1. One Body, One Spirit: Michael J. Boyle, Ph.D., Director
Serving Students with Disabilities
in Catholic Schools
Michael J. Boyle, Ph.D., Director
Andrew M. Greeley Center for Catholic Education
School of Education
Loyola University Chicago
@mjboyle3

3. though many, are one body, so also Christ.
As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body,
though many, are one body, so also Christ.
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks,
slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.
Now the body is not a single part, but many.
If a foot should say, “Because I am not a hand I do not belong to the body,”
it does not for this reason belong any less to the body.
Or if an ear should say, “Because I am not an eye I do not belong to the body,”
If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be?
If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?
But as it is, God placed the parts, each one of them, in the body as he intended.
If they were all one part, where would the body be?
But as it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you,”
nor again the head to the feet, “I do not need you.”
Indeed, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are all the more necessary,
and those parts of the body that we consider less honorable we surround with greater honor,
and our less presentable parts are treated with greater propriety,
whereas our more presentable parts do not need this.
But God has so constructed the body as to give greater honor to a part that is without it,
so that there may be no division in the body, but that the parts may have the same concern
for one another.
If [one] part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored,
all the parts share its joy.
I Corinthians, 12:12-26

4. “…our communities are still struggling to practice a true inclusion, full participation that finally becomes ordinary, normal. And this requires not only technical and specific programs, but first of all recognition and acceptance of faces, tenacious and patient confidence that each person is unique and unrepeatable…”
-Pope Francis, June 11, 2016

5. “Defense of the right to life, then, implies the defense of other rights, which enable the individual with a disability to achieve the fullest measure of personal development of which he or she is capable. These include the right to equal opportunity in education, in employment, in housing, as well as the right to free access to public accommodations, facilities and services. Those who must be institutionalized deserve decent, personalized care and human support as well as the pastoral services of the Christian community. Institutionalization will gradually become less necessary for some as the Christian community increases its awareness of disabled persons and builds a stronger and more integrated support system for them. (10)”

8. “Here I would stress that dedication and concern shown to the migrants and to persons with special needs alike is a sign of the Spirit. Both situations are paradigmatic: they serve as a test of our commitment to show mercy in welcoming others and to help the vulnerable to be fully a part of our communities
-Pope Francis, 2016, no.47

9. -Guidelines for the Celebration of the Sacraments for Persons with Disabilities

10. “Inclusion calls us to provide access and integration into the sacramental, formational, educational, pastoral, ministerial and communal life of the Church, offering accommodations when needed to enable the person with a disability to achieve the fullest measure of personal participation. Inclusive communities celebrate the diversity of gifts and support the needs of all members.”

12. To paraphrase Verna Myers:
Inclusion is being asked to the party, Belonging is being asked to dance

13. It is not enough to recall principles, state intentions, point to crying injustice and utter prophetic denunciations; these words will lack weight unless they are accompanied for each individual by a livelier awareness of personal responsibility and by effective action...The Church invites all Christians to take up a double task of inspiring and innovating in order to make structures evolve so as to adapt them to the real needs of today. (Octogesima Adveniens (1971),no. 48).

14. Education and Advocacy and Policies/Procedures
National Level:
Education and Advocacy
Diocesan Level:
Supports and Services
School Level:
Mission,Leadership
and Policies/Procedures
Classroom Level
Knowledge
Skills
Dispositions

15. Classroom Level
Knowledge
Skills
Knowledge: Directed development in understanding various disabilities and the interference with learning.
Skills: Develop evidenced-based instructional strategies, differentiation of instruction, curriculum design to identify essential learning targets, accommodations/modifications, and assessment practices.
Dispositions: Understand the connection between Catholic Social Teaching and the provision of services to students with disabilities.
Understanding the catechetical basis of serving students with disabilities assists us in living the mission of Catholic Education
Dispositions

16. Classroom Level Ratings
Not Yet
Started
On the Way
Refining
Knowledge
Teaching staff has an understanding how disabilities impact learning in a variety of manners
Teaching staff has an understanding that different instructional approaches may be required to address the interference of learning of the disability.
Skills
Teaching staff can develop evidence-based strategies to address various kinds of interference with learning
Teaching staff can develop accommodations/modification to mitigate the impact of disability
Teaching staff can use various assessment techniques in order to assess learning
Teaching staff can identify essential learning targets to understanding of critical concepts
Teaching staff can use principals of Universal Design for Learning to increase access to curriculum for all learners
Teaching staff establishes a welcoming classroom environment where general education students demonstrate tolerance, warmth, understanding and friendship to students with special education needs in their classrooms.
Dispositions
Teaching staff understands the connection between Catholic Social Teaching and the addressing the needs of students with disabilities
Faculty has a commitment to the idea that all students can have a Catholic education.

17. Mission, Policies Procedures
Knowledge:
Specific knowledge about Special Education policies and procedures.
Understanding of the impact of disability on learning.
Skills:
Advocacy Skills,
System change,
Funding and Grant writing,
Implementation of effective core via RtI/MTSS
Dispositions:
Support school leaders in using a ministerial approach to serving students with disabilities and their families.
creativity and flexibility
justice orientation
School Level:
Mission, Policies Procedures

19. Mission, Policies Procedures
School Level:
Mission, Policies Procedures
Policies:
Develop consultants to collaborate and support classroom teachers
Develop the necessary policies and procedures to create approaches to serve those with disabilities
Create ways to reach out to welcome our parish families with students with disabilities
Create have the necessary intake or progress monitoring protocols to ensure that students are making progress

20. School Level Mission Not Yet Started On the Way Refining
The leadership team works to establish school and community commitment to services for students with disabilities
The leadership team establishes a systematic process to celebrate success.
The school has established student support services that is seen as an entitlement for those students who need it rather than as a special addition to their education
The school establishes practices, requirements and creates strategies to reduce barriers to serving students with disabilities. The organization has examined its practices, requirements, and culture and created strategies to reduce barriers to inclusion.

21. Leadership Dispositions
School Level Ratings
Not Yet
Started
On the Way
Refining
Leadership Knowledge
Catholic school leaders have specific knowledge about special education policies and procedures.
Catholic school leaders understand how disability can impact in both instruction and non-instructional areas of the school.
Catholic school leaders are current with special education innovations (response to intervention/multi-tiered systems of support) that are occurring in their public school counterparts.
Leadership Skills
Catholic school leaders can identify the necessary supports (professional development, etc.) to guide change in the schools
Catholic school leaders can support alternate service delivery models (inclusion, co-teaching) to address the needs of students with disabilities
Catholic school leaders can use root cause analysis to ensure that there is a systematic approach to understanding when a student isn’t progressing in the manner that is expected.
Catholic school leaders seek funding through various agencies and grant making organizations.
Catholic school leaders can network and develop strong relationships with the local public school entity, in order to find creative ways in which access special education funding/proportionate share funds to support local school efforts.
Catholic school leaders develop a team-based infrastructure that supports collegiality and problem solving.
Catholic school leaders communicate a clear and consistent message that shared ownership for all students is a “non-negotiable” for all faculty members.
Leadership Dispositions
Catholic school leaders use a ministerial approach to serving students with disabilities and their families.
Catholic school leaders engage in reflection assists in the decision making process on how to meet the needs of students with disabilities in Catholic Schools.
Catholic school leaders reflect the belief that all students are “unique and unrepeatable

22. School Level Ratings Policies Procedures Protocols Not Yet Started
On the Way
Refining
Policies
The school has written policy about the process of addressing the needs of student with disabilities
The school has established a regular process strategic planning and decision-making for students with special education needs.
The school policy has established a process of placing students with disabilities based on natural proportions
The school is committed to providing on-going, comprehensive professional development to build capacity of staff to serve students with disabilities.
Procedures
There is a problem solving team that meets on a regular basis to help monitor and adjust intervention plans for students.
There is an explicit referral system to identify and respond to students who are not making adequate progress
There is an explicit process for incorporating family input into the development and monitoring of intervention plans.
The school ensures that the first contact that people have with the school is friendly and welcoming.
The school creates an induction process that supports a smooth transition for students with special education needs and their families.
The school has established a process for smooth transition to next school, tertiary provider or community support group.
General education students have been provided with coaching, support and modeling to appropriately relate to students with special education needs.
Protocols
There is a protocol for specifically designed interventions for students with disabilities
There is a progress monitoring form to measure the effectiveness of intervention plans
The school has developed a problem solving protocol that the intervention team uses to initiate and monitor intervention plans
The school has developed forms and protocols for the smooth delivery of service to students with disabilities.

23. Diocesan Level: Supports and Services
Create shared approaches to instructional supports for students with disabilities (i.e. resources, special education consultants, network types of systems to work among the Catholic schools in a diocese).
Develop new structures of collaboration among schools
Identify grant opportunities
Create new alliances for diocesan offices of Catholic Education and universities to support school level approaches to serving students with disabilities

24. National Level: Policy and Advocacy Education
• Build leadership capacity through specialized national Leadership Institutes focused on enhancing the knowledge, skills and dispositions to effectively lead for the inclusion of people with disabilities within Catholic school settings
• Provide practitioner showcases to highlight the kinds of inclusive practices that are currently being undertaken
• Produce resource manuals, program guides, and other publications about best practices in inclusionary practices for Catholic schools
• Create and deliver professional development processes for schools and dioceses on comprehensive approaches to inclusion within Catholic school settings
Social Service Agency Consultation
• Develop protocols and templates to build the capacity of social service agencies across the country to partner with Catholic and other faith based schools to implement inclusive practices
• Provide technical assistance to agencies to promote collaborative relationships with Catholic and other faith based schools around the inclusionary approaches

25. National Level:
Policy and Advocacy
Technical Support
• Develop opportunities for Catholic schools from around the country to connect and network about inclusive practices in Catholic schools
• Create a web-based repository to house and share school created products (procedures, flow charts, and other documents) around the implementation of inclusionary practices.
• Increase access to expert information to support Catholic schools in their inclusionary efforts
• Establish a forum of  “success” stories about inclusion initiatives

26. National Level: Policy and Advocacy Program Reviews
• Develop a methodology to review inclusive programs to establish a standard of care
• Establish “best practice” designation for current Catholic school inclusion
programs to concretize exemplars of aspirational approaches to inclusion
• Formulate implementation rubrics and planning guides based on the best practices designation to assist Catholic schools in the various stages of developing approaches for inclusion
Advocacy
• Create a voice of advocacy on policy issues related to disability and its impact
on access to services in Catholic schools
• Serve as a resource to dioceses and other Catholic school organization in the
development of programs to address the needs of exceptional learners
• Advocate for funding opportunities
• Ensuring true equitable participation
• Protection from burdensome legislations

27. So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it?
So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
-James14-17

28. One Body, One Spirit: Michael J. Boyle, Ph.D., Director
Serving Students with Disabilities
in Catholic Schools
Michael J. Boyle, Ph.D., Director
Andrew M. Greeley Center for Catholic Education
School of Education
Loyola University Chicago
@mjboyle3