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Student Diversity in Alberta: Inclusion for all

Student Diversity in Alberta: Inclusion for all . “ An inclusive education system is one that takes responsibility for all students, focuses on their strengths , and emphasizes what they can do rather than focusing on their limitations. . Inspiring Action on Education,

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Student Diversity in Alberta: Inclusion for all

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  1. Student Diversity in Alberta: Inclusion for all

  2. “An inclusive education system is one that takes responsibility for all students, focuses on their strengths, and emphasizes what they can do rather than focusing on their limitations. Inspiring Action on Education, June 2010, page 12

  3. Humans are 99.9% similar If we are still talking about inclusion, that means someone is excluded Yet we tend tofocus on differences

  4. Why isn’t “special education” enough? “Alberta’s demographic picture continues to change, resulting in increased diversity within the province and the education system.” Inspiring Action on Education: A Discussion Paper, June 2010

  5. WHO? WHY? HOW?

  6. WHO are these diverse students in Alberta schools?

  7. In an Alberta school of 500students, we might expect to see…

  8. 25students • with learning disabilities • 40students • with AD/HD

  9. 45students who live below the poverty line • 40students whose first language is not English or French • 25students who are First Nations, Métis or Inuit (FNMI)

  10. 7 students • with autism • 5 students • with FASD

  11. At least1student • with a physical disability • 15 students • with cognitive disabilities

  12. 7 students requiring support for mental health issues • 8 students with severe behavioural/emotional disabilities

  13. 100 students who will not finish high school within 5 years

  14. Diversity could also mean … Differences in: • background knowledge and experience • learning preferences • learning strengths • personal interests and motivation • levels of engagement

  15. Diversity could also mean…

  16. Alberta also has Diverse School Authorities!

  17. Student diversity is NOT a static profile. We need to collect and use relevant data to inform future work.

  18. 3-year High School Completion Rate All students In percentages

  19. 5-year High School Completion Rate All students In percentages

  20. WHO? WHY? HOW?

  21. Meeting the needs of all students • We need to think beyond students currently identified with special education needs.

  22. Why consider a wider range of students? • Current special education categories describe less than 10% of learners • There is not a common understanding of these categories across the province: <50% in 2008 • Medical diagnoses do not necessarily provide implications forlearningand instruction

  23. Sykes, 2009 with permission

  24. Diversity and Collaboration:The case of bees 35°C = optimal temperature for bee hives 2behaviours: Too hot: fan out or leave Too cold: get closer

  25. How diversity helps Geneticallyhomogeneousbees: All get cold (or hot) at the same time. Geneticallydiversebees: Get cold (or hot) at different temperatures. Temperature stabilizes.

  26. Diversity and Problem Solving: Humans (Hong & Page, 2002) 2 Groups: • 20 high IQ • Diverse 20 Problem-solving activity

  27. The Groups by IQ score 139 138 137 121 111 84 135 135 132 135 75 31 High Ability Group Diverse Group

  28. And the winner is… “Most of the time” the diverse group outperformed the group of the best by a substantial margin. Hong & Page (2002)

  29. WHO? WHY? HOW?

  30. A3 Model: From Advocacy to Accessibility Adapted from: Schwanke, Smith & Edyburn, 2001

  31. Theory of societal change

  32. How can schools make the most of diversity?

  33. Rosado, 2006

  34. Rosado’s Four Imperatives for effectively managing diversity (adapted for education) Reflect the heterogeneity of the community (affirmative action) Be sensitive to the needs of the various groups (value differences) Incorporate a range of contributions to the overall mission of education (managing diversity) Create cultural and social ambiance that is inclusive and empowers all groups (living diversity) Rosado, 2006

  35. Final thoughts “If we are to achieve a richer culture, rich in contrasting values, we must recognize the whole gamut of human potentialities, and so weave a less arbitrary social fabric, one in which each diverse human gift will find a fitting place.” Margaret Mead

  36. Contact us: Lise Belzile, PhD Team Leader, Inclusive Education French Language Education Services Alberta Education Lise.Belzile@gov.ab.ca (780) 422-7794

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