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Your Students,

My Students,

Our Students

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Hello! We are...

Heidi Farmer, MTSS Coach @ ESU 6

Holli Lovegrove, Student Services Supervisor @ ESU 6

Michele Rayburn, Student Services Director @ ESU 6

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Inclusion True or False

Some people are not candidates for inclusion due to the nature of their disabilities.

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Use Zoom polls for true/false: https://prntexas.org/5-myths-facts-about-inclusion/

Some people are not candidates for inclusion due to the nature of their disabilities.

False: If you are breathing, you are a candidate for inclusion.

If you have been told that inclusion is not an option at this time, consider bringing an advocate to your next IEP or even hiring an attorney. There are creative ways to make inclusion work, such as acclimating a person to a new environment and gradually increasing the length of time spent in that situation. Another way is to identify a person’s interests and building and inclusive environment around those interests and strengths.

Inclusion only benefits people with disabilities.

False: Inclusion helps everyone become a contributing member of a community. When people see another person receiving necessary support to participate, it is reassuring to realize that they will also receive support when needed. Teachers report that the overall classroom climate becomes more respectful and productive when students with disabilities are included. Inclusion introduces life lessons that are not in any textbook, it encourages personal excellence and it fosters interdependence as each person makes valuable contributions. Research has consistently demonstrated a higher achievement level for students without disabilities in a diverse, inclusive classroom.

Inclusion is here to stay.

True: It looks like inclusion is here to stay for several reasons:

Inclusion is more cost-effective than segregated classrooms and leads to higher achievement for all students.
About 40 decades worth of federal legislation requires that students be placed in the “Least Restrictive Environment” (LRE) and guarantees a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE), which in many cases means full or partial inclusion at school.
At the international level, inclusion is now considered a universal human right.
Most of human history was inclusive for all members of a community – the concept of segregating people with disabilities was a relatively recent “fad” that thankfully did pass!

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Establish a Culture of Equity & Inclusion

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Establish the Culture

Beliefs Drive Inclusive Education & Equity

Language & Labels Matter

Culture of Intervention for All

Philosophy
Excellent education for all…in order to meet the needs of ALL students, you must meet the needs of EACH student.

History
Hattie’s Research on Labels

Continuum of needs

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Beliefs Drive Inclusive Education & Equity

What is the staff philosophy in your district? That has a significant and direct impact on the systems of support that are available for students.

Language & Labels Matter

Special education has been historically used to label & segregate, instead of support.

Hattie’s research shows an effect size of .61 for not labeling students. One year of growth is considered .40 effect size.

Labels belong only in the conversation when discussing services and rights. Embrace the use of people first language when you must discuss disability categories. No “SPED Students”, “Tier 2 Students” or “Tier 3 students”...no “your students” or “my students”...they must become “our students”. By labeling students we can actually lower our expectation of students.

Culture of Intervention for All

All students we serve are on a continuum, some qualify for SPED services and others do not; however, all students have needs to be met.

Students with disabilities receive supports and services that the IEP Team designs within the general education classroom & supplemental instruction.

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Accommodations vs. Modifications

Accommodations

Modifications

Changes to the curriculum and assessments that do fundamentally alter the learning goal or grade-level expectation.
Wearing contacts/glasses during a vision exam changes what is being measured.
“Change the game.”
Still support the skill that is being taught and measured.

Changes to the curriculum or assessments that provide access to the general curriculum but do not fundamentally alter the learning goal or grade-level standard.
Wearing glasses for your drivers test. Skill taught & measured is driving, so glasses makes mastering driving easier, but not any easier than it would be for anyone else.
“Level the playing field.”

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Accommodations

Type	Definition	Examples
Size	Reduces the number of items a student must complete, with no change to difficulty.	The student is assigned 10 multiplication problems rather than 20, but the difficulty of the problems is not altered.
Time	Adjusts amount of time allotted for learning, task completion, or testing.	The student is allowed extra time to complete a test.
Input	Specifies the way instruction is delivered to the learner.	The student gets guided notes to use in Earth Science.
Output	Specifies how the learner can respond to instruction.	The student creates a poster instead of writing a research paper for World History. The student dictates answers to worksheet questions about addition facts.
Level of Support	Identifies the amount of personal assistance to an individual learner.	The student uses a LiveScribe pen to record a conversation with a teacher for later use in writing. A peer helps the student with the physical construction of a diorama of the first mission in California.

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Modifications

Type	Definition	Examples
Same only less	The number of items is reduced or content is adapted to change the level of difficulty or complexity.	The student chooses between two possible answers on a multiple-choice quiz rather than five. The student’s timed fluency measure is shortened to meet the student’s developmental level. The student is assigned a book at a lower reading level.
Streamline the curriculum	The assignment is reduced in breadth or focus to emphasize the key points.	In English, the student creates a list of main points instead of writing an essay. The teacher simplifies vocabulary for a social studies unit.
Same activity with infused objective	The activity emphasizes IEP objectives or skills from the infused skills grid.	The student answers yes/no questions using his eyes to locate words on his lap tray; teachers and classmates phrase questions in this format.

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Reimagine Special Education Structures

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Least Restrictive Environment

Instruction provided alongside typically developing peers unless they cannot satisfactorily meet their goals there
Consider not only LRE but also least restrictive service delivery

1. Is the service helping the student to access the general curriculum?
2. Could the strategies have been delivered within the context of the lessons or activities all students were participating in?
3. Was it necessary for a specialist to implement the strategy, or could it have been delivered by a peer or other adult?

“The mission is not to drag kids through assignments; it is to change their lives--give them a solid foundation of skills that will maximize their successes in school and beyond.”
Goals drive placement!

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Systems Capacity

Factors NOT used to make placement decisions

disability category; delivery system; availability of services; space; convenience

The difference between service & intervention

Service: physical therapy----Intervention: prescribed exercises

The idea of role release aka consultative service delivery

Services are provided based on the intensity/frequency that adults need

Avoid the “supersaturation model”
Effective use of paraprofessional support

Avoid assigning paras to one student

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Beginning of Chapter Story: new student moves into district with visible disability/specific paperwork and response was….”we have a program for students like this”---avoid these practices!

Just because more intervention is better doesn’t mean you need to visit the physical therapist for their services several times a day. When specialists aren’t available to implement the intervention, other people can. Growth and improvement occurs with consistency.

Role Release: Role release upends the status quo of frequency and service intensity. Rather than calling on a specialist based on how often student needs it, the service frequency and intensity is based on what adults need. Book provides example of 2nd year teacher who has a student with Autism who requires a picture communication schedule. The teacher’s skill level looks different compared to a 15 year teacher with experience using such schedules in her classroom. In this case, the student would need less of the service in order to get the same amount of intervention.

Supersaturation--authors describe these as classes where over a third of the roster are students with disabilities. The book discusses how this practice can magnify the perception of the disability when observing a group with similar characteristics. While the logic is that it allows for resources to be concentrated; the reality is that peer models/supports may not be sufficient and therefore...expectations can be skewed.

Avoid “velcro paras”--suggesting a student is “different”, may decrease naturally occurring social interactions; may decrease general education expertise/interaction; consider “zone defense” vs “man-to-man” to better strive for group settings;

students who serve in the mentor role also benefit from this arrangement

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Leverage the Strength of All Educators

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Redefining Roles

Role	Special Education Teacher	General Educator	Paraprofessional
Instruction	Provides instruction to individual students, small groups, and whole class Designs accommodations & modifications Monitors students’ academic work Coordinates support for individual students	Provides instruction to individual students, small groups, and whole class Differentiates instruction to meet student needs Implements accommodations, modifications, and specially designed instruction strategies	Follow instructional plans as implemented by the general education teacher Implements accommodations & modifications, and specialized strategies as designed by the special education teacher Provides specialized assistance to assigned students as needed (ex: personal care)

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Redefining Roles

Role	Special Education Teacher	General Educator	Paraprofessional
Communication	Attends planning meetings Communicates with students and families Attends problem solving meetings Provides information for PD related to inclusive practices	Collaborates with special educator to differentiate curriculum Provides feedback to families and other team members on the effectiveness of strategies being used Attends IEP and planning meetings Collaborates with and provides info to grade level/subject area teams Attends problem solving meetings	Provides feedback to team members on the success of strategies Maintains effective and open communication with the school Honors confidentiality of student information

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Collaborate on the Delivery of Instruction & Intervention

“When teams use all of the special education service time to provide assistance with assignments, there is no time left--and often no people left--to teach skills.”

--Your Students, My Students, Our Students

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MTSS

Schoolwide process of specialized academic, behavioral and emotional supports for ANY child who needs them
Quality core instruction is crucial. Without it, intervention becomes flooded and less effective.
Do not see interventionist or Special Education teacher for help with assignments because assignment help is not an intervention.
Ultimate goal of MTSS is that ALL students have access to high-quality instruction that is effective for them.

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Zone Defense

Co-teaching brings SPED services into the general ed classroom: teachers help any student who needs support
True co-teaching= co-planning, co-instruction, co-assessment, co-reflection

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Co-Teaching

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GRR Framework

Gradual Release of Responsibility Instructional Framework

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By Fisher and Frey.

I do it: teacher assumes majority of cognitive and metacognitive demand. Communicate purpose for learning. Use of modeling and think-alouds.

We do it: teacher releases some cognitive responsibility through use of questions, prompts and cues. Teacher listens carefully for & redirects misconceptions but does not jump in with a correction.

You do it together: Students work together to consolidate their understanding. In doing so, they use academic language, disciplinary thinking & reasoning associated with the subject. Allows students to discover their own gaps in the learning while ensuring that they are not stuck figuring things out on their own.

You do it: Students deliberately practicing what they have been learning. Apply what they have learned, ask themselves questions about the topic, and produce products.

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Honor Student Aspirations & Plan Accordingly

“Investment in students’ aspirations is the ultimate expression of equity-driven schooling. It communicates to students, “We see you.” It signals to families, “We are here for you.”

-Your Students, My Students, Our Students

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Begin with an End in Mind

Honor the family’s/student’s voice

Encourage participation even before the actual meeting

“Goals are something we should develop with students instead of for them”
Reflect: Are goals and objectives generic or are they specific to the individual student?

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Paths to the Dream

Use Backward Design

Person-centered planning

Appreciative Inquiry for Student Profiles---a group effort!
Begin transition planning earlier than later

Be supportive of changing aspirations

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Backward design: ask student and family to share priorities and dreams before the meeting.

PCP: fully engages the student’s support network in articulating new possibilities and helps identify ways that the people in their network who care about the student can support them in accomplishing their goals.

Appreciative Inquiry is the practice of asking questions intended to unearth past successes in order to inform future actions. Some topics may include---which goals will be addressed in a particular class; student strengths/interests/; student aspirations; learning strategies from former teachers; behavior supports; testing accommodations; health factors. There’s no one person who knows all this info---that’s exactly the point of this group effort.The book also suggests home visits for new incoming students.

It’s never too early to start discussion transition needs and future aspirations. Dreams and goals may change--that’s okay! You might be the adult who sees a pattern of interest or a motivating interest.

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Relentless Pursuit of Change

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Relentless Pursuit of Change

“As long as there are segregated classrooms, programs, and schools, there will be students who ‘need’ them.” (pg 125)

“Inclusion is, at its core, an equity issue.” (pg 133)

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Sample Equity Audit

In Our School…...	Always True	Sometimes True	Never True
All students have the same access to class placement and course offerings.
All students are encouraged to take challenging classes and undertake challenging assignments.
Core teachers know how to implement interventions to help all students succeed.
We do not use tracking to group or schedule students.
Teachers pay attention to students’ abilities and challenges and are well prepared to differentiate.
All teachers are able to meet the needs of a diverse group of students.
Students know their teachers believe in them and that they are capable of challenging work.
Students with disabilities have access to the full range of extra-curricular clubs, projects, activities, and experiences
All teachers have high expectations for all students.

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Learning Beliefs Survey

Respond to the following statements:

1 = strongly agree, 2 = agree somewhat, 3 = disagree somewhat, 4 = strongly disagree

I feel that our educational system is working.
I feel that I have the training to implement high-quality instruction successfully.
I feel that I cover less of the curriculum because of the focus on remediation.
I feel that I have the time to implement quality instruction effectively.
I feel that grades are fixed and should not be changed once assigned.
I feel that it is difficult to modify instruction and my teaching style to meet the needs of all of my students.
I feel that allowing multiple opportunities to demonstrate mastery is fair.
I feel that having other adults in my classroom is a problem.
I feel that the behaviors of some of my students distract the rest of a class and take away from time spent teaching.
I feel that students take advantage of grading systems designed to be flexible.

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Expert vs Team-Based Models of Student Support

Decision	Expert Approach	Team-Based Approach
Eligibility for Support	Support is provided when students demonstrate eligibility for sped services	Support is provided to any student who is significantly below grade level - regardless of diagnosis.
Goal Development	Goals focus mostly on performance on developmental or standardized test and performance in sped settings	Goals focus on student mastery of standards in the gen ed curriculum and master of needs-based IEP objectives, including the routines of the school day.
Design of Support	The expert/specialist designs intervention based on student needs.	The team designs support based on student needs and the context of the general curriculum.
Delivery of Support	The expert/specialist implements support.	A team implements support.
Location of Support	Most students spend the majority of their day in gen ed, but individualized goals are supported outside of the gen ed classroom.	Individualized goals are supported in the gen ed setting to the greatest extent possible.
Relation to support to Gen Ed Curriculum	Students are often removed from the gen ed setting and provided with replacement instruction.	Almost all students remain in the gen ed classroom and receive supplemental instruction.