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The Way to Inclusion: How Leaders Create Schools Where Every Student Belongs

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The Way to Inclusion: How Leaders Create Schools Where Every Student Belongs

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Great book with very practical resources.

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Inclusive Schooling - Inspiring and innovative custom professional development

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The Way to Inclusion: How Leaders Create Schools Where Every Student Belongs, by inclusion experts Dr. Julie Causton, Dr. Kate MacLeod, Dr. Kristie Pretti-Frontczak, Dr. Jenna Mancini Rufo, and Dr. Paul Gordon, is an an essential and invaluable guide to the important and courageous work of creating an inclusive school system.

Filled with research, practical resources and tools, and advice from leaders, this book will bring you step-by-step through the inclusive change process- from crafting your inclusive vision to reimagining the roles of existing staff and everything in between. The book outlines seven defined milestones in an Inclusive System Change Path, including key leadership questions, action steps, and skills to help you develop the inclusive school system that you desire and your students deserve.

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The Way to Inclusion ASCD Book Sales Page - Inclusive Schooling

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The Way to Inclusion: How Leaders Create Schools Where Every Student Belongs, by inclusion experts Dr. Julie Causton, Dr. Kate MacLeod, Dr. Kristie Pretti-Frontczak, Dr. Jenna Mancini Rufo, and Dr. Paul Gordon, is an an essential and invaluable guide to the important and courageous work of creating an inclusive school system.

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Sample Action Plan for Beginning Inclusion on Your Campus

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Sample Action Plan for Beginning Inclusion on Your Campus

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Sample Action Plan for Beginning Inclusion Focus on Campus

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Questions for Education Specialists to Answer During Grade-Level PLCs

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Questions for Education Specialists to Answer During Grade-Level PLCs

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An downloadable, editable guide for education specialists when meeting with grade level teams to co-plan.

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TIES Center - Gen Ed and Sped Collaboration guidance

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TIES Center - Gen Ed and Sped Collaboration guidance

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Great information including videos and downloadable agendas for collaboration meetings when you have 5, 15, or 45 minutes to collaborate.

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The life of an educator is fast-paced! Sometimes it feels like just being able to catch your breath is challenging. Yet, we know that general and special education collaboration is key to quality inclusive education for students with disabilities, including students with significant cognitive disabilities. Figuring out how to balance these competing pressures is essential in today's schools.

How much time do you have?
Selecting any of the 5, 15, or 45 buttons will take you to the tool to get started!
What if you only have 5 minutes to collaborate with a colleague? What can be accomplished to plan inclusive instruction? What if you have 15 minutes? 45 minutes? Quality planning that leads to meaningful change for student instruction is possible. The TIES Center's 5-15-45 Tool guides teams to use the time that is available to consider the content, instructional strategies, and barriers to learning for all students in the general education classroom, including students with significant cognitive disabilities. The tool applies whether you are meeting virtually or in-person. Check it out!

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The life of an educator is fast-paced! Sometimes it feels like just being able to catch your breath is challenging. Yet, we know that general and special education collaboration is key to quality inclusive education for students with disabilities, including students with significant cognitive disabilities.

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Collaborative Team Planning Agenda and Template

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Collaborative Team Planning Agenda and Template

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Helpful form for grade level teams to stay on task and incorporate evidence-based planning for all learners.

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Lesson Planning and Instructional Support_ Agenda and Planning Form

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Helpful discussion points to ensure effective communication and collaboration.

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Great SEL lesson to complete in any grade.

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Inclusive practices - related links list.

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Great examples and free downloads of modified classwork.

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Great examples and free downloads of modified classwork.

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Modified Lessons for Students with Disabilities

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Modified Lessons for Students with Intellectual Disabilities

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Research Resources on Inclusive Ed | Include CA

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Anne Benninghoff's great IEP planning matrix

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IEP Planning Matrix with room for Data Collection Example

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IEP Planning Matrix with room for Data Collection Example

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Planning Matrix + data collection example 

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The Golden Rule: Provide the Supports You Would Want

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The Golden Rule: Provide the Supports You Would Want

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Great article about providing support in a respectful and least intrusive way.

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Ecological Inventory Example with Space to Practice Interventions/Strategy Development

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Ecological Inventory Example with Space to Practice Interventions/Strategy Development

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Great tool to find what will motivate positive behavior in early childhood.

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CA Dept of Ed Guide to Childcare and Preschool Programs that Promote Belonging

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CA Dept of Ed Guide to Childcare and Preschool Programs that Promote Belonging

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Great guide with excellent examples of strategies and case studies.

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CA Department of Education: The Powerful Role of Play in Early Education

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CA Department of Education: The Powerful Role of Play in Early Education

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Chapter 5 focuses solely on Using Play to Support Inclusion!

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Which inclusive practices do early childhood programs need to master in order to welcome and support all learners? In today's blog post, we'll take you through the 12 inclusive practices with the strongest research base for supporting young children in inclusive programs.

Where did these practices "come from"? They're the core of the Inclusive Classroom Profile (ICP™), a field-tested observational tool for classrooms serving children ages 2-5. Today's post, excerpted and adapted from the ICP manual, introduces you to all 12 practices and gives you real-world classroom examples. You'll see how each key practice-from conflict resolution to transitions between activities-contributes to successful, high-quality inclusion in an early education classroom.

Adaptations of Space, Materials, and Equipment
What it looks like:

Children with and without disabilities can gain access to the physical space, materials, and equipment.

When needed, children are helped to gain access to and use materials in meaningful ways through adult scaffolding strategies.

The teacher and assistants set up the classroom areas and materials in ways that can be accessible to all children, but they dynamically organize the physical space, equipment, and materials to intentionally encourage children's independence and social interactions.

Example:
Preschool teacher Kelly saw Tara, a 4-year-old child with cerebral palsy, use her walker to walk from the block corner toward the art area during free playtime. Kelly intentionally prompted Tara's peers at the block corner to clear the alley next to the corner by removing some toys so that Tara could independently gain access to the space.

Adult Involvement in Peer Interactions
What it looks like:

The classroom has opportunities for children to participate in activities and routines with their peers.

Adults plan and implement daily social play and learning activities.

There's a good balance between adult involvement and support for children's spontaneous social engagements.

Adults facilitate problem solving between children.

Adults provide scaffolding strategies for supporting positive, reciprocal, sustained peer interactions and relationships between children.

Example:
Peter is a 3-year-old boy who is nonverbal and has a developmental delay. During circle time, teacher Kelly invited another student, Andrew, to model for Peter the movements of a song he likes to perform with his peers. Watching Andrew use his hands to form the movements of the song was an effective way to help Peter imitate, learn, and perform the song movements independently.

Adults' Guidance of Children's Free-Choice Activities and Play
What it looks like:

Adults show enjoyment and availability when engaging with children during activities and play.

Children have many opportunities to decide on activities, playmates, and play topics that they like during free-choice activity.

Children are given many opportunities to make choices during activities and playtime.

Adults observe children's engagement in play and consistently support play using individualized strategies such as verbal/nonverbal prompting, modeling, commenting/asking questions, and enlisting other peers.

Example:
Kelly joined Martha, a 4-year-old girl who was recently diagnosed with autism, during free-choice time. Kelly used a visual activity organizer in the role-play area to help Martha act out the steps involved in cooking a meal for her friends.
What it looks like:

Adults have set clear rules and behavioral expectations that are consistently communicated to children to encourage positive social behavior and prevent conflicts.

When children have difficulty resolving their differences on their own, adults join children to listen to all children's perspectives, acknowledging their views and feelings.

Adults try to focus on helping children find more positive ways for negotiating their differences.

Individualized strategies are used to help children negotiate peer conflict and generate solutions.

Example:
Kelly observed two children on the playground fighting over a new toy. She invited the two children to consider more positive ways they could both enjoy the new toy. One of the two children involved in the conflict had a communication difficulty in expressive language, so Kelly invited the children to look at some visuals that depicted possible alternative solutions. With Kelly's facilitation, the two children decided to take turns using the new toy by paying attention to an alarm clock that would indicate when to pass the toy to each other.
What it looks like:

Adults work together to create a classroom community to which all children feel that they belong, regardless of their individual differences.

Adults develop a sense of belonging by planning activities and creating opportunities to help children understand and accept individual differences.

Opportunities exist for children to assume equal roles and responsibilities in the classroom.

Adults intervene to prevent bullying or persistent teasing between children in the classroom.

Adults use positive and inclusive strategies for responding to children's individual differences.

Example:
When a child asked Kelly why another child was using a different type of spoon during snack time, Kelly responded that children can use different spoons as they grow and learn to eat different foods. She showed all the children the many sizes of spoons she had available for their use. Kelly showed examples of how younger children might need bigger or softer spoons and demonstrated how some spoons might be easier for some children to hold.

Relationships between Adults and Children
What it looks like:

Adults seek many opportunities during the day to engage in social interactions that are positive, reciprocal, and sustained. They show enjoyment when interacting with the children.

Adults are highly responsive to children's interests as well as their emotional needs.

Adults use visual supports and additional classroom resources for supporting children's emotional needs and development.

Example:
When 4-year-old Charlie seemed reluctant to play outside because of the thunder he had heard earlier in the morning, Kelly read a picture book with Charlie about thunderstorms. When they finished reading the book, Kelly modeled for Charlie all the different things he could do if he felt uncomfortable while being outside on the playground. Kelly's shared reading activity and follow-up conversation helped Charlie feel better and encouraged him to join his peers on the playground.

Support for Communication
What it looks like:

Adults are responsive to children's initiated communication.

Adults actively facilitate social-communication with children using a variety of scaffolding strategies, including alternative means of communication systems.

Visual supports, books, and classroom resources are used to support social-communication.

Adults intentionally use alternative means of communication systems in ways that enable children to communicate and participate in classroom activities with their peers.

Example:
Kelly showed Martha, the helper of the day, how to use picture symbols of available snacks to help Andy, a boy with a communication difficulty, choose his snack. As Martha went around the table verbally asking each child to make a choice between two snacks, she used two picture cards to help Andy make his choice.

Adaptation of Group Activities
What it looks like:

Children have opportunities to participate with their peers in planned whole-group and small-group activities.

Adults use embedded strategies and adaptations of activities to support children's active engagement and participation while also meeting children's individual needs.

Adults plan and monitor embedded strategies and adaptations to support children's needs and adjust activities as needed to encourage participation of all children in the group.

Example:
During a small-group art activity in which children were using paintbrushes to paint leaves they collected outdoors, Kelly provided hand-over-hand assistance for Louisa, a child with a fine motor coordination difficulty, to fingerpaint her leaves. The second part of the activity involved cutting through paper to form different shapes, and Louisa worked on one of her individualized goals that involved sorting out different shapes alongside her peers.

Transitions between Activities
What it looks like:

Adults share responsibilities and flexibly adjust their roles to prepare for daily activities and promote smooth transitions.

Adults collaborate to plan activities and supports for the whole group to ensure smooth transitions.

Specific, individualized strategies (such as visual supports) are used for children who experience greater difficulty making the transition between activities.

Example:
Kelly uses a soft musical tune to signal the end of transitions with the whole group. Sam, however, requires additional support to transition between activities. Kelly and her coteacher created a picture schedule to go through with Sam, who finds it very helpful to look at the visual symbols of upcoming activities before the end of each routine.
What it looks like:

Adults give children sensitive, positive feedback (verbal and nonverbal) on their efforts, behaviors, and learning.

Adults use different types of feedback (e.g., corrective feedback, positive reinforcement) to support important goals (e.g., positive behavior, learning, engagement).

Adults frequently use feedback that focuses on children's efforts and the process of doing things rather than solely on their end products.

Example:
Kelly observed Chris, a boy with a developmental delay, working hard to solve a number puzzle during free playtime. Kelly asked him how he was trying to figure out how to put the pieces together. When Chris explained his strategy, Kelly said, "I can see you're working very hard and your strategy seems very helpful." Kelly invited Chris to share his strategy with his peers during circle time.

Family-Professional Partnerships
What it looks like:

Procedures are implemented daily for encouraging bidirectional communication with families about children's individualized education programs and progress.

Staff are encouraged to participate in meetings with families.

Families have opportunities to contribute information on their priorities.

Families are invited to provide feedback on the quality of the program.

Example:
Each child has a communication book in which families and teachers can exchange daily messages, including private notes. Kelly also uses e-mail daily to communicate with families. At the end of each day, classroom staff post messages about the day's activities and children's experiences on a white board outside the classroom to share with families. Kelly's program also provides support for staff to attend intervention planning meetings with service providers and families.

To exchange information on children's progress with families, the program actively encourages families to participate regularly in progress meetings and shares reports of children's progress that are parent friendly and sensitive to the cultural and linguistic diversity of families. Kelly's program also uses a system for identifying family priorities, concerns, and resources to assist with meeting children's needs.

Monitoring Children's Learning
What it looks like:

The program uses multiple assessment methods for monitoring children's progress on individual goals.

The program uses a combination of research-based formative assessment tools, observation notes, behavioral assessment checklists, and various other teacher-made assessment tools.

An individualized intervention plan for each child is developed based on identified needs and specifies how interventions and supports can be embedded into classroom activities.

All classroom staff have access to assessments, intervention plans, and progress reports from specialized therapists, and they use information for their own planning.

Planning includes interventions that support children's needs in their home and community.

Progress monitoring data is used to adjust interventions and instruction.

Example:
Kelly was keeping a running record of Maya's participation during storytime to monitor her engagement following a recent embedded activity they had started implementing a few weeks ago to support her understanding of story facts. In her notes, Kelly recorded that Maya found it helpful to use story props to act out the story prior to and during retelling a story. She also noted that Maya might need more frequent prompting by an adult to help her connect the events of a story.

***

Like today's post? Learn more about how to measure the 12 key inclusion practices with the Inclusive Classroom Profile (ICP™) by Elena P. Soukakou, Ph.D. It's a great tool for assessing your program's current inclusive practices, establishing a baseline for measuring future progress, and guiding your program's future quality improvement efforts. Here you can watch a webinar, download a case study and excerpt, and more:

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12 Key Practices for High-Quality Early Childhood Inclusion

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Which inclusive practices do early childhood programs need to master in order to welcome and support all learners? In today's blog post, we'll take you through the 12 inclusive practices with the strongest research base for supporting young children in inclusive programs. Where did these practices "come from"?

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Parent Training and Information Center, Funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs

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Parent Training and Information Center, Funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs

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Great resource for parents and educators!

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Legislation was recently enacted, and a court case was recently decided, both of which provide that students with disabilities are eligible for transition services until they turn 22. If your child is still in school, please contact your school district to request that they continue transition services until they turn 22. If your child turned 21 on or after July 1, 2019, and their special education services ended before July 1, 2023, they are likely eligible for compensatory services for services not received before their 22nd birthday. In order to access those services, please contact your school district or transition program to re-enroll your child or discuss compensatory services.

If the school refuses your request to re-enroll your student or refuses your request for transition services, please contact the Minnesota Disability Law Center at 1-800-292-4150.
For other questions related to transition programming or services, please contact PACER Center at [email protected] or 952-838-9000.
Schedule PACER's Count Me In puppet show

Help bring the message of disability awareness and social inclusion to young children! This age-appropriate show features child-sized puppets that capture children's attention and imagination. The show educates, entertains, and inspires young children to be kinder, more accepting, and inclusive to all kids, especially children with disabilities.
Schedule a show
Sat., April 27, 2024
Minneapolis Convention Center

Mark your calendars for PACER's Annual Benefit! Join us for a night of celebrating and supporting our mission of improving educational opportunities and enhancing the quality of life for children and young adults with disabilities and their families.

Join Survey Monkey Contribute today!

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PACER Center - Champions for Children with Disabilities

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PACER Center's mission is to expand opportunities and enhance the quality of life of children and young adults with disabilities and provide family programs.

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Wrightslaw: Explore legislation and learn your rights

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Wrightslaw: Explore legislation and learn your rights

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Peter W.D. Wright, Esq. and Pamela Darr Wright, MA, MSW

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Wrightslaw provides free access to articles, cases, resources and training about special education law and advocacy.

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Effectively Improve Parenting, Enhance Mental Health, and Reduce Substance Abuse while Ensuring Child Safety for diverse families with children and youth of all ages.

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Effectively Improve Parenting, Enhance Mental Health, and Reduce Substance Abuse while Ensuring Child Safety for diverse families with children and youth of all ages.

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Asking for Help is a Sign of Strength - the empowering motto of the organization. Started by parents, for parents.

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National Parent & Youth Helpline - Call, text or live chat

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We are not here to judge, we are just here to help. If you are struggling as a parent, caregiver or a youth, the helpline is here to provide vital support 24/7.

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Statewide technical assistance through grants funded by the CA Department of Education.

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Statewide technical assistance through grants funded by the CA Department of Education.

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Supporting Inclusive Practices provides statewide technical assistance to educational communities in pursuit of inclusive & equitable systems.

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Least Intrusive Prompting to Foster Student Independence

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Least Intrusive Prompting to Foster Student Independence

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prompting and 25 strategies to fade support

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Facilitating student conversations is a great way to include!

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CSU Chico has provided videos on Youtube of the six main co-teaching strategies.

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Introduction to the six co-teaching strategies as implemented by the Rural Teacher Residency at the CSU, Chico School of Education

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Meeting Agenda and Instructional Planning Form 

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Meeting Agenda and Instructional Planning Form 

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Instructional Support_ Meeting Agenda and Planning Form

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Beginning of Year/ New IEP Planning Form - Plan for Common Classroom Routines

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Beginning of Year/ New IEP Planning Form - Plan for Common Classroom Routines

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Beginning of Year - New IEP Planning Form

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Use to determine goals for inclusion

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Creating Inclusive Schools for All Students

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Creating Inclusive Schools for All Students

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A success story with great information and pointers.

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Strategies for Creating Inclusive Schools

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Strategies for Creating Inclusive Schools

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Awesome resource with checklist and all faculty survey support.

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Great information, tips, and step-by-step guides.

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2014 Inclusion Resource for Principals full

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Great article with accompanying checklist.

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From Kluth, P. (2010). "You're going to love this kid!": Teaching students with autism in the inclusive classroom (2nd ed., pp. 34-35). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.; adapted by permission. In "You're Going to Love This Kid!": A Professional Development Package for Teaching Students with Autism in the Inclusive Classroom, Facilitator's Guide, by Paula Kluth (2011, Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.) Is Your School Inclusive? Checklist If no, list actions that Yes No should be taken Is there a school philosophy or mission statement in support of inclusion? Do staff development opportunities reflect an inclusive philosophy? Does the school leadership promote inclusion through written materials, presentations, and so forth? Do teachers use language that reflects the philosophy of inclusive education (e.g., our students versus your students or my students )? Do students with disabilities attend their neighborhood schools (the schools they would attend if they did not have a disability)?

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checklist.pdf - FOR MORE go to www.brookespublishing.com/kluth-dvd Is Your School Inclusive Checklist Yes No If no list actions that should be taken Is | Course Hero

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From Kluth, P. (2010). "You're going to love this kid!": Teaching students with autism in the inclusive classroom (2nd ed., pp. 34-35). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.; adapted by permission. In "You're Going to Love This Kid!": A Professional Development Package for Teaching Students with Autism in the Inclusive Classroom, Facilitator's Guide, by Paula Kluth (2011, Paul H.

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8 Ways Your School Might Be Doing Inclusion Wrong

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8 Ways Your School Might Be Doing Inclusion Wrong

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8 Ways Your School Might Be Doing Inclusion Wrong

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Here are some examples of ways your school might be doing inclusion wrong and what to do to make it right.

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Creating a Master Schedule that Supports Inclusive Practices

By Dale Pennell, C.A.S.

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Creating a Master Schedule that Supports Inclusive Practices

By Dale Pennell, C.A.S.

May/June 2012
A wise school principal recently said: Our inclusion program has never been as good as it should have been because we had other priorities in our scheduling . . . Now we realize that the education of all students in our building must take top priority. We can provide more and more intensive services for these students if we schedule better. The tail can't wag the dog! (McLeskey & Waldron, 2000, p. 41)
Does your school's master schedule limit the effectiveness of your efforts to include students with disabilities in a meaningful way that supports their academic progress? Following are steps you may take to ensure that the tail doesn't wag the dog as you develop your next master schedule.

1. Create a matrix. In column 1, list the names of included students who need support from school-based special education staff. At the top of the remaining columns, list the general education courses in which these students will be enrolled. Use the matrix to mark the courses in which each student will require in-class support (see Table 1:Matrix for Identifying Students' Direct Service Requirements/Number of Teachers/Number of Course Sections Required).

2. Use the completed matrix to determine staffing needs (visit http://www.doe.virginia.gov/special_ed/regulations/state/regs_speced_disability_va.pdf for Regulations Governing Special Education Programs for Children with Disabilities in Virginia on page 90.

3. Determine the number of sections into which to schedule students with disabilities for each course. Ideally, the percentage of special education students assigned to each course/section should reflect the special education demographics of the school (Capper, Frattura, & Keyes, 2000). In reality, no more than 20% of the students in a class should require special education services (Walther-Thomas, Korinek, McLaughlin, & Williams, 2000).

4. Identify the general education teachers in whose classes direct services will be provided and the periods during which the students will be included.

5. Select the special education personnel who will be assigned to each inclusive course/section in which students with disabilities require instructional support.

6. Designate common planning periods for participating general and special education teachers (see Table 2:Sample Co-Planning and Co-Teaching Schedule for Two Special Educators).

7. Enter the courses/sections and common planning periods into the master schedule first and in a manner that avoids obvious scheduling conflicts among courses/sections at each grade level

8. Add to the master schedule other courses/sections in which special education students will be enrolled (but that do not require in-class services from special education personnel) in a manner that minimizes conflicts with the courses/sections entered in Step 7.

9. Enter the rest of next year's courses/classes into the master schedule.

10. Hand-schedule (by course/section/class) students with disabilities and input their schedules. If computer scheduling is employed, a decision must be made to either enter hand-scheduled course requests for students with special needs first or resolve conflicts by hand-scheduling later - that is, whether to put in extra time hand-scheduling before or after computer scheduling (Power-deFur & Orlove, 1997).

Administrative skill in shaping an inclusion-friendly master schedule is critical to the success of an instructional program that strives to place students with disabilities in classrooms with general education teachers proficient in delivering the SOL curriculum.
References
Capper, C., Frattura, E., & Keyes, M. (2000). Meeting the needs of students of all abilities. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

McLeskey, J., & Waldron, N. (2000). Inclusive schools in action. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Power-deFur, L., & Orlove, F. (1997). Inclusive education: Practical implementation of the least restrictive environment. Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen Publications.

Walther-Thomas, C., Korinek, L., McLaughlin, V. L., & Williams, B. T. (2000). Collaboration for inclusive education. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
Table 1 Matrix for Identifying Students' Direct Service Requirements/Number of Teachers/Number of Course Sections Required Table 2 Sample Co-Planning and Co-Teaching Schedule for Two Special Educators

Values derived from Regulations Governing Special Education Programs for Children with Disabilities in Virginia (p. 90)

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By Dale Pennell, C.A.S. May/June 2012 A wise school principal recently said: Our inclusion program has never been as good as it should have been because we had other priorities in our scheduling . . . Now we realize that the education of all students in our building must take top priority.

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CDC's Learn the Signs. Act Early: Free checklists, books, and child development tools!

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CDC's Learn the Signs. Act Early: Free checklists, books, and child development tools!

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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CDC shares FREE checklists, books and child development tools!

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CDC's "Learn the Signs. Act Early." program supports parents and providers with FREE tools to track children's developmental milestones.

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Supports for distance learning with students with autism.

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National Center on Intensive Intervention

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National Center on Intensive Intervention

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Supporting Students with Intensive Needs

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During Spring 2020, educators quickly adapted to providing interventions and collecting data virtually despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents were critical partners in supporting opportunities for students with intensive needs to practice and receive feedback and sharing what was working and when changes are needed. While the context and environment may have changed, the focus on providing high-quality interventions with validated practices, monitoring student progress, and adapting and intensifying supports based on student data continues to be applicable across virtual, in-person, or hybrid models.

Many of these materials were developed to support educators and families during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic, but they can be used to support virtual delivery of intensive intervention for students in virtual learning programs, as a result of adverse weather events, or to extend practice opportunities and learning at home.

Resources Related to Virtual Delivery of Intensive Intervention

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Intensive Intervention & Virtual Delivery

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During Spring 2020, educators quickly adapted to providing interventions and collecting data virtually despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents were critical partners in supporting opportunities for students with intensive needs to practice and receive feedback and sharing what was working and when changes are needed.

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Guidelines for Students with Significant Needs

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Guidelines for Students with Significant Needs

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Supporting Inclusion During Distance Learning

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Supporting Inclusion During Distance Learning

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Strategic Participation in Online Classes for Students with SSN

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25 Questions for New Co-Teachers to Answer Together

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25 Questions for New Co-Teachers to Answer Together

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Indicators of Successful Inclusive Schools

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Indicators of Successful Inclusive Schools

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created by A.M. Beninghof

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1 Indicators of Successful Inclusive Schools

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Free downloadable adapted books

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Good information and resources for how to modify grade level curriculum.

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Great ideas and links to additional articles on accommodations and modifications.

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(This post is part of our Fair is Not Always Equal...Now What? blog series.)

As many of our posts have emphasized this year, designing your lessons using the UDL framework goes a long way toward meeting each of your students' specific learning needs. But in a diverse, inclusive classroom, some students will also need accommodations and modifications to access the curriculum and express what they know. Today's post gives you 17 practical tips from some of our expert authors. These won't work for every child-uncovering a learner's individual strengths and needs is always your first step-but they're helpful ideas to add to your toolbox and use with the learners who can benefit from them.

[Not sure about the difference between accommodations and modifications? Start by reading Tuesday's Q&A with inclusion expert Nicole Eredics, who shares the clearest definitions we've heard.]

1. Break tasks into smaller steps. For independent work time, post a to-do list on the student's desk (in words or pictures) of the big tasks that need to be completed. The student can complete them and cross out each task.

2. Extend time on tasks. Slowly increase the time allotted for certain tasks, or allow the student to take a test in parts-one part on the first day, the second part on the next.

3. Reduce the amount of information on a page. Adequate white space and a clean, distraction-free layout can make an assignment seem less confusing. Copy segments of an assignment onto different pages to increase white space. Students can also hold index cards or word windows on the page to limit information as they read.

4. Preteach. Introduce a concept, term, or idea to a student before it's "officially" taught to the rest of the class. This can help the student start the class feeling prepared and more confident.

5. Let students choose their writing instruments and paper size. Instead of traditional pencils and full-size sheets of paper, offer choices. For example, one student chose a black felt-tip marker and a half-sheet of paper. He explained that he often got nervous if he saw "a whole blank piece of paper" in front of him, and that he hated "the feel of the pencil on the paper." Changing up his writing materials proved to be a successful strategy-after making the switch, the student was able to write for longer periods of time.

6. Use a timer. Some students need help organizing their time or perform better when they know exactly how long tasks will take. Using visual timers is a great accommodation strategy to support these students. Timers that allow the student to see how many minutes are left can be particularly useful for managing time.

7. Use guided notes. Develop handouts to help students take notes. Create an outline of the lesson and replace key terms and facts with blanks that students can fill in as they listen to your presentation.

8. Provide test-time helpers. Try modification strategies like adding picture cues to test items, highlighting important words in the directions or questions, providing an example for each type of test item, reducing the number of alternatives for multiple-choice items, and letting the student circle the answer rather than write the letter.

9. Make an on-the-spot adaptations toolkit. Get a sturdy, reusable container such as a clipboard storage case and assemble your own toolkit for making creative adaptations. Some items you might include: peel-off address labels, sticky notes, lined paper, laminating sheets, index cards, colored cardstock, felt-tip markers, pencils, erasers, highlighters, pencil sharpener, three-hole punch, assorted paper clips and rubber bands, small stapler, glue stick, tape, scissors, dice, and batteries.

Let students use signals to answer questionsGive students cards, signs, or other items they can use to respond to your questions during class discussions. You can make response cards that are preprinted with answer choices, or equip students with small dry-erase boards and markers they can use to write their own responses and hold them up when it's time to answer questions. (Hint: orphaned socks make great whiteboard erasers!)

1. Rock the vote. Pose verbal yes-no or multiple choice questions to encourage all students to respond more during group instruction. Students can vote with thumbs-up/thumbs-down signals or hold up colored index cards to indicate their answer (e.g., yellow for a, white for b, and green for c). This is a great way to facilitate more participation for nonverbal learners and students who are anxious or shy.

2. Allow students to access text differently. Make modifications to the text itself-shorten the amount of text, reduce the number of vocabulary words, or simplify sentence structures. Or keep the text intact and provide accommodations such as text-to-speech books or audiobooks, highlighted text, or hyperlinks to vocabulary definitions.

3. Use technology to evaluate text and make it more accessible. A few easy tools in Microsoft Word can help you make text more readable and accessible. AutoSummarize can summarize key points in your reading material, and Readability Statistics can count the number of words and paragraphs, average the number of characters in a word or number of sentences in a paragraph, and calculate the readability of the text you're giving your students. You can also use text-to-speech functions (available in many word processing programs) to enable text to be read aloud.

4. Assign and prepare peer tutors. It can be difficult for a general education teacher to work individually with children with disabilities while also meeting the needs of the whole class. To provide additional support, peers without disabilities can be taught how to provide extra help for their classmates. Peer tutoring not only provides increased practice and reinforcement for students with disabilities, but also promotes stronger social skills for all students and encourages friendships.

Help students stay on task with Countdown Strips. Many students, especially those with autism and ADHD, will find it easier to stay on task if an activity has a clear and observable endpoint. Use a Countdown Strip for them-a visual support that allows students to count down how many times they must complete an activity or how many parts the activity has. Countdown Strips are easy to make; they can be as simple as a clothespin and a strip of paper printed with the numbers 0 to 10. Each time an activity or a section of the activity is completed, the student moves the clothespin to the next number until the he or she reaches 0.

Eliminate distractions to improve focus. Reducing the presence of extraneous noises, people, or objects can help students with disabilities focus on important instructional cues. To help students maintain focus, position them so they're facing away from distractions and hold off on introducing items or equipment you won't be using until later. For example, in a physical education class, balloons and cones set up for a later activity might be extremely distracting for some students. Avoid setting up equipment for activities beforehand, or keep the materials covered with a tarp until they're needed.

Tell a "fair is not always equal" story. When you implement suggestions like the ones outlined in this post, some of your students might ask questions like "if Jimmy gets extra time on the math test, why can't we?" Tell them a story to illustrate the why behind modifications and accommodations. For example, one teacher told a vivid, engaging story about a mother who had seven children, all of whom had different strengths and needs. Because the mom didn't want to be unfair to any of her children, all seven of them had to take tap dancing lessons, join the swim team, use an inhaler for asthma, wear glasses, watch basketball, and read only fiction books-no nonfiction allowed! By the end of the story, the students were laughing about the absurdity of it all. To drive the point home, the teacher explained that supports and services are provided to meet the specific learning needs of students, whether that means assisting a student with a broken arm or accommodating a documented disability. Through the story and the teacher's explanation, the students began to understand the real meaning of "fairness"-and trust that their teacher would do a great job meeting the needs of everyone in the class.

What are some favorite accommodations and modifications you've used? Tell us in the comments below!

Credits: Suggestions #1-6 from The Educator's Handbook for Effective Inclusive Practices by Julie Causton; #7-11 from by Janney & Snell; #12-13 from Maximizing Effectiveness of Reading Comprehension Instruction in Diverse Classrooms by Berkeley & Barber, #14-16 from A Teacher's Guide to Including Students with Disabilities in General Physical Education, Fourth Edition, by Martin E. Block; #17 from by Winterman & Rosas, all from Brookes Publishing Co.
10 Worst Modifications for Students with Disabilities (and 100+ Good Ones!)
Accommodations and Modifications: A How-To Q&A with Nicole Eredics of the Inclusive Class

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17 Great Accommodations & Modifications - Brookes Blog

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(This post is part of our Fair is Not Always Equal...Now What? blog series.) As many of our posts have emphasized this year, designing your lessons using the UDL framework goes a long way toward meeting each of your students' specific learning needs. But in a diverse, inclusive classroom, some students will also need [...]

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Overview of Cognitive Developmental Skills by Stage

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Overview of Cognitive Developmental Skills by Stage

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25 Questions for New Co-Teachers to Answer Together

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25 Questions for New Co-Teachers to Answer Together

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Co-Teaching Core Competency Framework by Wendy W. Murawski and Wendy W. Lochner

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Co-Teaching Core Competency Framework by Wendy W. Murawski and Wendy W. Lochner

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http://nebula.wsimg.com/13e0321b34184bff731a8a33a76351f1?AccessKeyId=762D00E6E8616E18D161&disposition=0&alloworigin=1

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CAST

http://www.udlcenter.org

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Learn about CAST’s Universal Design for Learning framework, fostering inclusive educational experiences and improving learning outcomes for all learners.

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10 tips for using co-planning time more efficeintly

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Standards-Based Grading vs. Traditional Grading: Murrieta Valley USD

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Standards-Based Grading vs. Traditional Grading: Murrieta Valley USD

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https://www.murrieta.k12.ca.us/domain/23

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https://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/grading-system-for-a-student-with-ld-and-an-iep/

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4339 State University Drive
Los Angeles, CA  90032

(323) 222-8090

www.dcs-cde.ca.gov

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http://www.pent.ca.gov/

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Great checklist for co-teachers to support practice improvement

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Great checklist for co-teachers to support practice improvement

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CoTeaching Reflection Tool Part I Co-Planning 6-15-11

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UDL Steps

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UDL Steps

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First choice for exploration – GREAT resource

http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/ieptLibrary/lib08.html

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Extensive list of accommodations based on area of need, along with instructions for implementation.

http://acentral.education/

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Great resources for differentiated instruction

http://www.engagingalllearners.ca/learning-supports/

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http://www.captain.ca.gov/

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http://acentral.education/learning-library/how-to-monitor-accommodations-1

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English Language Arts:
http://dynamiclearningmaps.org/essential-elements/ela

Math: http://dynamiclearningmaps.org/essential-elements/math

Dynamic Learning Maps Consortium. (2013). Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas.

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http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc

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http://www.promisingpractices.net

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http://www.bestevidence.org/

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The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorder

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The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorder

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http://autismpdc.fpg.unc.edu/evidence-based-practices

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English Language Arts
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/j76szm5hvlwg7ok/AAANFjOXsfErh-D4w2eiCt_ra?dl=0

Math
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/3t44xd9dqyh3c5b/AAAA_VqHwUoiKBLH5eGgst7oa?dl=0

Dynamic Learning Maps Consortium. (2013). Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas.

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Relating Development to Common Behavior Strategies

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Relating Development to Common Behavior Strategies

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Traditional Elementary Learners (7-11 years)

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Traditional Elementary Learners (7-11 years)

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Traditional Middle/HS Learner (11+ years)

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Traditional Middle/HS Learner (11+ years)

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Identifying Learning and Behavior Expectations in the Classroom

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Identifying Learning and Behavior Expectations in the Classroom

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Good for administrators