educator

spaces.com/file/view/Article+on+Incl usion+Support+and+UDL.pdf

 Share responsibility  Collaborate & Plan  Notice the strengths & needs  Be positive  Accept responsibility  Monitor progress diligently

Finding mutual planning time Developing good format for lesson plans Assessments What co-teaching approach is best for us, our content area, and our students? How to handle conflict *sample lesson plan and blank template

Working together within a classroom to meet the needs of all students Meeting together to discuss students’ needs, curriculum, etc. Requires a shared goal Shared responsibility for key decisions Shared accountability for outcomes Based on trust and respect

Activity/ lesson Goal/ Objective of target student Accommodations & Modifications Prompting level Assessment Tool

INCLUSION / TEAM MEETING NOTES Student: ___________________________ Grade: ________________________ Date/Time of Meeting: _____________________________________________ Attendance: name/role Accomplishments / Positive Comments Areas of Concern: Plan / Strategies to Address Concerns: Materials Needed / Training to be Scheduled: Important Dates / Upcoming Events (training, meetings): Goals / Concerns to be addressed at next meeting: Next Inclusion Meeting (location/time):

Model it yourself Use person first language Give age appropriate examples of ways we are all the same and different If necessary to talk about a specific student, do so ONLY with parent permission Allow students to talk about their own challenges (with parent permission) Use nationally recognized months to springboard activities (March- Disability awareness, April- Autism Awareness,

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