New Ways of Thinking About Inclusion

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New Ways of Thinking About Inclusion

• What does the research say about inclusion?
• How do we define it?
• What are the defining features?
• What does high quality inclusion look like?

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What Does Research Say About Inclusion?
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• Universal access to quality inclusion is far
  from a reality

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• Inclusion takes many different forms.

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• Inclusion can benefit children with AND without
  disabilities, particularly in social competence
  with peers

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• A variety of factors such as policies,
  resources, and beliefs influence the acceptance
  and implementation of inclusion.

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• Specialized instruction is
• an important component
• of inclusion and a
• factor affecting child
• outcomes.

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• Collaboration among parents, teachers, and
  specialists is a cornerstone of high quality
  inclusion.

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• Some evidence suggests
• that early childhood
• professionals may not be
• adequately prepared
• to serve young children
• with disabilities enrolled
• in inclusive programs.

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• A high quality early childhood
• program is not necessarily the
• same thing as a high quality
• inclusive early childhood
• program.

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Defining Inclusion
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Definition

• Early childhood inclusion embodies the values,
  policies, and practices that support the right of
  every infant and young child and his or her
  family, regardless of ability, to participate in
  a broad range of activities and contexts as full
  members of families, communities, and society.
  The desired results of inclusive experiences for
  children with and without disabilities and their
  families include a sense of belonging and
  membership, positive social relationships and
  friendships, and development and learning to
  reach their full potential. The defining features
  of inclusion that can be used to identify high
  quality early childhood programs and services are
  access, participation, and supports.

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Defining Features

• Access means providing a wide range of
  activities and environments for every child by
  removing physical barriers and offering multiple
  ways to promote learning and development.

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Defining Features

• Participation means using a range of
  instructional approaches to promote engagement in
  play and learning activities, and a sense of
  belonging for every child.

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Defining Features

• Supports refer to broader aspects of the
  system such as professional development,
  incentives for inclusion, and opportunities for
  communication and collaboration among families
  and professionals to assure high quality
  inclusion.

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How could you use the definition and position
statement to . . .

• Create high expectations for every child to reach
  his or her full potential?
• Develop a program philosophy on inclusion?
• Establish a system of services and supports?
• To guide your professional development efforts?

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What does evidence-based practice (EBP) mean?
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• A decision-making process that integrates the
  best available research evidence with family
  professional wisdom values

identifying specific research-based practices
that have been validated through a rigorous
review process
Buysse Wesley, 2006 Buysse, Wesley, Snyder,
Winton, 2006
Odom, Brantlinger, Gersten, Horner, Thompson,
Harris, 2005
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A partnership between
Funded by
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CONNECT TEAM
Beth Caron Office of Special Education Programs
CONNECT
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From Platitudes to Practices Evidence-based
Options

• Embedded Instruction
• Environmental Modification
• Altering or arranging the classroom, home, or
  community environment to promote participation,
  engagement, and learning
• Peer Support
• Enlisting peers to help children reach goals and
  participate fully and meaningfully in the
  classroom, home, or community

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Integrating Therapies into Classroom Routines
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Song of our Children
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A child might view quality inclusion as . . .

• Do I usually feel welcome rather than captured?
• Do I feel that I belong or am I just one of the
  crowd?
• Am I usually addressed seriously and
  respectfully, rather than as someone who is
  "precious" or "cute"?
• Do I find most of the activities engaging,
  absorbing, and challenging rather than just
  entertaining or exciting?
• Do I find most of the experiences meaningful,
  rather than frivolous or boring?
• Am I usually glad to be here, rather than eager
  to leave?

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What Does Research Say About Professional
Development?
Workshops are not effective for building skills
(Fixsen et al, 2005) A recent survey of Part C
and 619 Coordinators indicated that workshops
were primary mode for delivering training and
technical assistance (Bruder et al, 2009)
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Effective Professional Development

• is grounded in specific practice-focused
  content.
• is intense, sustained over time
• is organized around a sequenced approach to
  learning
• emphasizes application to real life situations
• builds on learners current level of
  understanding
• includes guidance and feedback to the learner
• is aligned with instructional goals, learning
  standards, and curriculum materials

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What is Professional Development?
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New Ways of Thinking About Professional
Development

• Forms of Professional Development
• Training
• Technical Assistance
• Mentoring
• Coaching
• Consultation
• Community of Practice

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NPDCI Definition of Professional Development

• Professional development is facilitated
  teaching and learning experiences that are
  transactional and designed to support the
  acquisition of professional knowledge, skills,
  and dispositions as well as the application of
  this knowledge in practice..

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Definition (continued)

• The key components of professional development
  include
• characteristics and contexts of the learners
  (i.e., the who )
• content (i.e., the what of professional
  development) and
• organization and facilitation of learning
  experiences (i.e., the how).

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NPDCI Conceptual Framework for Professional
Development
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To Increase Opportunities for Inclusion, Who
Needs Professional Development?
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Higher Education
Early Care Education
Pre-K
The Who
Health Education Specialists
Head Start
Early Childhood Special Education
Early Intervention
Families
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Implications

• Early childhood practitioners and the
• professional development providers who
• support them represent a variety of
• backgrounds, disciplines and perspectives.
• Who currently benefits from PD?
• Who doesnt?
• Which groups of PD providers are
• currently benefiting from PD?
• Which arent?

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To Increase Opportunities for Inclusion, What
Will Personnel Need to Know and Be Able to Do?
Individualize and embed instruction?

• Collaborate effectively with specialists?

Use evidence-based practices?
Address attitudes toward inclusion?
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WHAT Else Should Guide the Content of
Professional Development?
National Boards for Professional Teaching
Standards for early childhood/generalist (NBPTS)

• NAEYC
• CDA Credential

State Standards Licensure
State and National Competencies
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Implications

• There are many aspects to what practitioners and
  PD providers should know and be able to do to
  implement effective inclusive practices.
• What will drive decisions about the focus and
  content of professional development in these
  areas?

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HOW is Professional Development Currently
Provided?

• A recent survey of Part C and 619 Coordinators
  indicated that workshops were primary mode for
  delivering training and technical assistance2

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Consultation
Coaching
Mentoring
Communities of Practice
The How
Coursework Practica
Workshops
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Effective Professional Development

• is grounded in specific practice-focused
  content.
• is intense, sustained over time
• is organized around a sequenced approach to
  learning
• emphasizes application to real life situations
• builds on learners current level of
  understanding
• includes guidance and feedback to the learner
• is aligned with instructional goals, learning
  standards, and curriculum materials
• (Bransford, Brown, Cocking, 19991 Trivette,
  200511 Whitehurst, 200212 Winton, 200613)

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Proximity of Influence and Support
Professional Development Providers
Practitioners
Family
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Conceptualizing PD Whats Your Focus?
1-2-3 Guide
EBP
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role playing field application case studies
guided reflection self-analysis clinical
supervision
Attitudes, values
guided reflection follow-up plans coaching
role playing field application
Skill
Desired impact (learning outcomes from low to
high)
demonstration observation interviewing problem
solving brainstorming discussion
reading lecture
Knowledge
reading lecture
Awareness
Low
High
Complexity of synthesis and application required
A model for matching training approach to desired
training outcomes and complexity of application.
(Adapted from Harris 1980.)4
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Cross-Sector Collaboration
A commitment to work together across clearly
recognizable sectors or subsystems to address a
problem and achieve a goal that could not be
accomplished by the organizations working
individually (Mattesich, Murray-Close,
Monsey, 2004)
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Georgias Regional Early Childhood Professional
Development Teams Putting It All Together

• Multiple disciplines and perspectives
• Multiple systems and sectors
• Multiple whos, whats, and hows
• Multiple sources for
• research and wisdom