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TIES has an updated IER! Attaching it here, for your convenience. 

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TIES has an updated IER! Attaching it here, for your convenience. 

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I want to learn in an inclusive education environment with my same-aged peers at my neighborhood school. To make my vision successful, I need my environment to prepare me for the real world. My classmates will eventually be those I work with, live among, and build relationships with. My peers will learn to view me as an important member of my class, and thus ultimately, in the future, they will see me as a contributing, worthy, confident, and autonomous member of society. ~ A student with a significant cognitive disability (with help from their parent) ~
In this Introduction, you will consider:

The importance of inclusive education for students with significant cognitive disabilities,

The values that underlie effective inclusive education systems,

The outcomes of effective inclusive education systems,

A brief overview of the Inclusive Education Roadmap (IER), and

Using Implementation Science to support the creation of sustainable inclusive education systems.

Why use the Inclusive Education Roadmap?

Since 1975, when the Education for All Handicapped Children was signed into law, the percentage of students with disabilities who spend 80% or more of their school day in general education settings has grown to 63% (National Council on Disability, 2018). However, only 3% of students with significant cognitive disabilities spend 80% or more of their school day in general education settings (Klienert et al., 2015). This trend continues despite research clearly showing greater learning and post-school outcomes when students with significant cognitive disabilities receive special education services in general education settings.

Fortunately, there are examples of quality inclusive education programs for students with significant cognitive disabilities all around the US. These classrooms, schools, and districts demonstrate what is possible when students with significant cognitive disabilities are given the opportunity to learn with their general education peers. However, examples of inclusive education systems are the exception rather than the rule. When systems focus on including one student at a time, this creates a vapor trail effect, where any changes made to accommodate that one student evaporate when the student moves on. The Inclusive Education Roadmap was created to support systemic change that provides an inclusive education for every student who walks or wheels through the door.

Overview

Systems change is complex but can break down into doable steps. The key is getting started. Begin with an inclusive vision that communicates high expectations for each and every student, including those with significant cognitive disabilities. Determine a direction forward. Nurture the system. Accept that the change process is a journey. And, look for real, measurable progress for students, not for perfection, as you move forward.

The Inclusive Education Roadmap (IER) is a series of tools, guidance, and processes to be used by state, district, and school teams systematically to build inclusive systems of education. The IER unpacks the complexities of building, expanding, and sustaining inclusive systems. It helps guide Where to start? What comes next? And Who should be involved? Step by step, the IER supports teams to implement the changes needed for all students to learn in inclusive classrooms. The IER is flexible. While implementation looks different across organizations, the underlying framework for effective systems is present.

The IER benefits all students, including students with significant cognitive disabilities, a group historically left out of inclusive instruction. Throughout the IER, you will read the phrases "each and every student" and "all students." Know that students with significant cognitive disabilities, such as students identified with autism, intellectual or cognitive disabilities, multiple disabilities, and deaf-blindness, are always included in these phrases.

The IER is organized into three phases with six major steps. Each step guides teams on where to start, what to focus on, and how to proceed:

Phase 1:

Step 1: Getting Started

Step 2: Reflections on Inclusive Systems of Education (RISE)

Step 3: Initiative Inventory

Step 4: Action Planning using Inclusive Drivers

Phase 2:

Step 5: Implementing the Inclusive Education System

Phase 3:

Step 6: Sustaining the Inclusive Education System

While written as Steps, it is essential to recognize that system change is not linear. Organizations will enter the change process at different places, focus on different priorities, and travel different paths. The IER is designed flexibly to support this customization. Effective systems change incorporates continuous learning cycles where adjustments are made based on data. It is estimated that it can take two to four years for an effective system to be up and running.

The information in this roadmap is not an endorsement of any identified products. Products identified in this module are shared solely as examples to help communicate information about ways to reach the desired goals for students.

All rights reserved. Any or all portions of this document may be reproduced without prior permission, provided the source is cited as:

Ghere, G., Vandercook, T., McDaid, P., Taub, D., Sommerness, J., Bowman, J., & Ryndak, D. (2022). Inclusive Education Roadmap. TIES Center, University of Minnesota. https://publications.ici.umn.edu/ties/ties-ier-rise/introduction

TIES Center is the national technical assistance center on inclusive practices and policies. Its purpose is to create sustainable changes in kindergarten-grade 8 school and district educational systems so that students with significant cognitive disabilities can fully engage in the same instructional and non-instructional activities as their general education peers, while being instructed in a way that meets individual learning needs. TIES Center is led by the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) at the Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota, and includes the following additional collaborating partners: Arizona Department of Education, CAST, University of Cincinnati, University of Kentucky, University of North Carolina - Charlotte, and University of North Carolina - Greensboro.

TIES Center is supported through a Cooperative Agreement (#H326Y170004) with the Research to Practice Division, Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of Education or Offices within it. Project Officer: Susan Weigert

TIES Center

University of Minnesota

Institute on Community Integration

2025 East River Parkway

Minneapolis, MN 55414

Phone: 612-626-1530
www.tiescenter.org
This document is available in alternate formats upon request.

The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity employer and educator.

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TIES Inclusive Education Roadmap | Inclusive Education Roadmap (IER)

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I want to learn in an inclusive education environment with my same-aged peers at my neighborhood school. To make my vision successful, I need my environment to prepare me for the real world. My classmates will eventually be those I work with, live among, and build relationships with.

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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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Introduction and Rationale

The planning process described below is intended to support the creation and provision of a curricular and instructional program based on the acknowledgment that:

each child is a general education student.

the general education curriculum and routines and the Individual Education Program (IEP) comprise a student's full educational program.

the IEP for a student qualifying for special education services is not the student's curriculum.

Curriculum and instruction based upon these principles are often not in place for students with the most extensive needs, including those with significant cognitive disabilities (Wehmeyer, Shogren & Kurth, 2021). Therefore, this process focuses upon application for those students. Students who qualify to receive special education services, especially those with more intensive needs, have ended up with the IEP being their program and being seen not as a general education student but as a special education student only, when in fact, each and every child is a general education student. In addition, when a student qualifies for special education services, those services are to be provided in collaboration with general educators to support access and progress in the general education curriculum AND on their IEP goals. The IEP is intended to support a student's progress in general education curriculum and routines, as well as other essential skills that support a student's independence or interdependence across school, home, and other community environments. A comprehensive inclusive education program based upon these principles is important because without that focus, a student's learning opportunities and school and post-school outcomes are diminished. In order to create an effective comprehensive inclusive education program, collaboration between general educators, special educators, and families is needed.

This planning process is based on a vision and expectation that each student can actively participate, belong, contribute, and learn in the school and larger community. These expectations benefit each individual student as well as the larger community, resulting in more diverse, vibrant, and caring environments that embrace and celebrate the contributions of each to the whole.

IEP Planning Process

The planning process consists of four parts:

1. An initial collaborative conversation between general and special educators and the family to address the context and content of general education curriculum and instruction, as well as support for students with extensive needs as a member of the general education classroom.

2. A discussion of specific considerations for creating an inclusive IEP. This discussion will include the student's IEP team, including special education, general education, family, specialized instructional support personnel, student, and peers.

3. Based upon the outcomes of the inclusive IEP discussion, an "Education Day-at-a-Glance" is created and shared with all members of the team.

4. The team, including teachers, family members, and specialized instructional support personnel, will agree upon a process for ongoing collaboration during the year and support of one another and the student.

Inclusive IEP Planning Worksheet

See the planning worksheet to guide you and your team through this process.

Part 1: Initial Collaborative Conversation

1. At any time during the year before the team engages in the IEP development process, ensure that there have been initial collaborative conversations between:

general and special educators and the family to ensure understanding of the assumptions underlying the comprehensive inclusive education program and why they are important. Those assumptions are:

Each child is a general education student.

The general education curriculum and routines and the IEP comprise a student's full educational program.

The IEP for a student qualifying for special education services is not the student's curriculum.

general education and special education teachers about the expectations and routines in the general education classroom and the general education standards, units, and objectives that will be addressed across the school year. (It is recommended that this discussion happens prior to the beginning of the school year and is summarized at the IEP meeting).

general education and special education teachers and the family of the student with extensive support needs focused on how the student communicates, their strengths, interests, present levels of performance across general education content areas and other essential skills, and effective instructional strategies including peer support.

the family and teachers to provide an opportunity for the family/student to share their vision related to the student working, living, playing, and contributing to the community now, and in the future.

Part 2: Discussion of Considerations to Create the Inclusive IEP

2a. Identifying Goals based on the Three Major Learning Components

All students, regardless of whether they have a disability or not, have learning opportunities throughout the day related to three major learning components:

Participating in Routines and Transitions

Engaging in Grade-Level Academics and Other Essential Skills

Interacting with Others

These components are important in the education of all students and contribute to supporting the realization of belonging, active participation, contributing, and learning in the short and long term. In order for the student's IEP to be viewed as part of (rather than the whole of) their educational program, use the three major learning components to frame and develop no more than six-to-eight IEP goals that address priorities for the student as a member of general education.

The question prompts for each of the three major learning components in the next table can be useful for developing inclusive IEP goals as well as special education supports, service delivery, and specially designed instruction (SDI). There are also questions to ask the student for their input. The student may also wish to invite some classmates to participate in the discussion. Often friends have perspectives that enhance learning and connection to others.

Participating in Routines and Transitions(1-2 goals)

What are the key routines and transitions in the general education classroom and across the school day?

What skills/goals could the student be supported to achieve that would enable them to independently/ interdependently engage in general education classroom and school routines and transitions? For example:

materials management

transitions between activities

general classroom operation (for example, lunch count, attendance)

being prepared, starting, and ending tasks

going from large group to small group activities

transitions within the building, as well as coming to and leaving school

Student Questions (possibly with help from family or peers)

What does a day look like for you? What is your schedule and routines?

What helps you best be a part of your school community? Home? Larger community?

Are there other activities you would like to join?

Are there other routines you'd like to take on? Why would you prioritize those activities?

Engaging in Grade-level Academics & Other Essential Skills (2-3 goals)

What are the big ideas, essential vocabulary, and skills taught in reading, math, writing, social studies, and science this school year? (Refer to your state standards or corestandards.org )

What big ideas, essential vocabulary, and skills could be prioritized that would enable the student to make the most progress in the curriculum in each content area? See sample goals/ objectives below.

What are essential skills that the student needs that will enable better access to the curriculum and support independence/ interdependence across environments? (For example, foundational academics, technology, self-advocacy, self-agency in terms of behavioral supports needed.)
Student Questions (possibly with help from family or peers)

What are some classes, subjects, or activities you enjoy and feel successful being a part of?

What are some classes, subjects, or activities you think you would enjoy, but maybe have not yet tried?

What are some classes or subjects that feel more challenging?

What makes those classes more successful or challenging?

What helps you best learn and participate at school? At home and in the community?

Interacting with Others (1-2 goals)

What skills/goals could the student be supported to achieve that would enable them to independently/ interdependently interact and communicate with others to:

self-advocate, have their needs met?

engage in learning tasks?

socialize and build friendships?

Student Questions (possibly with help from family or peers)

What do you enjoy most about school?

What activities do you enjoy outside of school?

Share about your friendships and relationships.

Do you feel like you would like more/different friends and relationships in addition to those you already have? If so, why?

What are your interests?

How do you prefer to communicate with others?

If you had a choice, would you prefer doing activities with large groups or small groups of people?

Example of a goal and short-term objective: (goal may be adapted based on individual's strengths/needs and baseline present levels of performance):

Goal: When given a general education class setting, "student" will master a minimum of 2 essential understandings/big ideas, 2 vocabulary words/terms, and 2 facts/concepts/skills within each unit of study in English Language Arts (ELA), across a quarter as measured by classroom assignments/activities and teacher made assessments.
Short Term Objectives

"Student" will demonstrate understanding of a minimum of 1 big idea, vocabulary word, or a fact/concept/skill via probe questions/activities conducted twice per week in the context of daily assignments/activities during ELA, as noted by staff records by ________.

"Student" will demonstrate understanding of a minimum of 2 big ideas, 2 vocabulary words, and 2 facts/concepts/skills via probe questions/activities conducted twice per week in the context of daily assignments/activities during ELA, as noted by staff records by _______.

2b. Do the family, student, or peers see opportunities for addressing any of these priorities outside of the school day?

Overarching Priority Areas:

Participating in routines and transitions

Engaging in grade-level academics and other essential skills

Interacting with others

If so, how, where, and when?
2c. Inclusive Service delivery/LRE Considerations

Are any special education services provided outside of the general education class? If so, why?

The team will want to consider how to creatively offer most special education services within the general education classroom, delivered in a flexible way. (For example, using general education teachers, intervention teachers, peers, paraprofessionals, and special education teachers.)

If special education services are not provided in the context of the general education classroom, are flexible learning environments that benefit all students provided? (For example, general pod areas outside the classroom, small group breakout spaces, individual instruction areas for all students.)

2d. Inclusive Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) /Supplementary Aids and Services

How is data being used to inform instruction?

What are the least intrusive supports that can be provided to allow the student to experience success in the general education classroom?

Things to consider include:

physical accessibility of school/classroom

instructional accommodations (engaging in instruction and activities)

social/behavioral/communication supports

collaborative support (specifically identify any capacity-building support that will be provided to school staff, families, or peers; Kurth et al., 2019)

If personnel supports are identified as necessary (for example, 1:1 paraprofessional support), consider how supports might be systematically faded in favor of more natural supports such as classroom paraprofessional support, assistive technology or natural peer supports.

2e. In summary, as the team considers the whole educational program that has been created, ask these three questions

1. Will the student experience membership?

2. Will the student be actively participating at school?

3. Will the student be learning the grade-level general education curriculum?

Part 3: Develop the Education Day-at-a-Glance

3a. The Education Day-at-a-Glance provides a format for the team to:

connect the IEP goals and data collection opportunities to the daily schedule, with IEP goals prioritized across the whole day, and

assess which supports/accommodations are most likely to be used across the schedule to support access and learning.

The Education Day-at-a Glance supports effective collaboration among all general and special educators, including specialized instructional support personnel. Everyone can work from the same information which is provided in a concise, targeted way, making it easily communicated when schedules/plans change.

3b. Develop a data collection plan

Goals are embedded into the daily schedule on the Education Day-at-a-Glance so that all team members know when and where data collection opportunities exist. The team will want to determine how frequently data will be collected in order to monitor student learning and achievement and to determine the effectiveness of the instruction and support that are provided. See sample data collection sheets.
Sample data collection sheets
Sample Education Day at a Glance

Blank Education Day at a Glance

Sample Data Collection Sheets

Part 4: Ongoing Education and Support
In order to ensure that the work completed in Parts 1-3 of this process is continually reviewed and revised as needed, the following ongoing collaborative conversations and support tools would be beneficial:

Over the course of the school year, the team will also benefit from the participation of the special educator during grade-level planning meetings in order to understand the grade-level content focus, unit expectations, activities, and evaluation strategies that will be used. The special educator will be able to identify IEP goals that connect to each general education unit. The general education team and the special educator will be better able to revise, identify and put into place adaptations and/or accommodations in the Education Day-at-a-Glance, as neede, that will support the student's access and progress in the general education curriculum and the IEP goals.

Use of the 5-15-45 Tool as a template to support co-planning to create accessible lessons for all, whether teachers have 5, 15, or 45 minutes. The classroom environment (curriculum design, instructional strategies) may create barriers that include: (a) reduced student interest or engagement; (b) lack of adequate opportunities for students to gain background knowledge about the topic, or; (c) inflexible options for students to show what they know. As the team reviews student data, and identifies any barriers to learning and strategies for reducing the barriers and teaching the content, other students or the whole class may also benefit from use of those strategies.

Conclusion

School communities that support the belonging, active participation, contribution, and learning of each and every student enhance a sense of community. The collaborative conversations and action planning described above are well worth that outcome.

How These Parts Fit Together

Here are some tips for understanding the flowchart shown below:

The olive green, double-lined boxes are related to the General Education curriculum.

The purple, dashed boxes are related to the individual student strengths, needs, and present levels.

The solid green boxes are the integration of knowledge about the grade-level, general education curriculum and a student's individual learning needs.

The blue boxes are collaborative processes. Here are the links for each process:

Authors

Terri Vandercook TIES Center, University of Minnesota

Jessica Bowman TIES Center, University of Minnesota

Gail Ghere TIES Center, University of Minnesota

Cassie Martin University of Washington Haring Center for Inclusive Education

RinaMarie Leon-Guerrero University of Washington Haring Center for Inclusive Education

Jennifer Sommerness TIES Center, University of Minnesota

All rights reserved. Any or all portions of this document may be reproduced without prior permission, provided the source is cited as:

Vandercook, T., Bowman, J., Ghere, G., Martin, C., Leon-Guerrero, R., & Sommerness, J. (2021). Comprehensive Inclusive Education: General Education & the Inclusive IEP. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota, TIES Center.

TIES Center is supported through a Cooperative Agreement (#H326Y170004) with the Research to Practice Division, Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education. The Center is affiliated with the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) at the Institute on Community Integration (ICI), College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota. The contents of this report were developed under the Cooperative Agreement from the U.S. Department of Education, but do not necessarily represent the policy or opinions of the U.S. Department of Education or Offices within it. Readers should not assume endorsement by the federal government. Project Officer: Susan Weigert

The National Center on Educational Outcomes leads the TIES Center partnership. There are six additional collaborating partners: Arizona Department of Education, CAST, University of Cincinnati, University of Kentucky, University of North Carolina - Charlotte, and University of North Carolina - Greensboro.

TIES Center

University of Minnesota

Institute on Community Integration

2025 East River Parkway

Minneapolis, MN 55414

Phone: 612-626-1530
www.tiescenter.org
This document is available in alternate formats upon request.

The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity employer and educator.

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Comprehensive Inclusive Education: General Education & the Inclusive IEP | Comprehensive Inclusive Education: General Education & the Inclusive IEP

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The planning process described below is intended to support the creation and provision of a curricular and instructional program based on the acknowledgment that: each child is a general education student. the general education curriculum and routines and the Individual Education Program (IEP) comprise a student's full educational program.

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eOsPJeui-JwelXz0t2mjZasVR96gKunwnbyCDpdN9d4/edit?usp=sharing

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1s2Ryr0cZwsVVaJMv-1k3YG9pIhgfuPON/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=114956161982929241496&rtpof=true&sd=true

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Completing UDL Lessons in multiple buildings.

a. What do we hope to gain from the lessons being done in multiple buildings?

b. What do we envision next steps being?

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Fully inclusive PLCs (inclusive of teachers of sig cog swds)

a. Thoughts on what you would like to see when you visit PHM

b. Any brainstorming around goals for PLC development in Munster for 1-2 years out...

c. Any identified supports for special education teachers entering PLCs possibly for the first time (e.g. what is a PLC, how do they function, foundational assumptions vs. foundational truths)

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1a. Pull IEPs to identify areas of need/growth and areas of strength related to fostering inclusive practices by the end of the year.

a. How many IEPs would you like to pull?

b. Do you have a rubric you will be using to support identifying needs/ strengths?

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MTSS for All: Including the Students with the Most Significant Cognitive Disabilities

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MTSS for All: Including the Students with the Most Significant Cognitive Disabilities

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Take a look at the Belonging reflection tool as well 0 it is within the tool.

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TIES Belonging Resources | Creating communities of belonging for students with significant cognitive disabilities