A Bigger Vision…

Paula Kluth, Ph.D.

paula.kluth@gmail.comwww.paulakluth.com

“Paula Kluth”

&HCPSS2010

“The most visionary man I ever met…”

Even my vision should have been bigger

than my vision!

The “7 Tenets of Successful Inclusive Schools”

[jointly created by Paula Kluth & Howard County staff and administrators]

1. See Inclusion as a PROCESS

(Placement is the most extreme “adaptation”!)

• Over, under, around or through

• Find a way– or make a way!

We tried inclusion & “it” didn’t work

Spencer’s Story

Percentage of Students With IntellectualDisabilities Included in Regular Education Classrooms More Than 79% of the Time

Smith, P. 20071. Vermont 60.342. New Hampshire 42.023. Iowa 34.284. Colorado 31.205. North Dakota 26.6411. Indiana 15.9024. Delaware 9.5625. West Virginia 8.8228. New York 8.3529. Maryland 8.3030. Washington 8.2331. California 8.1432. Georgia 7.5233. Wisconsin 7.2639. Texas 4.2047. Illinois 3.9648. Rhode Island 3.2949. Virginia 3.2850. Utah 2.22

magic maple syrup?

If LRE is about a student’s profile (abilities, needs, “levels”), how can the discrepancies between the states be explained?

Percent Scoring at or Above Grade Level

Students' Current Grade Level Before inclusive reform Two years after reform

All 5th graders 55 66

5th graders with disabilities 18 43

All 6th graders 54 72

6th graders with disabilities 18 53

All 7th graders 56 78

7th graders with disabilities 29 70

All 8th graders 48 62

8th graders with disabilities 8 40

Note. These data follow the same student cohorts over three years. Data listed in the "Before inclusive reform" column reflect each student cohort's scores two years before its current grade level (for example, data from 3rd grade for students listed as currently in 5th grade). River View also made gains at each grade level from year to year (for example, comparing one 5th grade class to the next 5th grade class).

Two years later…

Math Achievement of River View Students (Theoharis & Theoharis, 2010)

2. Presume Competence (Act As If) &

Make the Least Dangerous Assumption

Belief causes the actual fact.William James

What do you believe about students? parents? colleagues? administrators? peers? employers?How do your beliefs impact practice?

She was unaware of my limitations.~Helen Keller

• poet• author• scholar• feminist• political activist• advocate• lecturer• teacher

What is possible?

The special education director said:"She'll be so bored!” "She can have hot chocolate in the life skills classroom!" "French class ?”

French II?I argued that I did not expect Kacie to be fluent in French; I would be happy if she learned ten to twelve words in the semester. 

“Kacie attended 8 classes. Half an hour ago I sat down with her and showed her

the flash cards:– She could  read, interpret and pronounce 36 words– She knew what 8 of them meant & – Attempted pronunciation but did not know the translation for 26

of the words

Kacie is learning French, and loving every minute of it.  In spite of her concerns,

Mrs. Lueck must be doing a great job.  Kacie has already achieved more than

triple my expectations."

Kacie in French? “Oui!”

3. Burn the Chair!:Encourage Independence &

Avoid Toxic Support • Natural supports

• Support the classroom & student success

How do you disable a student?- Lou Brown

It felt like a lot of pressure (being in the inclusive setting) because I . . . didn’t want her (the inclusion student) to disrupt the others and I didn’t want her to disturb the teacher. So I felt responsible for every single little sound she made.” (Marks, Schrader & Levine, 1999)

?????????????????????????????????????????What is the primary challenge in this

scenario? What needs to change (if anything) and who needs to take steps

toward creating that change?

Other Reasons to “Burn the Chair”:

More Problems Related to Instructional Assistant

ProximityGiangreco, M., Edelman, S. Luiselli, &

MacFarland,(1997)

• Separation from Classmates• Dependence on Adults• Impact on Peer Interactions• Loss of Personal Control• Loss of Gender Identity• Interference with Instruction of

Other Students

Ideas for Fading Support• Talk to the general education teacher about the plan to fade

and ask him/her for ideas and support• When supporting a student in the general education

classroom or elsewhere, provide only the support necessary. Allow students to be independent when possible.

• If you need to sit next to a student with a disability to get him/her started on work, be sure to immediately stand up and move your chair away after the student is engaged in that work.

• Encourage student to get help from peers.• Provide adapted materials, or simply allow student to work at

a slower pace without any support.• Support ALL students in the class– SHARE YOUR GIFTS!• Seek opportunities during transitions to increase distance

from student.• Do not underestimate what a student can do; observe,

observe, observe before jumping in!

4. Remember: “Only as Special as Necessary!”

• Remember the “3

Bears Rule” (not too much…not too little…just right)

• Resist the urge to act (observe…wait)

• Resist the urge to add

5. Question EVERYTHING!• Question language,

structures, routines, activities, norms, environment, materials

• Even things that are going well!

• Do kids with disabilities eat a table mostly with kids with disabilities?

• Is our transportation integrated?• How do transitions look? Do kids have more

support than they need?• Do kids have all of the same opportunities as

others (voting for Prom Court?; attending extra-curriculars)?

• Do we actively and relentlessly try to fade our support & replace with peer support or natural supports?

• Do paraprofessionals make placement decisions?

• How do we contribute to the teaching & learning of all?• Staff without borders

6. Practice Radical & Relentless Role

Sharing

“In my school, you can’t tell which students have

disabilities and which ones don’t!”

Is this a goal we should target?

Is there a better one?

• Do special education teachers assess students without disabilities? Develop lessons?

• Do general education teachers ever develop adaptations for learners with disabilities? Support students with significant disabilities one-on-one? Observe while colleagues teach?

• Do speech therapists ever teach whole-class lessons? Help to plan the literacy block?

• Do “special ed.” paraprofessionals ever provide enrichment support?

• Do occupational therapists advise all teachers on making the safe comfortable for all?

• What do we expect any of our students to get from an academic education (e.g., form interests, get career ideas, have fun, make friends)?

• What do we expect students with disabilities to get?

7. Provide Academic Challenge to All

Station Teaching: ReeseStation #1: Internet: Geology Websites

Station #2: Fossils

Station #3: Textbook Questions

Station #4: Discussion with Teacher

Station #5: Sandwich Demonstration (bread, chunky peanut butter, jelly, and raisins). The various sandwich

layers represent sedimentary rock, aggregate, magma, and sandstone.

http://www.first-school.ws/t/cpclown3.html

If you MUST teach color I.D.

Pluto by AshleyDid you know that Pluto has one moon? Pluto is the last planet of the solar system. Pluto is 3.7 billion miles away

from the sun, and Pluto is so far away from the sun that light almost takes 17 years to reach it! Plus Pluto is the smallest

planet in the solar system. During 20 years, Pluto is closer to the sun than Neptune is. Then Neptune will be closer. Pluto

is the last planet, which would be the ninth planet. I like Pluto. Do you like Pluto? Pluto is blue.

 

If you MUST teach sequencing

Rosa Parks sits in the front of the bus, 1955

Bus Boycott, 1955

March on Washington, 1963

• “They learned to calculate algebraic expressions, step by step, following the same path as their typical classmates, but at a slower rate, with some more steps and with individual teaching.”

• “The girl was able to do some mental arithmetic. Often she was more consistent and careful than her typical classmates.”- Martinez, E. (2004). Teenagers with Down syndrome study algebra in high school. Down Syndrome Information Network

The most dangerous words:

“She won’t get anything out of it.” -Cheryl Jorgensen

Where do you want to go? What do you see for your students?

No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the

stars or sailed an unchartered land,

or opened a new doorway for the human spirit.

Helen KellerUS blind & deaf educator (1880 -

1968)