Inclusion Institutes: A Way to Change Attitudes and Outcomes

1. Inclusion Institutes: A Way to Change Attitudes and Outcomes Presented by: Ms. Karen Daugherty, Dr. Angela Gilbert, and Dr. Denise Kerr Rose Tree Media SD All students can learn and succeed, but not on the same day in the same way—William Spady

2. About the Presenters Administrators in Rose Tree Media SD • Located in a suburb of Philadelphia, PA • Six schools – 1 HS, 1 MS, 4 ESs • 3868 students – 85% Caucasian, 8% African American, 5% Asian/Pacific, 2% Latino, 2% Hispanic and Indian/Alaskan • 10.1% free or reduced lunch

3. RTM Strategic Goals: Achieve, Grow, Excel By 2014, RTM students in all assessed grades will perform at the proficient or advanced level on PSSA Mathematics, Reading and Writing assessments. By 2014, at least 85% of RTM students in all assessed grades will achieve a year's growth or more in a year's time. By 2014, 50% or more of RTM students will increase skills and knowledge in core academic areas through participation in accelerated, enhanced, and/or advanced curricula.

4. Session Objectives • Obtain the skills and tools needed to conduct a needs assessment • Obtain the skills and tools needed to identify a variety of inclusive practices and be able to implement them • Obtain the skills and tools needed to build an action plan

5. Inclusion Institute: Four-Way Partnership • Arcadia University’s Inclusion Institutes • Pennsylvania Department of Education • Delaware County Intermediate Unit • Rose Tree Media School District

6. Framework • Arcadia took the lead and established some parameters • PaTTAN, through PDE, became a resource for our teams • Our local Intermediate Unit became a resource for professional development and team consultation • RTMSD created 7 teams, 1 for each school plus 1 from the Education Center • PDE provided grant money to fund much of our project

7. Inclusion • Provision of services to every student with disabilities • In their neighborhood school • In age-appropriate general education homerooms • With the necessary supports and services (for both students and teachers)

8. Inclusion • Inclusion is a set of values, beliefs, and practices by which all students participate as fully as possible in the life of a school and maximize their learning. • It challenges educational systems to rethink and restructure policies, curricula, cultures, and practices so that diverse learning needs can be met, whatever the origin or nature of those needs. • Inclusive education is a process of removing barriers and enabling all students, including previously excluded groups, to learn and participate effectively within general school systems.

9. Inclusion • To assure each child’s success—academic, behavioral, social and emotional • To prepare all children, with and without disabilities, to participate as full, contributing, and caring members of society

10. The Journey • Introductions: Arcadia University and RTM • Administrative “Buy In” • Communication Established • Facilitated Needs Assessments and Interviews • Professional Development via Summer Institute • Action Plans Developed • Lights, Camera, Action!

11. Paradigm Shifts and Other Realities Yes! But……. • Achievement and opportunity gaps can be closed • De-tracking is a best practice • All students are entitled to high expectations • All teachers are responsible for all students

12. Inclusive Practices Three Dimensions of Inclusive Practices: • Physical integration • Social integration • Instructional integration

13. Inclusive Practices Middle and High School • Physical integration – via co-taught classes reducing the percentage participating in pull out model (RR) • Social integration – via exposure to the same curriculum which allows all students to discuss literature, themes and topics; decreases isolation • Instructional integration – via access to teaching strategies and learning experiences previously reserved for typical peers

14. Inclusive Practices Elementary schools • Physical and social integration – students with IEPs already assigned to regular classrooms • Instructional integration – 2 challenges -adopting the secondary model without the personnel -shifting of attitudes from “my students” or “your students” to “our students”

15. Inclusive Practices at Rose Tree ES In addition to the three dimensions discussed on the last slide, RTE wanted to increase inclusive practices for: • New students and families • New staff, transferred staff • Community members

16. Essential Questions • How will the institute align with our district’s strategic goals? • How will this increase access to the core curriculum for all students? • How will this create a climate of belonging for all? • How will this improve the core learning context?

17. Objective #1 Obtain the skills and tools needed to conduct a needs assessment.

18. Rose Tree Elementary • Needs assessment at the building level • Our vision aligned with our district’s vision while meeting our specific, building level needs • Goals—We identified our basic goals during the three day kick-off retreat. • Action Plan—Most teams completed their action plans at the retreat. We did not.

19. Needs Assessment • Prior to our first Arcadia meeting each team member completed an on-line needs assessment. Our results were shared at the Institute’s kick off meeting. • A copy of the assessment is included in your resource packet.

20. Our Perceptions • We also gave our faculty a survey to obtain information on teacher’s perceptions about inclusion. Those results are also included in the packet. • It was interesting for me to see that what my teachers were verbalizing was different than what they committed to paper.

21. Supports for Inclusive Practices: An Evidence-Based Self-Assessment Examining District Level Practices Gail McGregor and Jeannine Brinkley District:____________________ Date(s) Completed: __________

22. Timeline • Calendar of events • In-service opportunities • Visitations • In school activities

23. Objective #2 Obtain the skills and tools needed to identify a variety of inclusive practices and be able to implement them

24. Analysis of Resources - Before • Two special educators for 35 students in resource room programs • Two assistants attached to the resource room programs • Parent volunteers • White Horse Village partnership • College student interns who came to observe • Grade level planning opportunities every day for 50 minutes

25. Analysis of Resources - After • Two special educators with some scheduled co-teaching opportunities • Support from assistants and aids assigned to students based upon student need • Two part time aids originally hired for clerical work were reassigned to support students • Trained volunteers • Actively recruited student interns from area colleges and universities with the understanding they would be getting “hands-on” experience

26. Analysis of Resources - After (con’t.) • Our new schedule provided an additional 30 minutes for collaboration each day • One monthly awards assembly provided another 30 minute block for collaboration between all staff members

27. Inclusive Practices Identification of inclusive practices • Student in regular education setting with additional assistance from the regular education teacher and follow-up from the special educator • Student participates in special areas with their classmates • Co-Teaching

28. Types of Co-teaching • One Teach, One Observe • Station Teaching • Parallel Teaching • Alternative Teaching • Teaming • One Teach, One Assist

29. Inclusive Practices • Collection of baseline data via surveys and observation • Planning to increase opportunities for inclusion • Inclusion in our accelerated math program • Special areas adopt anchors

30. Checkpoint

31. Checkpoint

32. Baseline 9/08 1 teach, 1 observe 0 Station teaching 6 Parallel teaching 1 Alternative teaching 0 Teaming 0 1 teach, 1 assist 5 5/09 1 teach, 1 observe 2 Station teaching 18 Parallel teaching 6 Alternative teaching 4 Teaming 1(Pilot) 1 teach, 1 assist 3 Types of Co-teaching

33. Objective #3 Obtain the skills and tools needed to build an action plan

34. Building the Plan • The Institute had us build the action plan during the initial workshop • RTE chose to create only a portion of the plan because we wanted to obtain additional input from our whole staff • After we had confirmed with the staff the broader interpretation of inclusion, we built the plan

35. Action Plan • We presented the plan at our August In-Service • We included team-building activities, video clips and even had some speakers address the faculty • We also had evaluations to help us with future events

36. What did the plan look like? • Our plan had 3 goals, each with 3 objectives • We monitored progress along the way and reported regularly to the faculty, celebrating each small step forward

37. RTE Action Plan • First Long Term Goal: The school schedule supports collaboration and shared planning time between all staff members based on identified needs of students • First Measurable Short Term Objective: A school schedule will support collaboration and shared planning time between regular and special education teachers.

38. Short Term Objective1.a. A school schedule will support collaboration and shared planning time between regular education and special education teachers.

39. Benefits • Students feel a sense of belonging • New students, staff and families assimilate quickly • All teachers are responsible for all students • Increased collaboration • Increased access to core curriculum • Increased enrollment in accelerated classes

40. Continued Benefits New shared beliefs: • Achievement follows effort—not just IQ 2. All staff—teachers, custodians, aids, secretaries, principal, food service workers, itinerants—are responsible for all students. All means all.

41. Benefits – District Wide • Tiered Response to Intervention • Increased General and Special Education Collaboration • Increased Strategic Use of Support Personnel • Elementary Team Teaching Model • Co-curricular Involvement • Reduction of Out-of-District Placements • Secondary Co-Teaching Model • Communication with Parents

42. Inclusive Practice: Reduce Out-of-District Placements

43. Inclusive Practice: Reduce Out-of-District Placements • Early Intervention Transitions to Developmental and Inclusive Programs • 2008/2009- 82% placed in RTM • 2009/2010- 91% placed in RTM • School Age Transitions Back to Inclusive Programs • 2009/2010- nine (9) students returned to RTM

44. Secondary Co-Teaching

45. Communication with Parents • All schools communicate with parents via the school website • Middle school publishes a special education newsletter • Elementary schools host parent dinner meetings • Dr. Kerr holds The Superintendent’s Coffee featuring special education topics • Parents are members of inclusion teams and report out at monthly PTG meetings

46. Contact Us • Ms. Karen Daugherty, Principal kdaugher@rtmsd.org • Dr. Angela Gilbert, Director of Elementary Teaching and Learning agilbert@rtmsd.org • Dr. Denise Kerr, Superintendent dkerr@rtmsd.org