Building Inclusive Systems

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Building Inclusive Systems

• Colorado Springs School District 11
• Leah Bitat and Dr. Lisa Dieker

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Why are we talking about Inclusive Practices?

• Everyones achievement rises
• Kids feel accepted.
• Kids learn to accept each others differences.
• Kids learn to get along with each other.
• Kids have more self-esteem.
• Kids are more independent.
• Supports are adjusted to meet their needs.
• Kids learn from each other, learn more and spend
  more time learning.

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Bottom Line?

• Law Highly Qualified requirements
• Law RTI
• Law LRE
• Law Indicator 13

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The Law is Clear

• Kids have to work their way down to more
  segregated settings . . .
• . . . NOT earn their way up to inclusion.

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Inclusive Education is NOT

• Dumping kids with disabilities into gen ed
  classrooms without the supports and services they
  need to be successful.
• Cutting back SpEd services as a trade off for
  inclusion
• Sacrificing the education of kids without
  disabilities so kids with disabilities can be
  included.

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Inclusive Education is an Attitude

• It means the doors to schools, classrooms and
  school activities are open to every child.
• They are afforded every opportunity to be
  included with their non-disabled peers
• The focus is on giving every child the help s/he
  needs to learn.

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Cooperative Teaching
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INSERT TEACHERS LOUNGE CARTOON
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Classroom Roles for Special Educators

• Families/Teams
• Co-Teaching
• Support Teaching Period
• Itinerant Teacher

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Family Structure of Co-Teaching
Monday Math
Tuesday Science
Wednesday Soc. Studies
Thursday Lang. Arts
Friday was left open for trouble shooting,
planning and IEP meetings.
Special Educators Classroom
Behavior Area
Academic Area
Handout Page 6
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Types of Co-Teaching
Consider using Co-Planner

• One Teacher Lead, One Teacher Support
• Station Teaching
• Parallel Teaching
• Alternative Teaching
• Team Teaching

Handout Page 8
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One Teacher Lead, One Support

• Lead teacher
• Support teacher
• Little planning
• (Cook Friend, 1993)

Handout Page 8
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Station Teaching
Station Teaching

• Divide content
• Share but separate responsibilities

Handout Page 8
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Parallel Teaching

• Same content
• Deliver instruction to half the class
• Joint planning

Handout Page 8
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Alternative Teaching

• One large group, one small
• Small group preteaches, reinforces or reteaches
  large group
• Joint planning

Handout Page 8
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Team Teaching

• Shared instruction
• Coordinated activities in one lesson
• Mutual trust and commitment
• Co-planning

Handout Page 8
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Tips for Successful Co-Teaching(contd)

• Special and General Educator
• Share responsibility for class and students
• Make planning a priority (10 minutes)
• Look for success not only in academic gains. Take
  data
• Behavioral
• Social
• Work habits

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When you have planning time What do you do?

• Prior to the start of the semester finalize how
  you will deal with grading, behavior, parents and
  assessments (Send letter to parents).
• Spend 10 minutes for each lesson on
• Goal or Big Idea
• Co-Teaching Type
• Instructional Methods
• Do not focus on child-specific issues

Handout Page 10
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Co-Planning Template
Co-Planning Template
Page 1 General Educator
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Co-Planning Template (contd)
Page 2 Special Educator
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What Is the Gen Ed Class Learning?

• How do the IEP goals fit into the general
  curriculum?
• Goals may be different but need to be related
  (like learning to recognize a triangle when
  others are learning the angles in a triangle)
• The student may need to be taught in a different
  way
• The student may need to work in a different way
  (like using a computer instead of pencil and
  paper)

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Tips for Successful Co-Teaching

• Administrators
• Expect Problems
• Praise Success
• Never Force a Relationship

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Administrators and Teachers

• Evaluate the process (regular schedule)
• Make changes when it is not working
• Ask 2 simple questions
• Is what we are doing good for all students?
• Is what we are doing good for both of us?

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Practical Considerations

• Set up a meeting schedule to discuss bumps
• Set up parent info meetings to discuss changes
• Review student IEP service pages if the
  schedule is written on the service page
  anticipate necessary changes

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Overcoming Barriers

• Schedule students with special needs first
• Consistent school-wide discipline policy
• Consistent school-wide make-up policy
• Find ways to acknowledge students - to the office
  or on a roll

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Two Excellent Websites

• www.powerof2.org
• www.specialconnections.ku.edu

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Additional Resources

• New book and Video - Secondary Inclusion
• http//www.nprinc.com
• 8 weeks science lessons grades 6-12 with built in
  academic and behavioral accommodations
• www.uwm.edu/caberg/access
• Universal Design for Learning
• www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/