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“Children that learn together, learn to live together.” A Case For Inclusion Education

“Children that learn together, learn to live together.” A Case For Inclusion Education. Jenne Castellini Nancy Collier Christine DeSimone Kristy Leake. INCLUSION: Philosophy.

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“Children that learn together, learn to live together.” A Case For Inclusion Education

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  1. “Children that learn together, learn to live together.”A Case For Inclusion Education Jenne Castellini Nancy Collier Christine DeSimone Kristy Leake

  2. INCLUSION: Philosophy Inclusion education means that all students in a school, regardless of their strengths or weaknesses in any area, become part of the school community. They are included in the feeling of belonging among other students, teachers and support staff. (Inclusion Philosophy, 1999)

  3. Special Education Inclusion: Making It Work • When the Individuals with Disabilities Act mandated that children with disabilities be educated with children who do not have disabilities, education in the United States changed. (Sharpe, 2005)

  4. How does inclusion benefit children with disabilities?

  5. How else does inclusion benefit disabled students? • Inclusion education improves learning for both the classified and non-classified students. • Children learn to accept individual differences. • Children develop new friendships. • Parent participation improves. • Children with disabilities have the legal right to attend regular classrooms and receive an appropriate education in the least restrictive environment. (Sharpe, 2005)

  6. Children in inclusive classrooms: • demonstrate increased acceptance and appreciation of diversity • develop better communication and social skills • show greater development in moral and ethical principles • create warm and caring friendships • demonstrate increased self-esteem (Children, 1997)

  7. Who benefits from an inclusion classroom? Children with Special Needs • Role models who facilitate communication, social and adaptive behaviors. • Learn motor, communication and other skills in natural settings. • More stimulating environments. • Getting a variety of class schedule gives them skills and knowledge they may not have received outside an inclusion class. • Opportunities to make new friends and share new experiences. • Membership/Sense of purpose or belonging in the classroom and school. • Helps them to become more creative by seeing the ideas of others.

  8. Who else benefits? Children without Special Needs • More accepting of individual differences. • More comfortable with children who have learning disabilities. • Acquire leadership skills. • Improved self-esteem. • Diversity of friendships. • Encourages cooperation and tolerance.

  9. Teachers of Inclusion Awareness and appreciation of individual differences in all children. Access to specialists and resources to help all children. Learn new teaching techniques that can help all children. More understanding of child development. Work with more diverse group of children. Parents More encouraged to actively participate in community. Awareness of disabilities. Knowledge of typical development. Ability to receive additional help, instruction and information. Who benefits from inclusion? (continued) (Inclusion: The Right Answer?, 2003)

  10. Proof that inclusion can work…one school’s success story… Creating Inclusive Schools For All Students Article Summary Causton-Theoharis, J., & Theoharis, G. (2008). Creating Inclusive Schools For All Students. The School Administrator .

  11. “Inclusive school reform with positive results.” (Theoharis and Theoharis 2008) • Background of a program with positive results • George Theoharis, co-author of the article, was the former principal at Falk Elementary School in Madison, Wisconsin. • School size approximately 500 students • Inclusive education at Falk Elementary meant all children would be included in the general education population. • “All kids, and I mean all kids — kids with significant disabilities, kids with autism, kids with serious behavior issues, kids with learning disabilities, kids in wheelchairs, kids who were high flyers, kids who were learning English — each and every child needed to be an essential member of the classroom and school community.” (Theoharis and Theoharis 2008)

  12. Facets of the inclusion program • Same staff was used before full inclusion was implemented. • No additional funding was allocated for the inclusion process. • Co-teaching and planning were fundamental to success of inclusion. • Inclusion permeated every aspect of the school from scheduling to the physical layout of classrooms. • Incorporated a community-building based program called Tribes.

  13. Positive results of inclusion at Falk Elementary School… • On the state reading test, Falk went from testing 78 percent of its students to testing 98 percent. (Theoharis and Theoharis 2008) • This chart shows the major gains in four major subgroups in reading proficiency before and after full inclusion implementation at Falk Elementary.

  14. Suggestions, Implications and Conclusions… • Full inclusion helped Falk meet AYP. Many schools do not meet AYP because students with disabilities are not having their needs met in an non-inclusion setting. • Administrators must move special needs students to the forefront of all discussions and placements within a general education setting. • Training, planning time, differentiated instruction and resources are essential for faculty and staff to create inclusion classrooms that will benefit both general and special education students alike.

  15. Perspectives on Inclusion Local Global Societal Academic

  16. Why Inclusion Works: A Global Perspective from the Centre for Studies on Inclusion Education, Bristol, England Human rights: There are no legitimate reasons to separate children for their education. The advantages of being educated together benefit everyone. Good education: Research shows children perform more successfully in settings that are academically and socially integrated. Inclusive education is a more efficient use of educational resources with consistent commitment and support. (Ten Reasons For Inclusion, 1998)

  17. Why Inclusion Works: A Societal Perspective from the Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Educations (Information on Curriculum Modifications and Adaptations, 2002) In the inclusive classroom, all students with disabilities are assigned to age-appropriate grades in heterogeneous classrooms. Students grouping and regrouping during the course of the day is based on the individual interests and skills of all students, not on the disability labels. The provision of supports for inclusions students such as instructional, curricular, behavioral, are viewed as a school-wide need. Planned and structured activities are in place to promote social inclusion and friendship development.

  18. Inclusion works because . . . Students are provided enhanced opportunities to learn from each other’s contributions. All other necessary services are provided within the school environment. Children are taught to understand and accept human differences. Friendships are encouraged between non-disabled and disabled students. It provides an appropriate individuated education program for each student. (Information on Curriculum Modifications and Adaptations, 2002) Why Inclusion Works: The UniversityPerspective/Syracuse University

  19. A Case For Inclusion: A District PerspectiveNorthern Burlington County Regional School District In 2005, Northern Burlington County Regional School District formed an ICS Committee to develop guidelines and resources for inclusion classes for the purpose of accomplishing the following goals: 1) to show compliance by the district with NJ state regulations regarding special education 2) to establish accountability for the education of our inclusion students 3) to establish consistency in the educational programs of special education students and 4) to clarify the roles and responsibilities of the content specialist and the learning specialist in the ICS classroom. Why has inclusion been successful at NBCR? Check out the next slide to find out why!

  20. Lessons between the content specialist and learning specialist are structured so that all students become more actively involved. Connections are made with prior knowledge, other subject areas, careers and student interests. An array of teaching strategies are established in a collaborative teaching model so as to address students with different learning styles. Both teachers assume a visible, active role in the instructional program and students view both teachers as significant, integral components of the daily classroom operations. The learning specialist takes the lead responsibility for modifications of tests, textbook entries, workbooks, study guide and worksheets. The content specialist takes the lead for direct instruction and implementation of the core content standards and curriculum goals. NBCR, Continued . . .

  21. Reflections on Inclusion… (They're Just Kids: The Importance of Inclusion, 1998)

  22. Conclusions: Who? • Everyone! Inclusion can be a positive learning experience for all involved: educators, general and special education students, as well as the community.

  23. Conclusions: What? • Inclusion is the integrating of special education and general education students in the same age group in one classroom.

  24. Conclusions: Where/When? • Where-Classrooms and communities everywhere. Everyone everywhere benefits from respecting differences. • When- Since IDEA declared every child should be in their least restrictive environment.

  25. Conclusions: Why? • To increase awareness of differences, confidence, and knowledge of all. • Creating learning and social situations that promote life skills, and exposure to many different situations has been studied and proven to work. • Proven to be beneficial academically, socially, logically and cognitively.

  26. Conclusions: How? • By grouping those of the same age together to learn. • Through social experiences and learning activities.

  27. For further information… • Please visit the site below for ideas on creating inclusive communities. • http://www.pbs.org/parents/inclusivecommunities/differences.html

  28. References • Children, N. A. (1997). The Benefits of an Inclusive Education: Making It Work. Retrieved October 8, 2008, from Kid Source On-line: http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content3/inclusion.p.k12.3.html • Erwin, E., & Soodak, L. (n.d.). Respecting Differences: Everyday Ways To Teach Children About Respect. Retrieved October 10, 2008, from Inclusive Communities: http://www.pbs.org/parents/inclusivecommunities/differences.html • Inclusion Philosophy. (1999). Retrieved October 6, 2008, from Inclusion: http://www.uni.edu/coe/inclusion/ • Inclusion: The Right Answer? (2003). Retrieved October 7, 2008, from Pros of Inclusion: http://xruffrydr9.tripod.com/inclusiontherightanswer/id17.html • Information on Curriculum Modifications and Adaptations. (2002). Retrieved October 8, 2008, from Information on Special Education: http://www.spedlawyers.com/information_on_modifications_and_adaptations.htm#INCLUSION%20IN%20EDUCATION: • Sharpe, W. (2005). Special Education Inclusion: Making It Work. Retrieved October 8, 2008, from Education World: http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr320.shtml • Ten Reasons For Inclusion. (1998). Retrieved October 8, 2008, from Information on Inclusive Education: http://www.spedlawyers.com/info_on_inclusive_ed.htm • They're Just Kids: The Importance of Inclusion. (1998). Retrieved October 9, 2008, from Discovery Education Streaming: http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=39F18BF9-44C8-4096-890A-F5F54F04DEE9&blnFromSearch=1

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