Teachers Role in Inclusive Education

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Teachers Role in Inclusive Education
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Criticisms of Special Education

• Hockenbury, Kauffman Hallahan, 2000
• It is a place that should become a service
• It is a separate system but should be an
  integrated system
• It identifies stigmatizes children but should
  be offered without labels
• It has no particularly effective methods could
  be replaced by good general education

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Criticisms of Special Education, contd.

• It returns few children to general education but
  should return most
• It has changed incrementally but should be
  radically reformed
• It is needed now but should not be needed if
  general education is reformed

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Criticisms of Special Education, contd.

• Stigmatizes by overuse of language
• Danforth refers to it as the validation trap
• Fulcher identifies the resultant power
  differentials as a weapon to exclude calls
  the process a discursive social practice
• Dis-empowers parents children
• Skrtic views it as anchored within a
  functionalist approach based on
• Theory of human pathology
• Theory of organizational rationality
• Wait to fail approach

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Inclusive Education

• Argued
• Civil liberties - human rights, Charter of Rights
  Freedoms, Equal Opportunities Legislation
• Social justice - inherent moral worth, provision
  of opportunities to compete in society
• Programming effectiveness
• Maximized learning
• Career planning
• Social skills
• Cost effectiveness
• Global culture in an inclusive society

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Cultural Values Special Education

• In our language we have no word for problem. We
  see things as opportunities to find a different
  way. Inuit Elder
• The role of elders is not to show kids their
  weakness but rather to help them find their
  strength and then discover how they can use
  this strength to help the community. Inuit
  Elder

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Paradigm Shift

• Special Education
• Whats wrong with the child
• Focus on deficits
• Prescriptive
• Diagnoses diversity
• Tolerates differences
• Take child out
• Resource building
• Rely on expert teacher

• Inclusive Education
• Whats wrong with the environment
• Focus on strategies
• Malleable
• Values diversity
• Embraces differences
• Keep child in
• Capacity building
• Teacher/parent as expert

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Resultant Shift in Assessment

• Old
• Summative
• Quantitative
• Deficit based
• Tolerates differences
• Prescriptive
• Expert centred
• Static
• Linear view of ability
• Individualistic focus on curriculum goals

• New
• Formative
• Qualitative
• Strengths based
• Embraces differences
• Descriptive
• Child/teacher centred
• Fluid
• Multiple views of ability
• Holistic focus on lifespan goals

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Minimal Professional Communication and
Coordination of Services

• large caseloads little time to discuss progress
  and problems with teachers
• time schedules make it difficult to meet with
  teachers
• usually meetings are catch as catch can

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Concerns About Implementing Pull-Out Models

• growing body of work suggests that students with
  disabilities do not benefit from out-of-class
  support
• few positive, and long-lasting effects
• research indicates that students do better in
  regular classrooms
• WHY? - disjointed programs

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LACK OF STUDENT SELF-MANAGEMENT SKILLS

• students perform at deal amount of
  self-regulation/management
• many students have transition difficulties
  moving from one task to another

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COLLABORATIVE SCHOOL CONSULTATION

• Collaborative school consultation is interaction
  in which school personnel and families confer,
  consult, and collaborate as a team to identify
  learning and behavioral needs and to plan,
  implement, evaluate, and revise as needed the
  educational programs that are expected to serve
  those needs.
•  
• Collaboration is an interpersonal style that
  professionals often use in their interactions
  with colleagues, parents, and others. It can
  only exist voluntarily in situations in which
  individuals with parity have identified a mutual
  goal and are willing to share responsibilities,
  resources and accountability.

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COLLABORATIVE CONSULTANT

•  
• A collaborative school consultant is a
  facilitator of effective communication,
  cooperation, coordination who confers, consults,
  and collaborates with school personnel, support
  personnel, and families on a team that addresses
  special learning and behavioral needs of students

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• Consultant
• The consultant contributes specialized expertise
  toward an educational problem
• Consultee
• The consultee delivers direct service utilizing
  that expertise
• Collaboration
• When consultants and consultees assume equal
  ownership of the problem and solutions 
• Teamwork
• Typically creates leader and follower roles

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KEY ELEMENTS IN COLLABORATIVE CONSULTATION

• Voluntary

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KEY ELEMENTS IN COLLABORATIVE CONSULTATION

• ROLES/GOALS
• Role Clarification 
• Role Parity
• Role Expectations
• Mutual goals

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KEY ELEMENTS IN COLLABORATIVE CONSULTATION

• FRAMEWORK
•  
• Structure 
• Resources share time, space and materials
• Management shared responsibility for
  participating and decision making

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KEY ELEMENTS IN COLLABORATIVE CONSULTATION

• EVALUATE
•  
• Assessment 
• Acceptance share accountability for outcomes
• Commitment

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KEY ELEMENTS IN COLLABORATIVE CONSULTATION

• PREPARATION
•  
• Preservice 
• Graduate Certification Degree Programs 
• Inservice and Staff Development

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GUIDELINES FOR INTERNAL PROBLEM - SOLVING

• FOCUS ON THE SYSTEM NOT THE PEOPLE
•  
• LEARN HOW THE CURRENT SYSTEM EVOLVED AND
  HOW IT CONNECTS TO RELATED SYSTEM
•  
• EXPECT THE SYSTEM TO RESIST INTERVENTIONS
  MEANT TO DISRUPT THE STABILITY THE STABILITY
  OF THE CURRENT SYSTEM

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GUIDELINES FOR INTERNAL PROBLEM SOLVING (cont.)

• EVALUATE THE SYSTEM ACCORING TO THE
  ORGANIZATIONS CORE VALUES OR COLLECTIVE
  BELIEF
•  
• THINK WHOLE SYSTEM, LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS AND
  REMAIN PATIENT FOR THE SOLUTION TO TAKE
  EFFECT 
• ANTICIPATE NEW SYSTEM PROBLEMS

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DILEMMAS OF COLLABORATION

• 1. SCHOOL STRUCTURE
•  
• teachers work in physical isolation from other
  teachers
•  
• work with students directive style - difficult
  to change when working with colleagues

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DILEMMAS OF COLLABORATION

• 2. PROFESSIONAL SOCIALIZATION
• training may encourage a belief that working in
  isolation is the role of the professional
•  
• training you handle problems yourself if
  cant refer it is no longer your problem

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COLLABORATION EXPECTATIONS

• 1. REGULAR EDUCATION TEACHERS
• at least one regular classroom teacher
  
• must participate in the IEP team
• 2. LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT
• students should receive education in a
  regular classroom and requires justification
  for any placement that is not regular classroom.
  
• Suggests regular and special ed. teachers work
  together

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COLLABORATION EXPECTATIONS

• 3. ASSESSMENT PROCESS 
• parents have role parent consent for assessment
  does not constitute consent for sp. class
  placement
• parents on-going communication
• 4. TRANSITION
• involves students and parents other
  professionals

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COLLABORATION EXPECTATIONS

• 5. DISCIPLINE AND BEHAVIOR SUPPORT PLANS 
• functional assessment and behavioral support is
  required
• requires many professionals and parents
  gathering data, identifying the problem,
  designing alternative interventions, implementing
  them and evaluation

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COLLABORATION EXPECTATIONS

• 6. PARAPROFESSIONALS 
• must receive appropriate training and supervision
•  
• 7. MEDIATION/DISPLUTE RESOLUTION 
• strategy for resolving disputes

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VOCABULARY

• PROGRAM BELIEFS
• Least Restrictive Environment 
• Integration 
• Mainstreaming
• Inclusion

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VOCABULARY

• SERVICE DELIVERY OPTIONS
• Intervention Assistance Teams 
• Co-teaching
• Consultation

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VOCABULARY

• INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES
•  
• Peer tutoring 
• Adaptive instruction
• Modified curriculum

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OTHER CONSIDERATIONS -- COLLABORATION

• 1. PERSONAL COMMITMENT
• 2. COMMUNICATION SKILLS
• 3. INSTRUCTIONAL PROCESSES
• 4. PROGRAMS OR SERVICES
• 5. CONTEXT

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A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH CHECKLIST FOR
CREATING AN INCLUSIVE SYSTEM

• FOR PARENTS
• FOR REGULAR CLASSROOM TEACHERS
• FOR LOCAL BOARDS AND LOCAL SCHOOL
  ADMINISTRATORS
• FOR SPECIAL EDUCATORS (TEACHERS AND
  ADMINISTRATORS)
• FOR SPECIALISTS/CONSULTANTS 
• FOR PROVINCIAL/FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS
• FOR UNIVERSITIES

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Checklist

• FOR PARENTS
• offer teachers support and tips on working with
  your child
• request neighbourhood school placement
• become active in parent/school association
  childs inclusion
• become active in after-school programs reaffirm
  childs inclusion

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Checklist (cont.)

• FOR REGULAR CLASSROOM TEACHERS
• seek assistance from other professionals,
  emphasizing a cooperative or team teaching
  approach for all students
• explore/observe a variety of teaching methods to
  learn different ways of meet your student needs
• accept that not all students cover the same
  materials at the same time and that a variety
  of curricula are equally valid
• above all, be flexible, OK to make mistakes

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Checklist (cont.)

• FOR LOCAL BOARDS AND LOCAL SCHOOL ADMINS.
• place priority of teacher training in an
  inclusive system teachers will need ongoing
  training on how to work with a diverse student
  population impt that training is tailored to
  each schools needs not one generic program
  that fit the entire school division
• inclusive ed should be integrated into
  everything the division does hiring policies,
  evaluation instruments, architectural planning
  and construction, etc.
• students should be identified by the types of
  services they receive not by their
  placements/medical-type diagnosis

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Checklist (cont.)

• FOR SPECIAL EDUCATORS (TEACHERS, CONSULTANTS,
  AND ADMINISTRATORS)
• Recognize that the best service a special
  educator can provide a student is to enable the
  student to function independently in the real
  world.
• Define their role as enriching or supplementing
  the regular program through consultation and
  in-class support rather than providing an
  alternative program

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Checklist (cont.)

• FOR PROVINCIAL/FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS
• create a link between special education funding
  and regular education funding -- remove
  requirements that students be labeled to receive
  services -- rather, when students are identified
  for services, should be based on educational
  needs
• adopt new funding categories that do not
  encourage over-identification of students with
  special needs
• provide funding to train special education
  specialists/consultants

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Checklist (cont.)

• FOR UNIVERSITIES
• endorse inclusion provide courses in inclusion

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LIMITING FACTORS

• Range of variability - teachers have some
  difficulties with large numbers of individual
  differences 
• Teacher training not trained to manage special
  needs student in regular classrooms
• Impact on others -
• costs
• health and safety
• alternative grading system

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ESSENTIAL INSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS

• engage in teacher-directed instruction
• provide students with opportunities for active
  academic responsibility
• high rates of contingent reinforcement
• adapt teaching strategies to accommodate
  individual differences

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COLLABORATION

•  
• A. SHARED DECISION-MAKING 
• B. INTER-AGENCY COPPERATION

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STRATEGIES FOR IMPLEMENTING

• Easy to implement
• Be used for any student performing procedure
• Based on regular curriculum
• Useful for group instructions 
• Include direct instruction

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GOAL OF COLLABORATION AND
CONSULTATION

• Find additional ways to teach student
• Resistance from teachers
• lack of administrative support
• inadequate time for consultation

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COLLABORATION

• Voluntary
• parity among participants
• mutual goals
• shared responsibility
• share resources
• share accountability and outcomes

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Factors - Successful Collaboration

• Teacher attitudes
• Administrative support
• Communication skills
• Teacher personality
• Time 
• Training
• Degree of students disability

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Factors Hinder Collaboration

• Teacher attitudes
• Lack of time
• Teacher personality 
• Lack of training
• Poor communication skills
• Lack of administrative support 
• Degree of students disability

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• Traditional and Inclusive Classrooms
• - overhead/handout

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Making Adaptations and Record Keeping

• 1. Document the students characteristics,
  behaviors, and needs and strengths
• 2. Analyze the demands of your classroom
• 3. Observe the student in the classroom
• 4. Reread the students file, test results,
  psychological reports, attendance records and
  comments by previous teachers
• (cont)

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Making Adaptations and Record Keeping (cont.)

• 5. Consult the protocol for identifying
  exceptional students
• 6. Talk with the resource teacher. Share
  observational notes
• 7. Ask the resource teacher for suggestions and
  resources, including community associations. Plan
  pre-referral interventions, inform the principal.
  The resource teacher may observe the student in
  your classroom

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Making Adaptations and Record Keeping (cont.)

• 8. Contact the parents to share your concerns and
• ideas. Listen to the parents.
• 9. Make pre-referral adaptations, keep brief
  records
• Analyze your records and make
  recommendations.
• 10. Focus on needs and strengths, and what works
  
• adaptations
• Look for patterns is there a need for
  further
• assessments or additional services

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Role of the Classroom Teacher and
Paraprofessionals

• Inform teacher assistants of classroom procedures
  and roles and methods of classroom management
• In collaboration with teacher assistants,
  discussing and clarifying specific job functions
  based upon the needs of the students 
• Documenting job functions. Ensure principal has
  a copy
• If student is absent reschedule TA

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Role of the Classroom Teacher and
Paraprofessionals (cont.)

• Ensuring communication with TA is documented
  log-books, regular meetings
• Modeling the confidentiality of the
  student-school relationship
• Resolving conflict with TA at the classroom
  level, school level second and school board
  third.

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• THE ROLE OF THE CLASSROOM TEACHER
• IN IDENTIFYING NEEDS OF EXCEPTIONAL
  LEARNERS

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THE ROLE OF THE CLASSROOM TEACHER (cont.)

• CONCERN
• DOCUMENT
• STUDENT CHARACTERISTICS, BEHAVIOURS, NEEDS
• STUDENT STRENGTHS
• ANALYZE CLASSROOM,
• OBSERVE STUDENT IN YOUR CLASSROOM 
• REREAD STUDENTS FILES, PSYCH. REPORTS,
  ATTENDANCE RECORD, COMMENTS BY TEACHERS
• CONSULT PROTOCOL FOR IDENTIFYING
  EXCEPTIONAL STUDENTS

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THE ROLE OF THE CLASSROOM TEACHER (cont.)

• TALK WITH RESOURCE TEACHER,
• SHARE INFO./OBSERVATION NOTES
• DOCUMENTATION
• IDEAS OF HOW TO WORK WITH STUDENT
• ASK RESOURCE TEACHER FOR SUGGESTIONS AND
  RESOURCES
• PLAN PRE-REFERRAL INTERVENTIONS
• INFORM PRINCIPAL, SCHOOL COUNSELLOR
• RESOURCE TEACHER MAY OBSERVE STUDENT IN
  YOUR CLASSROOM

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THE ROLE OF THE CLASSROOM TEACHER (cont.)

• CONTACT THE PARENTS TO SHARE YOUR CONCERNS
  AND IDEAS FOR PRE-REFERRAL INTERVENTIONS
• LISTEN TO PARENTS
• INVOLVE RESOURCE TEACHER (WITH PARENTS)
• EXAMINE SCHOOL/DIVISION PROTOCOL (CONTACT
  PARENTS FIRST ??)
• MAKE PRE-REFERRAL ADAPTATIONS, KEEP BRIEF
  RECORDS
• USE ADAPT
• REFLECT ON YOUR TEACHING (WHAT IS YOUR
  ROLE IN THIS?)

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THE ROLE OF THE CLASSROOM TEACHER (cont.)

• ANALYZE YOUR RECORDS AND MAKE
  RECOMMENDATIONS
• LOOK FOR PATTERNS
• IS THERE A NEED FOR FURTHER TESTING?