Case Studies of Four Integrated Schools In Hong Kong

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Case Studies of Four Integrated Schools In Hong
Kong
Mr Chris Dowson Dr Vivian Heung Dr Ho Fuk
Chuen Mrs. Angelina Hon Dr Philip Hui Dr Pattie
Luk Dr Kenneth Sin Mrs. Ellen Yip Dr Celeste
Yuen Ms Wing Liu Ms Alice Chan Ka Bo
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Overview

• Background
• Methodology
• The four schools and the barriers
• The Cross Analysis
• Best practices
• Recommendations

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Total Schools with Integrated Education
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Background

• Integration has had slow beginning in Hong Kong.
• A recent increase in the number of schools taking
  up integration.
• There was little in-depth information about how
  schools became integrated, what the barriers
  were, and how they might be overcome.
• In 2000, the Support Group on Integrated
  Education (SGIE) commissioned a study of the
  integration process. It was conducted by the
  Centre for Special Needs and Studies in Inclusive
  Education (CSNSIE) of the Hong Kong Institute of
  Education, (HKIEd).

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Research Questions addressed-

• Co-teaching
• Social interaction
• Family Involvement
• Whole school Approach
• Educational needs of teachers

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Methodology of StudyGroup and individual
interviews were used, and included teachers,
parents, students, principals, teacher
assistants, school guidance teachers, and social
workers.Class and playground observations were
conducted.Open-ended questionnaires were given
to all staff. School documents, proposals,
minutes and handbooks were collected if
available.
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• Method - Selection of Schools
• 44 integrating schools were approached as to
  whether they would be willing to be involved as
  the subjects for case studies.
• Final selection of four schools that included
• a secondary school and primary schools
• a government and government-aided school
• a whole day, and one morning session school
• a range in the year of joining the scheme and,
• a range of disabilities within schools such as
  hearing impairment, autism with average
  intelligence, and mild grade intellectual
  disability.

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Findings at Four Schools

•  School C
• One year of preparation - Agreement on trying
  integration. Smoother implementation
• Role of the principal crucial.
• Teachers told - new orientation - new ways of
  teaching - The trend toward integrated education,
  Disability Discrimination Ordinance and equity
  in society as reasons for change.
• The school observed and had interviews with all
  applicants with disabilities and their parents.
  A team to organize all activities relating to
  the integration scheme

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• In co-teaching compatibility is important.
• Equal access to the curriculum for students with
  allowance for ability and support.
• Teachers paid equal attention to all students.
• Students with disabilities were supported with
  learning-strengthening hours.
• Programs in school that promote student
  interaction such as the Good Heart Ambassador
  Scheme and the Buddy system. The school
  collaborated in a project, with the Department of
  Social Work and Social Administration, the
  University of Hong Kong.

10

• When teasing occurred, a few minutes in each
  lesson was given over to discussions on
  differences.
• Integrated education is regarded as a matter for
  the whole school, and the responsibility of
  taking care of students with disabilities was
  shared by all teachers.
• Issues of integrated education were brought to
  the Parent-Teacher Association meetings.
• A booklet made by the school on integration was
  available to teachers and parents.
• The principal was very open to different opinions
  and the atmosphere of integration was very strong
  at the school.

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Barriers in School C

• In co-teaching some initial embarrassment, more
  preparation work needed and meeting times.
• Only done in some Chinese, English and
  Mathematics lessons - insufficient resources.
• Need for full transition plans to other classes
  and to secondary schools.
• Lack of education on students with disabilities
  at the teacher, principal and teacher assistant
  level.
• Parents also in need of training in how to
  support their children and expectations - some
  could not accept tailored curriculum.
• Lack of support in funding and services.

12

• School A
• Teaching ,learning and integration were made key
  focus areas.
• Parents actively involved and listened to,
  feedback acted on.
• Teachers felt it was important to have extra
  resources, particularly extra personnel.
• Parents, teachers, resource teachers, SGTs and
  psychologists worked very closely and
  co-operatively.
• Through participation in teaching or helping,
  attitudes about integration changed.

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• Integration changed the school culture.
• Teachers became more enthusiastic,
• used a more measured pace,
• more participation,
• tailored teaching materials,
• used more visual methods,
• used more positive reinforcement,
• were more sensitive,
• more diverse in teaching and assessment,
• made teaching resources and
• interaction between teachers, parents and
  students increased.
• All students received greater attention and
  disciplinary problems declined.

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Giving all students equal individual support
increased independence and self-help.In-school
seminars about integration and its implementation
were valuedParent help in the classroom was
useful to the teacher, and parents became more
confident.All students were contacting each
other through telephone calls.
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• The school adopted a policy of changing the
  teachers of classes with students with
  disabilities each year and more teachers and
  students learned about supporting.
• Teaching material was tailored by teacher
  assistants and there was effective use of
  facilities, e.g. power point, transparencies, and
  enlarged pictures.
• All students interacted during assemblies,
  recesses and school arrival and departure and
  extra-curricular activities

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Barriers identified in School AInsufficient
initial consultation - staff anxious in the
early stages and implementation less
smooth.Parents of students without disabilities
- initial concerns about challenging behaviours,
lack of resources and diverting of the teachers
attention from students without disabilities.In
co-teaching concern from the subject teachers
about having the resource teacher in the
classroom, and a need for more on-going
communication, role clarification, consensus and
collaboration.A need for professional
development in areas such as knowledge of special
education, managing needs, working with parents,
curriculum tailoring, behaviour management and
good practices.
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School B

• Long and comprehensive consulting period with all
  parties prior to implementation through the
  Parent Teacher Association, a questionnaire and
  informal meetings smoother implementation.
• The school invited representatives from the
  Education Department, the Equal Opportunities
  Commission, and the Support Group on Integrated
  Education to talk to staff.
• A questionnaire on parents views regarding
  integration
• was conducted.

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The principal arranged a series of training
activities - included an introduction to the new
trends and strategies in integrated education,
whole school approach, handling challenging
behaviours and co-teaching. Experience sharing
through on-going informal communication took
place and senior staff members took up the role
of mentor for more junior staff. Teachers found
co-teaching useful for conducting activities,
individualized teaching and giving support.
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• As well as co-teaching, the resource teacher
  gave small group tutoring sessions for students
  with disabilities before or after school
  everyday.
• No separate curriculum for students with
  disabilities.
• School activities, such as English day, involved
  all students.  

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Barriers in School BInitially some parents
wondered about the effectiveness of integration
and worried that the learning pace of all
students would be slowed down. Because of
limited resources, only some English, Chinese and
Mathematics lessons could be conducted in a
co-teaching mode.Lack of training in special
education for regular teachers.Teachers might
give priority to areas for working with students
with disabilities such as curriculum planning,
classroom activities, behaviour and crisis
management and contingency plans and neglect
students without disabilities.
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School D

• Early briefing and discussion led to parent
  support, teachers needed to be consulted more.
• Teachers used different ways to gain the support
  of their classes, e.g. discussion of needs,
  opportunity education
• Staff viewed IE as acceptance and integration
  into society.
• RT with experience, and opportunities for further
  training were seen as good strategies.
• Immediate counselling and behaviour support an
  important role, plus identification of receptive
  teachers and parental contact.
• Placement in high ability classes for two years,
  taking part in extra-curricular activities, using
  same curriculum and same examinations.

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There were case conferences on challenging
behaviours.A Big sister-Big brother scheme,
asking students in higher forms to help the
students with disabilities was implemented.Alter
native ways to co-teaching were individual
counselling and behaviour intervention peer
support intensive remedial help, communication
with colleagues on instructional strategies, and
between resource teachers and parents.Family
involvement through frequent contacts and
home-school cooperation, and teachers meeting the
parents through individual interviews.Supportive
strategies include Celebrating achievements
sharing views, developing mutual respect and
confidence, establishing decision-making,
providing feedback integration.
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Barriers identified in School D

• Teachers felt they needed to know who the
  students with disabilities were and how to
  support them
• Need for more formal and informal contact with
  parents.
• Difficulty developing co-teaching as staff did
  not recognize the need for, or effectiveness of
  co-teaching felt it took more time for planning
  and evaluation felt colleagues might be uneasy
  in a co-teaching setting and considered in-class
  support was just for behaviour intervention.
• Some bullying and teasing occurred, although
  staff thought it was a good opportunity to
  educate all students for better self-control.
• Teachers felt they needed more training
  opportunities in handling students with
  disabilities in terms of sex education,
  understanding special needs, promoting positive
  behaviour, counselling skills and teaching
  strategies.

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Cross AnalysisIn analysing the four schools,
the framework of the research questions was used
and other areas that are of relevance to
each research question were addressed. It is
interesting that the processes of integration are
markedly different for each of the schools in
the case study. There were for example varying
degrees of consultation and consensus prior and
after implementation in all schools. Some
schools took an emergent approach, allowing
integration to establish itself as it went
along, dealing with difficulties as they arose.
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• Each school pursued integration according to its
  management,culture and beliefs.
• All schools in the study were operating at
  different levels of integration, and as might be
  expected those schools that carried out more
  discussion, preparation and consultation appear
  to be more established as integrated schools.
  Their pathway to integration appears to have been
  easier, as there were fewer barriers to overcome,
  as well.

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Best PracticesGood practices can enhance or
facilitate the integration process at the
school, classroom and key player role level.
There was a natural clustering of individual
best practices and they represent some of the
overall important areas for consideration in
implementing/developing quality education through
integration. In many cases these good practices
are specific to the context of a particular
school. They should be seen in the light that
application to a new context should be considered
with great care and caution.
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School LevelThe principals role in
preparation work, making an early start prior to
implementation, with frequent meetings, and
putting emphasis on integration through making it
a key development for the school is noted.
Professional development seminars for staff on
integration and supporting students with
disabilities are essential. Support must be
given to the resource teacher to facilitate
integration.A team approach, shared the
responsibility across the whole school coupled
with effective leadership practices, (part of the
whole school approach), contributed greatly to
integration.
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• School policies - the development of a
  collaborative school mission statement
  objectives and school values are essential.
• Teachers can lead the way for those unwilling to
  have students with disabilities in their classes
  and through activities that increase exposure and
  informal discussion among staff bring about
  changes in attitudes about integration.
• Supportive policies from the Education
  Department, and policies that support the efforts
  and commitment of the whole school all contribute
  to good integration.
• Changing the class teachers of classes with
  students with disabilities each year so that
  every teacher has a chance to teach integrated
  classes facilitated teachers and students
  acceptance of students with disabilities.

29
The placement policy of putting a few students
with disabilities in the same regular class is
reported to help students with disabilities
adjust. Such policies need to be carefully
followed, as the sub-group of students with
disabilities formed may decrease their need for
interaction with students without disabilities.
There are good reasons of efficiency and
effective use of the resource teachers time that
support the placement of a few students with
disabilities in the same regular class.However
this needs deliberate efforts to ensure that all
students are integrating with each other.
30
Timetable formation arrangements can facilitate
opportunities for a resource teacher to offer
immediate in-class supportSchool policies can
give clear guidance. For example the selection
criteria for integrated education applicants.
A policy that maximizes integration for
students with and without disabilities through
equal treatment from teachers, yet meets the
educational needs for students with disabilities
supports integration. Treating all parents the
same sends a message of equity in the contact
between teachers and parents of children with and
without disabilities.
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Addressing initial worries through practical
suggestions, advice, regular meetings for sharing
and consultation is vital. A pro-active
approach to preparation for integration as
adopted by schools avoided a lot of the barriers
that can arise.The implementation and
functioning of integration is essentially a
pragmatic process and teachers want a range of
practical solutions and ideas.Sharing, good
communication channels and a support network are
valued by teachers. Extra-curricular activities
are excellent ways of an informal yet powerful
form of integration. Such integration activities
should be well planned and not left to chance.
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School CultureIntegration can be initiated in a
top-down manner. However it may then be seen as
too challenging by teachers. Parents of
students without disabilities may be anxious
about the impact of integration and the initial
preparation may be difficult. In an effort to
explore ways to respond to this, the whole school
has to work together, and this fosters unity and
cohesion.
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A Whole School Approach generates positive
outcomes that include An open attitude and the
willingness to change, A valuing of equal
opportunities in education A sharing of
experience, teaching methods and other resources.
A caring atmosphere in school and a mutual
acceptance of students with different abilities.
This more bottom-up approach which involves
more consultation, communication and involvement
in decision-making within a school, will develop
an earlier and higher level of commitment.
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Meetings and visits from outside people can help,
as well as discussion on Hong Kong legislation
(Disability Discrimination Ordinance), overseas
trends, education reform, and changes in Hong
Kong society. A school mission statement that
reflects equity and integration, teacher
modelling of these, and relationship to
citizenship education, will all support
integration. Some teachers working with
students with disabilities feel they have become
better teachers through requiring a more flexible
approach, more interactive teaching, more
creativity, and more sensitivity to students
needs. These quality education items should be
part of any school culture. 
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 Co-teaching was found to be effective in
facilitating full participation of all students.
Teachers found that it enhanced the learning of
all students experiencing difficulties,
particularly in the basic skills. It also
helped to increase the confidence of all students
who were experiencing difficulties in social
interaction and independent learning.
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• Some schools took a flexible, experimental
  approach to implementing co-teaching so as to
  establish which form of co-teaching worked best
  for them.
• Some schools paid special attention to timetable
  arrangements to ensure that the resources of
  teachers could be utilized to the full.
• The coping strategies found to be effective
  include restricting co-teaching lessons to the
  basic subjects and providing assistance in
  behaviour management in subjects such as PE and
  Art.

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With co-teaching, teachers felt they could
secure more support in adopting a range of
instructional strategies. One teaching-one
assisting, was the most popular approach adopted
and it worked well if there was good
collaboration between the resource teacher and
the subject teachers. Teachers shared the
workload of marking and planning. For
co-teaching to succeed, good communication and
mutual understanding between the partners were
crucial. Strong leadership in establishing and
legitimising co-teaching in the school,
structured planning time for co-teaching, and
team building were key factors.
38
Useful teaching methods

• A range of teaching methods and approaches was
  found to be useful in integrated classrooms.
• These include the use of multi-sensory
  approaches, an interactive style and visual
  presentation of materials. A more measured pace
  in teaching, showing tolerance, and creating more
  participation opportunities were found to be
  helpful to students with disabilities as well as
  students without disabilities.
• Special seating arrangements were helpful to
  increase the integration of students with
  disabilities. Use of positive reinforcement
  promoted learning, socialization and encouraged
  desirable behaviours.

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Peer support Most schools were successful in
finding ways to solicit peer support for
integration. More structured efforts included the
design of a buddy system, a Good heart Angel
Scheme and a Student Ambassador Scheme. These
schemes helped students to show care and support
for others. Changes in peer attitude and peer
support were identified. Learning support Some
schools arrange special sessions for enhanced
teaching for students with disabilities before or
after school. Such individual training was found
to be very useful in helping their academic
progress.
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Curriculum tailoring

• The experience of teachers indicated that
  curriculum adaptation was important in meeting
  the needs of students with disabilities.
• The cooperation of parents was important in
  curriculum tailoring, as some parents were
  anxious because their children were not following
  the mainstream curriculum.
• In informal curriculum and extra-curricular
  activities, schools had made good efforts in
  encouraging participation.
• A good practice for integration is to ensure
  that ALL students have equal access to the formal
  and informal curriculum.

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Resource Teachers
An experienced teacher with a background in
special education is considered suitable for the
role of the resource teacher. The skills of
communication, collaboration and empowerment of
teachers are essential. Other aspects include
leadership, credibility, assertiveness and the
ability to educate others. Clear role
definition, responsibilities and support from
leaders are important. The role includes
overseeing day-to-day operations, coordinating,
liaising with and advising fellow teachers,
parents and others , skills of counselling and
support. Resource teachers work effectively
with parents of students with disabilities
through discussion, demonstration, short courses,
clarification and cooperation.
42
Classroom teachersThrough working in the
classroom and informal contact teachers become
more confident, tolerant, patient and able to
work with students with mixed abilities. There
are constructive transformations in their
teaching such as a more measured pace of
teaching, more participation, tailoring of
teaching materials, more visual support, and
significantly, more use of positive
reinforcement. Teachers need to have contact
with resource teachers through activities such
as, short conversations before or after lessons,
case conferences, some small group teacher
meetings, to exchange information about the
status of students with disabilities and
discussion of remedial plans.
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• Teaching Assistants
• Teacher assistants are important for support.
  They need adequate education in aspects such as
  working with others, managing and supporting
  students with disabilities. The role of the
  teacher assistant should be broad and flexible so
  as the classroom teacher can employ them in ways
  that each individual classroom teacher finds
  supportive.
• Principals
• Principals that exhibit good leadership and a
  commitment are crucial to integration Leadership
  in integration involves inspiring and
  encouraging staff, believing in integration,
  having effective two-way communication and
  consultation with staff and parents, dealing with
  barriers and problems, supporting staff, leading
  by example and as far as possible engaging in
  joint decision-making.

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School Guidance Officers/ Social workers School
guidance officers and social workers work in
schools on a part-time basis, (some social
workers are full time), and have the specific
role of working with all students on their
caseloads on a one-by-one basis who need
counselling and guidance in areas such as
motivation and behaviour.They also work with the
parents of these students. There are some
students with disabilities who are on the
caseloads of school guidance teachers and social
workers so they need to liaise closely with
resource teachers and visiting professionals
through case conferencing, Individual Education
Plan construction, and by regular
discussion/written communication, to avoid
fragmentation.
45

• School guidance teachers and social workers play
  an important role in training students without
  disabilities to work as peer support in social
  support schemes such as Student Ambassador
  schemes.
• School guidance teachers and social workers are
  aware of the need for teachers within the bounds
  of confidentiality, to know of the support that
  students on their caseload are receiving, and
  this type of disclosure represents good Whole
  School Approach.

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• Education Department
• The Education Department supplies funding and
  encourages schools to become integrated schools.
  One school head expressed the view that all
  schools should be better informed through
  publicity of the process of beginning to become
  an integrated school.
• The Education Department offers in-service
  training courses for teachers working in
  integrated settings, and the view was expressed
  by some teachers that these were useful, but
  should be more practically orientated. The
  Education Department has resources such as videos
  available, and there is a website entitled the
  Special Education Resource Centre that has
  useful information.

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CommunitySchools can form partnerships with
professionals and institutions for collaborative
projects. For example, in a project, entitled I
can do it as well with the Department of Social
Work and Social Administration, the University of
Hong Kong, one instructor and ten social work
students came to a school every Friday.Students
with disabilities and students with poor
self-care and social skills were recruited as
group members. The school will ask for the
project to run again. Good networking and close
contact with different bodies is useful, as it
calls on expertise and adds to staff motivation.
48

• Family involvement
• Schools recognized the involvement of parents in
  integration. Some ways of parental involvement
• The use of parents for in-class supportive roles
  during regular lessons and additional tutoring
  sessions.
• Parents act as volunteers at lunch break and
  school activities.
• Home-school diaries used for learning, dialogue
  and encouragement
• Frequent informal meetings at drop off and pick
  up times.
• Involvement of parents through the Parent Teacher
  Association and social events.
• A partnership between staff and family is crucial
  in terms of effectiveness and maintenance of any
  learning that has taken place both inside and
  outside of the classroom.

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Conclusions and Recommendations

• Integration is increasing rapidly, and should
  not be unplanned and haphazard. This study has
  much to offer schools moving toward integration.
• When schools do Integrated Education well, ALL
  students receive quality education.
• A sizable proportion of students with
  disabilities are in Integrated Education schools,
  it has taken 30 years
• This study raises a call for more commitment from
  government education services such as the
  Education Department for the support and
  implementation of integration policy, as there is
  still a lack of understanding and concern about
  resources in the community and in schools about
  Integrated Education.

50

Parents should have choice about where they send
their children to school. Whether that choice is
a special education service/ facility, or a local
school, quality education should be the prime
consideration. It is recommended that in line
with Education Commissions Blueprint for the
21st Century, the Hong Kong Government should
vigorously continue progressive and enlightened
support for the policy of Integrated Education in
Hong Kong schools.
51
 The Role of the Education Department Teachers
expressed concern about low levels of support
from professionals such as educational
psychologists and special education services,
insufficient in-service teacher education on
integration. Schools were also concerned about
the situation with student matching, follow up,
and allocation of student numbers.It is
recommended that the Education Department make
more Educational Psychologists available to
teachers in Integrated Education schools,
initiate more collaboration between special
schools and integrated schools and provide more
in-service courses on integration.It is
recommended that the Education Department arrange
more follow up on students, re-assess the
matching process and re-examine the student
allocation/funding system.
52
Whole School Approach

• The Whole School Approach (WSA) continues to
  represent the best way to implement or support
  the integration process. Schools could look at
  their level of WSA with a consideration of
  raising it through a set of indicators.
• It is recommended that the following aspects of
  WSA are examined and aspiration to WSA is clearly
  written into school policy with a view to raising
  the level of WSA in the school
• Effective leadership, by the principal and
  within the school.
• Involvement of staff, students, parents and
  community in school policies and decisions.
• A commitment to collaborative planning. 
• Effective coordination strategies. 
• Attention to the potential benefits of equity.
•   A policy for staff development 

53
 

• School leaders should grab every chance to
  promote integration and equip staff with
  favourable attitudes towards others, parent
  involvement, and integration.It is recommended
  that institutions that run professional
  development programmes for principals should
  incorporate discussion on management in
  integrated schools.  The schools mission,
  objectives, and priorities should be developed
  and/or explicated constantly so that all school
  members are aware and part of the commitment of
  the school toward integration in aspects such as
  equal opportunity and a caring and accepting
  environment. It is recommended that the whole
  staff of schools develop a mission statement, set
  of objectives and priorities for integration.

54
Early preparation staff and parent well prepared
with frequent meetings It is recommended that
preparation for implementation of integration
begins well before instigation, with frequent
meetings and forums with stakeholders.It is
recommended that schools should prepare a
handbook with information about integration for
teachers and parents, and ensure that an
orientation programme for new teachers addresses
integration fully.
55
  

• Good channels of communication through open
  discussion and regular meetings targeting
  integration goes hand in hand with a good WSA
  approach.
• It is recommended that schools should stimulate
  regular sharing meeting to share strategies for
  working with all students.
• It is recommended that schools have a management
  team to facilitate the implementation of
  integration and address issues such as
  preparation time for teachers to conduct joint
  planning ensure timetables allow personnel such
  as RTs to support teachers.

56
Schools should develop Individual Education Plans
(IEPs), as part of a Whole School Approach. It
is recommended that schools set up a group to
establish an IEP procedure and format, and this
group prepares and supports IEP writing
teams.Schools should have a transition plan to
support students when changes are made from class
to class, or from school to school.It is
recommended that schools produce a format for a
transition plan for use when students change
classes or schools
57
 

• Exposure helps teachers to support students with
  learning disabilities, and this can be achieved
  by giving teachers opportunities to have a range
  of classes.
• It is recommended that schools consider rotating
  classroom teachers around classes from year to
  year so that each teacher gains experience.

58
 

• Teacher Education
• Obviously, integration is a trend for all
  schools. All teachers should be ready for
  teaching in integrated settings. The trend toward
  integration calls for further research and more
  development of Integrated Education in Hong Kong
• It is recommended that providers of programmes
  for in-service and pre-service teacher education
  re-examine their existing expertise and ensure
  that all teacher programmes prepare current and
  future teachers for working in integrated
  settings.
• It is recommended that further research on the
  development of integration policy and the
  improvement of practices in integrated classrooms
  is conducted, for example case studies of
  students passing through integrated settings from
  kindergarten to tertiary level education.

59

There is a clear need for teacher education on
practical issues in the integrated classroom.
Schools can develop school-based workshops and
programmes in collaboration with teacher
education institutes designed to meet teachers
practical needs. It is recommended that schools
develop school-based workshops and small courses
and longer programmes with teacher education
institutions that meet the practical needs of
teachers.Content of the courses should be based
on the actual needs of the teachers. Some
examples of emergent specific content items in
this study were Working with parents,
co-teaching, cooperative learning, curriculum
adaptation, managing behaviours, understanding
disabilities, interactive and supportive
teaching, and teaching beyond the textbook. It
is recommended that resource teachers and members
of the integration team take priority in
attending courses that enhance their skills.
60
Social InteractionSchools need to be encouraged
to implement, maintain or expand pro-active
socialization plans such as the Student
Ambassador, Big Brother, Big Sister, Love and
Care scheme.Teachers need to prepare classes for
integration by educating them on equity and care
for others. Students with negative attitudes,
those engaging in teasing, need extra support
through guidance and counselling.It is
recommended that schools instigate and maintain
well-prepared social interaction schemes.
  Encouragement of students to take part in
informal socialization through extra-curricular
activities should be noted as a significant
action.It is recommended that schools ensure
provision is made for the active involvement of
all in extra-curricular activities and other
informal activities.
61

• Family Involvement
• Family/parent involvement through involvement in
  the integration process and sharing with teachers
  and school staff will strengthen the education
  process for all students.
• It is recommended that schools maintain focus on
  family involvement through early consultation and
  by maximising every opportunity to engage them in
  the integration process and in particular, class
  and school activities.
• Parents and family members have much to offer to
  schools in supporting the teaching of all
  students. Every effort should be made, and every
  opportunity taken to involve them in classroom
  supportive roles and collaboration.
• It is recommended that school mission
  statements, objectives and values are written to
  emphasise family involvement, and in-service
  training addresses ways of involving families
  with the school.

62
In addition schools need to support parents and
family members by guiding and counselling them on
appropriate practices in the home. This can be
achieved through short, practical programmes
involving school personnel, psychologists and
school guidance/social workers. It is
recommended that in conjunction with other
agencies, schools conduct short courses on
practices that help parents support their
children in the home, and support learning in the
school.
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Co-teachingIt is recommended that all teachers
in co-teaching should be equipped through teacher
education with the necessary knowledge and skills
and consider the use of more than one mode of
co-teaching. It is recommended that schools
carry out co-teaching with careful planning and
effective strategies. For example, identifying
partners for co-teaching, and timetabling to
allow for co-teaching. It is recommended that
the resource teacher should look carefully at the
roles in co-teaching and should not just use one
mode of co-teaching at all stages of teaching.
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Resource Teachers

• Integration involved a wide range of school
  activities, such as management, teaching,
  school-family relationships.
• It is recommended that given the
  responsibilities and duties of the position,
  resource teachers should hold a higher rank.
• It is recommended that a specific training
  program should be offered to all serving and
  prospective resource teachers.
• Resource teachers need to be involved in regular
  teaching so as to have credibility and
  collegiality with regular teachers and all
  students.
• It is recommended that resource teachers should
  share teaching roles, not just assist the subject
  teachers during co-teaching. 

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Resource teachers need to have a clearly defined
set of roles, skills, collaboration, external
support and contingency plans to support regular
teachers. Resource teachers should be key
personnel involved in setting out these
strategies.It is recommended that school
leaders and management should work with resource
teachers to define clearly the roles and
activities that resource teachers should engage
in.It is recommended that funding for extra
personnel, such as resource teachers, (and where
appropriate), teaching assistants should be
sought to enhance integration and ensure that
learning is maximized for all in non-academic
subject areas.
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• Thank you for listening !