Overview: Inclusive Practices

1. www.laspdg.org Overview: Inclusive Practices Presented by Melanie Lemoine, Ph.D. LaSPDG Co-Director

2. New Special Education Teacher Webinar Series • Series of 3 webinars • November 13, 2013: People First Language • December 11, 2013: Paraprofessionalsin Inclusive Settings • January 22, 2014: Overview of Inclusive Practices • CLU credit for each webinar attended

3. CLU Credit • In order to receive a certificate of participation for today’s webinar (1 CLU credit contingent upon the approval of your employing school system) you will need to type the following information into the chat pod at this time: • First and last name (if you did not specify this when you logged into the webinar) • Parish you are representing • Your complete email address • Your certificate will be emailed to you by Friday afternoon; if you do not receive it, please email Wendy Allen wallen@lsu.edu

4. Considerations • This webinar is being recorded and will be available for on-demand viewing at www.laspdg.org • If you need to ask a question, please use the Chat Pod on your screen • You can download the resources from today using the FILES 2 Pod • There is a webinar series “Inclusive Practices: Making it Work!” also available at www.laspdg.org

5. www.laspdg.org

6. People First Language “People First Language puts the person before the disability and describes what a person has, not who a person is.” Kathie Snow. (n.d.) A few words about People First Language. Disability is Natural. Retrieved August 1, 2012 from http://www.disabilityisnatural.com/images/PDF/pfl-sh09.pdf

7. http://www.thesunscenter.com/

8. Definition of Inclusive Practices “Inclusive Practices are academic and behavioral supports and strategies provided to students with disabilities in general education settings.”

9. Research • Increased academic and behavior gains • Improved performance on standardized tests • Mastery of IEP goals • Improved class work • Improved report card grades • Increased on-task behavior • Better motivation to learn

10. Research • Inclusive practices more effective when combined with broader educational reform and restructuring. • Inclusive practices more effective in schools where general education teachers are routinely implementing differentiated instructional strategies.

11. Goal of Inclusive Practices Improve outcomes for students with disabilities through implementation of appropriate academic and behavioral supports.

12. Philosophy of ‘Inclusion’ Shifting paradigms… • Not focusing on the labels of students • Special education teachers identifying themselves as teachers of all students • General education teachers identifying themselves as teachers of all students • SWD identified as students with IEPs

13. IDEA • Supports ‘inclusion’ as one option • SWD must have access to and make progress in the general curriculum • IEP teams must consider general education first • General education teachers must be involved in IEP development • Provision of supplementary aids and services

14. IDEA • A continuum of settings must be available • IEP teams make final decision • Always start with the general education setting first

15. Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) • A continuum • An IEP decision • Should always start with the general education setting first • SWD do not have to “earn” their way into the general education setting

16. Inclusion Is: • A philosophy, a foundation • A process within current education efforts • Shared, collaborative decision-making

17. Inclusion Isn’t: • Sacrificing needs of general education students • Dumping SWD in general education settings • Watering down the curriculum

18. Remember: When implemented appropriately and responsibly, utilizing inclusive practices will meet the needs of all students.

19. Teacher Benefits • Being able to share responsibility for improved student outcomes with other teachers • Teachers have more time for explicit teaching and creative lesson plan design and delivery • More opportunities for professional growth

20. Student Benefits • Placement in LRE • Access to general education curriculum • Exposed to higher expectations • Increased opportunities for positive social interactions

21. Let’s now look at ways to implement and support inclusive practices

22. Collaborative Support Models for Inclusive Practices Co-teaching Support Model Consultant Support Model Paraeducator Support Model

23. It’s Resource Time! www.marilynfriend.com

24. Co-teaching Support Model • As defined by Friend and Cook (2010)… • Co-teaching is a service delivery option for providing special education or related services to students with disabilities or other special needs while they remain in their general education classes. • Two or more professionals jointly deliver meaningful instruction to a diverse, blended group of students in a single physical space.

25. Co-taught classrooms: • SpEd teacher partners with GenEd teacher • Shared responsibility for instruction • Jointly planned lessons and lesson delivery styles • Use of a combination of 6 co-teaching approaches • Shared responsibility for assessments • Shared responsibility for parent communication

26. Louisiana Co-Teaching Guide

27. Consultant Support Model • SpEd teacher provides guidance to GenEd teacher • Adapts lessons • Identifies accommodations and strategies • Modifies materials • Provides alternative assessments • Designs behavior management systems

28. Paraeducator Support Model • Supports SWD in general education settings • Works under direction of GenEd teacher and guidance of SpEd teacher • Supervises activities introduced by GenEd teacher • Helps implement accommodations • Helps implement behavior intervention plans • Helps collect instructional or behavioral data

29. Para Supports • Primary focus is on SWD • May provide support to all students • Primary beneficiary of services and staff paid for with IDEA funds must be SWD • Incidental benefits for other students

30. www.laspdg.org

31. It’s Tool Time! • According to Nevin, Villa, & Thousand (2009): Regardless of role, the literature is clear about the value of paraeducators in the classroom. Students with disabilities are included more in classroom activities when paraeducators are present.

32. 3 Phases for Inclusive Practices • Planning • Implementation • Results

33. Phase 1: PLANNING • Occurs at several levels • Essential to effective inclusive practices • All staff involved and sharing responsibilities • On-going communication

34. Planning • Necessary to effective implementation • On-going communication is critical • Meet formally every two to four weeks for scheduled session • Meet informally daily or weekly through emails, calls, brief meetings

35. Lesson Planning • Necessary to successful delivery of instruction • Dynamic and on-going process • Critical when co-teaching, consulting • Determine: • Student groupings • Delivery models • Accommodations/modifications

36. School Site Leadership • Strong administrative support is critical • Site leaders are pivotal • Truly believe “all students can learn” • Actions speak louder than words • “Walk the walk, talk the talk” • Inspire and empower teachers to achieve great things for students • Be creative…“think outside the box”

37. Phase 2: IMPLEMENTATION • Inclusive Practices Leadership Team • Staff awareness and willingness • School resources and supports • On-going support to staff • Parents • Monitoring system • Secure copy of the LaSPDG 10 Steps to Implementing Effective Inclusive Practices

38. Logistics of Inclusive Practices • Grading • Scheduling

39. What to Grade • Not all work has to be graded • Grade work related to IEP objectives and the general education curriculum • Assign grades to tests, specific projects or products and other presentation forms that indicate level of knowledge gained/mastered • Grade consistent with district policy

40. How to Grade it? • Establish classroom environments that promote individual performance • Teach students to respect differences in others and that each student may need different support • Use rubrics to differentiate assessment criteria • Rubrics provide specific assessment information to the teacher and critical feedback to the student

41. Scheduling • Always schedule students based on their academic and/or behavioral support needs • Schedules should not be determined by teacher needs or preferences • Students with disabilities should be scheduled first

42. Determining Support Needs • Review of Educational Data • IEP • Report card grades • Standardized test scores • Teacher reports • Behavior records • Other

43. What Supports Are Needed? • What are the academic expectations for the class? • What are the classroom routines? • What are the behavioral expectations for the class? • What kids of assessment will students have to take?

44. DeterminingSupport Needs • By reviewing data and asking questions, determine if a student has Level 1, 2, or 3 support needs • Level 1 – Minimal Support Needs • Level 2 – Moderate Support Needs • Level 3 – Significant Support Needs

45. Students with Level 1 Support Needs Fairly successful in general education with minimal support Easily included, functioning close to grade level, good behavior May need accommodations, but can be easily provided by GenEd teacher GenEd teacher may need to consult with SpEd teacher Usually included in general education for all or most of day Will not need a co-teacher or a paraeducator as long a GenEd teacher uses differentiated instructional practices

46. Students with Level 2 Support Needs Need accommodations and possibly some modifications Need support from a Support Paraeducator or maybe from a co-teacher May benefit from some (limited) ‘pullout’ Will be successful if appropriate supports provided At very least, will require GenEd teacher to consult with SpEd teacher on a regular basis

47. Students with Level 3 Support Needs Need maximum support and accommodations Need significant accommodations and possibly modifications for majority of subject/skill areas Need support of a co-teacher May need ‘pull out’ instruction

48. Remember Some students may need Level 1 supports for some subjects, but Level 3 supports for others Try and avoid grouping large numbers of students needing Level 3 supports together (unless meets needs of students) Support needs may change - from skill area to skill area, from one reporting area to the next, from semester to semester

49. Other Things to Consider • Classroom Management • Case Loads • Substitute Teachers • Assistive Technology • Other Service Providers • Speech • OT • PT

50. Phase 3: RESULTS • The quality of implementation of inclusive practices determines the outcomes that will be evidenced.