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Inclusion Action Plan

Ellie Kolodzieski

Viterbo University

March 2014

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Current Inclusion Practices

This Inclusion Action Plan is for Lake Superior Intermediate School in Ashland, WI
covering third, fourth, and fifth grade. In some respects we currently practice a fair amount of
inclusion. However, there are areas where it could be greatly increased. All of our students with
special needs are placed under a general education teacher. As much as possible, these students
are placed in the regular education classroom.
Our days start with morning meeting a Responsive Classroom approach that sets the
tone for the day while unifying the students. Students with more severe disabilities (such as
those on the higher end of the autism spectrum) are often brought into the classrooms with
assistants at this time and then return to their special education room afterwards. Students who
are severe in a behavioral manner usually stay in a special education room all day. For these
students, general education instruction takes place in the students special education room.
If the student has less severe disabilities, such as a learning disability, they have a
scheduled time to go to the special education room and participate in either an intervention or
whole group instruction. The intervention is either done one on one or in a small group of
around three students. Whole group instruction involves large groups of special education
students together.
Special education teachers do not go into the regular education classroom to provide
instruction. Even though our school practices some methods of inclusion, we go by the theory of
special education being a place. I wouldnt say that we dont consider it a service though. We
have some excellent special education teachers who are limited by the restrictions our school has
placed upon them as well as being the recipient of some misnomers of what inclusion actually
involves.
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SWOT Analysis

Strengths
Accessible building whole school is on one level, no stairs going in or out, all
bathrooms are accessible
Technology we have SmartBoards in each classroom, and iPads, Chrome Books, and
laptop carts that can be checked out from the library
Our school has regularly received the New Wisconsin Promise award, which allots funds
towards Title I
Common planning time for each grade level team is scheduled at specific times on a daily
basis
An efficient number of special education paraprofessionals are assigned to students
Assistive technology is available to students with disabilities (i.e. voice output devices)
Staff receptive to professional development
Open communication between general education teachers and Title I and Special
Education teachers is present
Weaknesses
Limited understanding of inclusion by administration, staff and families
No common planning time for general education staff with special education or Title I
staff
Negative attitudes towards inclusion, possibly due to lack of knowledge related to
inclusion
Limited professional growth opportunities
High turnover of new staff
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Limited funding related to interventions and assistive technology
Title I budget cuts which equates to less staff as well as a limited budget on supplies and
technology (we lost 1.0 FT Title I employee this school year and our budget was cut)
Lack of parent support
Limited resources due to low poverty
Lack of transitional support
Opportunities
Provide professional growth opportunities related to inclusion
Provide disability awareness for staff, students, and parents
Analyze current structure of inclusion
Increase opportunities for use of assistive technology for students
Apply for grants towards assistive technology
Community opportunities for disability awareness
Increase presence of special education and Title I staff within the classroom (co-teaching)
New evaluating system is being implemented Effective Evaluation, may help to
increase practice of inclusion
Create a common planning time between general education and special education
teachers
Threats
Funding cuts for Title I and special education
Teachers unwilling to practice inclusion
Tolerance and lack of acceptance with students (or their parents) who do not have
disabilities
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Unacknowledged needs and issues may turn into significant disconnects for inclusion
Safety of all students and staff involved
Distracted staff by other professional interests, such as implementing Common Core, RtI,
Effective Evaluation etc.; this might threaten the priority of inclusion
May disrupt education of students without disabilities
Inclusion might not be the best environment for a student with disabilities
Lack of qualified teachers and staff i.e. new staff might not be able to properly
implement inclusion

Inclusion Stakeholders
Students who have disabilities
Students who do not have disabilities, but would be in an inclusion class
Special education teachers
Title I teachers
General education teachers
Principals
Administrators
Parents of students who have disabilities
Parents of students who do not have disabilities
Community members who present or work in the school
The community in general


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Goals with Activities and Strategies

Goal #1: To practice co-teaching between general education teachers and special education/
Title I teachers.




Recommended
Strategies/Activities
Current % Goal % Materials/
Resources Needed?
(What?)
Who will
Implement?
(Who?)
Target Date for
Implementation
(When?)
Evaluation
(Did it
happen?)

Co-teaching will
be practiced
among general
education
teachers, special
education
teachers, and Title
I teachers.

To do this, we
will need to have
a common
planning time on
a weekly basis
between all
teachers involved.

The common
planning time will
be used to
collaborate on
lessons and
teaching them
with inclusion in
mind.

Teachers will
have had to go
through inclusion
training.


Approxi-
mately 15%
of Title I
teaching
time is spent
co-teaching
and 0% of
special
education
teaching
time is spent
co-teaching.

Increase co-
teaching up
to 40% for
reading
classes with
Title I
teachers and
50% for both
reading and
math classes
with special
education
teachers.

A dedicated
weekly meeting
time will need
to be scheduled
for teachers
involved.

Scheduling of
when and what
classes to be co-
taught will need
to be created.

Collaboration of
lesson material
and
implementation
of inclusion
will be
completed.

General
education
teachers, Title
I teachers, and
special
education
teachers will
need to
collaborate and
schedule
together.


To be
implemented
in the fall of
2014-2015
school year.

Target
implemen-
tation date
has not yet
occurred.
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Goal #2: To provide professional development regarding inclusion.

Recommended
Strategies/Activities
Current % Goal % Materials/Resources
Needed? (What?)
Who will
Implement?
(Who?)
Target Date for
Implementation
(When?)
Evaluation
(Did it
happen?)

All teachers and
staff will go
through
professional
development in
order to
implement
inclusion in our
school.

Title I and
special education
teachers will
attend a more
intensive training
on inclusion.

Title I and
special education
teachers will
create a shorter
presentation/
training for the
rest of the staff.

Follow-up
questionnaires
will be provided
to teachers on
how inclusion is
being used in
their classroom.




Approxi-
mately 50%
of teachers
have had
some
training in
inclusion,
however
much of this
is outdated
and all staff
will need to
get current
training in
inclusion.


100% of
teachers
and staff,
including
encore
teachers
(gym,
music, art)
and support
staff.

Title I and special
education teachers
will attend a day-
long workshop on
inclusion through
our local CESA.

Funding will have
to be provided for
the cost of the
training as well as
time off for
professional leave.
Special education
teachers will need
to make
arrangements with
substitute teachers.

A school-wide
meeting will have
to be scheduled
and those who
attended the
workshop will
need to create a
presentation/
training for the rest
of the staff.

A questionnaire
will be developed
to use with
classroom
teachers.


Title I and
special
education
teachers will
partake in a
day-long
training on
inclusion.

All other staff
will be
presented
with a
condensed
version in an
all-staff
meeting.

Title I and
special
education
teachers will
be used as
go-to people
with questions
related to
inclusion.
They will also
be responsible
for using
answers from
the
questionnaire
to best meet
the needs of
their students.


To be
implemented
in the fall of
2014-2015
school year.

Target
implemen-
tation date
has not yet
occurred.

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Goal #3: To implement disability awareness in our school.


Recommended
Strategies/Activities
Current % Goal % Materials/Resources
Needed? (What?)
Who will
Implement?
(Who?)
Target Date for
Implementation
(When?)
Evaluation
(Did it
happen?)

Disability
awareness
activities will be
brought into each
classroom after
teachers have
been provided
materials and
instructions.

In school, we
will implement
Friends Who
Care, a disability
awareness
program created
by Easter Seals.

Teachers would
first be trained
on the program
and then required
to implement the
program in their
classroom.

We will also
implement Circle
of Friends to
build friendships
between students
with and without
disabilities.


Currently,
there are no
(0%)
classrooms
implement-
ing
disability-
awareness
specific
activities.

We are
currently
not
implement-
ing Circle of
Friends.

To have all
(100%)
classrooms
implement-
ing
disability
awareness
exercises.


The disability
awareness program
(aimed at students
with and without
disabilities) through
Easter Seals
entitled Friends
Who Care. This is
available to
download online,
for free.

Teachers would
need an initial brief
training on the
program and then
would need to
schedule seven
units of 45 minutes
each with their
classes. These can
be taught during
one week or spread
out further. Classes
may choose to work
together for
implementation.

Training for a lead
staff in Circle of
Friends, which
involves volunteer
students who do not
have disabilities
working with
students who do.



All general
education
teachers in
3
rd
, 4
th
, and
5
th
grade will
implement
Friends Who
Care.

A teacher
will head up
Circle of
Friends and
recruit
students who
do not have
disabilities to
partake in
activities
with students
who do have
disabilities.

To be
implemented
during the
2014-2015
school year.

Target
implemen-
tation date
has not yet
occurred.

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Reflection

Our school is currently focusing on Response to Intervention, understanding and
implementing Common Core Standards, as well as starting a new evaluation system, Effective
Evaluation. Therefore, inclusion is not a high priority at our school. After taking this class, I see
how important inclusion and disability awareness are for our school. RtI definitely relates to
inclusion, so I am hopeful that inclusion will be seen as an important goal to reach. Through our
implementation of RtI, we can include inclusion as a part of this.
The goals I have set regarding disability awareness and professional development may be
hard to attain due to the high priority of other district goals. The idea of co-teaching between
Title I staff and general education staff has been discussed, but not yet required. To further
complicate matters, our principal and our curriculum director (who is also in charge of Title I
staff) are both retiring this year. With a new principal and a new curriculum director, it may be
quite challenging to get some of my goals rolling.
Since co-teaching has already been brought up for discussion, I think our district should
be able to focus on this by beginning lightly and then increased as the year goes on. Constant
communication between all staff will help with this matter. The disability awareness programs I
mentioned should be fairly easy to accomplish. Particularly Friends Who Care; I would love to
be the instigator of this program. Hopefully, we will be able to have inclusion training approved
and can then bring this back to our district to positively increase our inclusion program.