Universal Education Administrator's Guide - Florida Developmental

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An Administrator’s Guide to Universal/Inclusive Education

by

The Universal Education Grant of the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council

November, 2011 Sponsored by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Developmental Disabilities and the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council, Inc.

Florida Developmental Disabilities Council An Administrator’s Guide to Universal/Inclusive Education

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Acknowledgements Many individuals contributed to the development and content of this guide. The effort was funded by the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council through a contract with Evaluation Systems Design, Inc. (ESDI) of Tallahassee, Florida, to manage the Universal Education Grant. Dr. Constance Bergquist and Dr. Nina Barrios managed the contract for ESDI. The Florida Inclusion Network (FIN) supported the effort with contributions from Cheryl Liles, Director, and many of the facilitators, especially Cindy Medici, Michael Muldoon, Lillian Sigler, Stan Weser, and Laura Verry-Sidoran. Portions of the content were drafted by Ann Mickelson and Amy Toson from the University of South Florida.


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Table of Contents Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................... i Table of Contents ......................................................................................................... ii INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................... 1

Universal Education and Inclusion ...................................................................... 2 Need for Greater Inclusion ..................................................................................... 4 Structure and Use of This Guide .......................................................................... 6

SECTION I: VALUES AND DISTRICT CLIMATE .................................................. 7

I.1: Inclusive Values and Beliefs .......................................................................... 9 I.2: Proactive, Collaborative Education System ............................................. 12 I.3: Person-First Language, Respect, and Confidentiality .......................... 15 I.4: Articulate and Model Values and Beliefs ................................................. 18

SECTION II: ACCESS TO GENERAL EDUCATION ............................................ 21

II.1: Neighborhood Schools ................................................................................. 23 II.2: Students Proportionate to National Incidence Rates .......................... 27 II.3: Scheduling Process ........................................................................................ 32 II.4: Instructional Goals ........................................................................................ 36 II.5: State and District Assessments ................................................................. 39 II.6: Facilities ............................................................................................................ 42 II.7: Activities and Services ................................................................................. 44 II.8: Inclusive Values and Beliefs ....................................................................... 47

SECTION III: POLICIES AND SUPPORT - Leadership ..................................... 49

III.1: Key Person in Inclusion .............................................................................. 50 III.3: District Leaders Knowledgeable .............................................................. 52 III.3: Support for Collaboration ......................................................................... 54 III.4: Allocation of Special Education Units .................................................... 57 III.5: Advocate for Neighborhood School Assignment ............................... 60 III.6: District Process for Appropriate Assessments ................................... 62


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Table of Contents (cont.) SECTION IV: POLICIES AND SUPPORT - Program Development and .........

Evaluation ................................................................................................................. 65 IV.1: District Improvement Plan ........................................................................ 67 IV.2: District Evaluation of Inclusive Education ........................................... 70 IV.3: Outcome and Achievement Measures .................................................... 73 IV.4: Aggregated and Disaggregated Scores .................................................. 77 IV.5: Hiring Procedures......................................................................................... 80 IV.6: Professional Development ......................................................................... 82 IV.7: Administrative Professional Development ........................................... 87 IV.8: Positive, Interdependent Relationships ................................................. 89

SECTION V: INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT AND PEDAGOGY ........................ 94

V.1: Family Involvement ....................................................................................... 96 V.2: Services and Models of Support .............................................................. 103 V.3: Instructional Strategies .............................................................................. 107 V.4: School-wide Behavior Plan Models ......................................................... 111 V.5: Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBAs) ......................................... 115 V.6: Assistive Technology .................................................................................. 117 V.7: Report Cards ................................................................................................. 120 V.8: Grades ............................................................................................................. 122 V.9: Transition Planning ..................................................................................... 125 V.10: Articulation ................................................................................................. 127

Summary ..................................................................................................................... 129 References .................................................................................................................. 130 Appendix A: BPIE Sections and Indicators ..................................................... 143


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An Administrator’s Guide to Universal Education

Introduction

In 2007, the Florida Department of Education funded an effort by the Florida Inclusion Network (FIN) to generate a set of standards for inclusive education. Extensive work was conducted using experts in the field to generate the Best Practices in Inclusive Education (BPIE). These indicators of best practices nationally have served as the focus and guiding light for Florida school district administrators and educators in their efforts to increase inclusion in Florida’s schools. The FIN website (located at http://www.floridainclusionnetwork.com/ describes the BPIE as:

An internal assessment instrument to facilitate the analysis, implementation, and improvement of inclusive educational practices at the district, school, and education team levels. The BPIE assessment is conducted with a team of relevant stakeholders and is facilitated by a trained FIN facilitator. The assessment team meets during multiple (3-4) sessions to complete the assessment process and develop an action plan based on scoring results and priority needs. The action plan is used for short- and long-range planning and implementation of improvement efforts and involves ongoing collaboration between district and school personnel and the Florida Inclusion Network. The BPIE was developed in collaboration with nationally known experts in the field of inclusive education and is based upon an extensive review of research, current literature, and best practices. http://www.floridainclusionnetwork.com/Research_Centers/CRSRL/Florida_Inclusion_Network/Services/Technical_Assistance_Activities_.aspx

This Guide provides an elaboration on each of the BPIE indicators at the Administrative Level. The effort was conducted through the Universal Education Project that was funded and sponsored by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Developmental Disabilities and the Florida Developmental Disabilities

http://www.floridainclusionnetwork.com/

http://www.floridainclusionnetwork.com/Research_Centers/CRSRL/Florida_Inclusion_Network/Services/Technical_Assistance_Activities_.aspx




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Council, Inc. The purpose of the document is to provide additional context and specific assistance to administrators as they strive to increase universal education/inclusion for all students.

Universal Education and Inclusion

In 1975, Congress passed Public Law 94-142, the Education of All Handicapped Children Act. This law was then codified as the “Individuals with Disabilities Education Act” and referred to as IDEA. The initial impact on school districts was considerable. Each child qualifying as handicapped under the Act was required to have an Individual Education Plan and receive services according to the plan. A key concept was the requirement to place children with disabilities into the “least restrictive environment” needed in order to maximize the educational experiences for the child and the learning from those experiences. From the outset, however, school districts and schools exerted pressure to limit the placement of children with significant disabilities into general education classrooms.

The impetus for PL 94-142 came from a strong belief that all children have equal rights to a quality education, without regard to race, sex, religion, or disability. Peterson and Hittie (2010) share the following story:

Donald, a 5th grader labeled as being a child with a severe disability, was a member of the school’s general education 5th grade classroom. He had many friends who helped him in many ways and who he helped in many ways as well. If you talked with Joshua, Donald’s best friend, he would explain to you that his friend Donald uses alternative communication devices and how he feels those devices could be improved to better enable Donald to communicate. Joshua was thinking like an engineer, innovatively brainstorming ways to improve devices. Later the class was working on a map of their state project and Sylvia and Donald were working together on the project (with the help of some assistive technology). A class conversation about diversity, a conversation that Donald was a part of, clearly showed true reciprocal learning between Donald and his 5th grade friends- “We have learned so much by having Donald in our class”. That same day the class was reading a story about the Holocaust and talking about how people of difference lived together. These students understood through their lived experiences in their


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inclusive 5th grade class what people with differences living together meant. Would they without inclusion or would it just be theory for them?

The Florida Developmental Disabilities Council (FDDC) has long supported state and national policies asserting the right of all children to an education. Part of this support has been expressed through a thorough commitment to fully inclusive schools in which all students, regardless of disabilities, are educated in classrooms with their peers. Critical tenets of these beliefs are:

• Florida’s children should receive their education in an inclusive general education setting, reflecting natural proportions and age-appropriate heterogeneous groups across core academic and elective/special areas within the school community;

• Students with disabilities are valued members of the classroom and school community and have teachers that prepare all students for success in school and the community;

• The community at large must be educated about universal education;

• All teachers, administrators and families support universal education and have the knowledge and supports available to enable them to effectively teach all children; and,

• All teachers should be provided access to current research and technical assistance in best practices, instructional methods, and supports tailored to individual’s needs.

The Florida Developmental Disabilities Council’s Position, Policy and Practices Statement on Universal Education asserts that “Education is the right of ALL children.” It further states that “Universal education, also referred to as inclusion, is an approach to education that creates learning environments which are inherently designed for diversity, making natural educational settings accessible to all children, all together, all the time.” Differentiated, authentic, multi-level and interdisciplinary instruction is at the root of instructing all students together meaningfully (Peterson & Hittie, 2010). CAST (2009) explains universal design for learning (UDL) as a way of organizing instructional support and pedagogy based on ways


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that match individual students learning styles and difference. According to UDL, to help students learn, teachers must:

1. use multiple ways to present information,

2. provide multiple pathways for students’ action and expression, and

3. provide multiple ways to engage students, including collaborative and interactive structures.

What does this mean? It means that students of all abilities can learn well together, but it takes unique, individualized and targeted instructional strategies and supports to move each student from where they are to their own personal next level. Causton (2009) offers these indicators of inclusive classrooms:

• Natural proportion—the number of students with disabilities should reflect the natural population of student disabilities in the school.

• Team teaching—Inclusive classrooms often have two teachers (one general and one special education) with equitable responsibilities for teaching all students.

• Community Building—teachers use community building to ensure that students feel connected to one another and to their teachers.

• Differentiation—content is differentiated to accommodate learners of various academic, social and behavioral levels.

• Engaging Instruction—Teachers plan instruction with the range of learning styles in mind. Students experience active learning, partnering, and group work.

Through the Response to Intervention, co-teaching model, and differentiated instruction efforts, the Florida Department of Education has embraced many of these indicators.

Need for Greater Inclusion


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In the decades following the passage of PL 94-142, major improvements were made in the inclusion of children with significant support needs into less restrictive educational settings. In the 1980s, the closing of the Sunland Centers placed many children within local communities and often educated within local schools. Students in segregated schools serving only children with significant disabilities were more frequently placed within a general education school, although the locations for their classrooms often were in the “back forty” or portable classrooms that contributed to their isolation from their age-appropriate non-disabled peers. Florida has made considerable progress in increasing universal/inclusion education. Consider, however, these statistics from the Florida DOE/Bureau of Exceptional Student Education and Student Services:

♦ 69% of students ages 6-21 with disabilities spend 80% or more of the school week with their non-disabled peers.

♦ 24% of students ages 3-5 in 2010-11 were enrolled at least 80% of the time in a typical (more than 50% non-disabled children) early childhood program or kindergarten, a decline of 15% since 2006-07.

Clearly, more progress is needed. Of considerable concern is the ongoing operation in many school districts of separate facilities that completely segregate children with significant disabilities from age-appropriate peers. Ongoing operations in many districts include center or cluster programs in which students are placed in schools far away from their homes in order to concentrate the lower incident populations of students and isolate them by the type of disabilities they have. These facilities reduce the interactions of children with their neighbors and decrease overall interactions with children their own ages who are without disabilities. Overall, Florida has made major improvements in the last thirty years in increasing universal/inclusive education within the public school system. To make the concepts and practices pervasive and to have them fully implemented by school district staff, administrators, and teachers, greater effort is needed. This Guide is provided as one means to encourage greater adherence to the indicators of best practices in universal/inclusive education as expressed in the BPIE.


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Structure and Use of This Guide

This Guide is organized by the 36 District BPIE Indicators in these sections:

VALUES AND DISTRICT CLIMATE (4 Indicators) ACCESS TO GENERAL EDUCATION (8 Indicators) POLICIES AND SUPPORT - Leadership (6 Indicators) POLICIES AND SUPPORT - Program Development and

Evaluation (8 Indicators) INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT AND PEDAGOGY (10 Indicators)

A short title listing the 36 district indicators is located in Appendix A. The Guide provides these sections for each indicator:

Restatement of the indicator from the BPIE,

Rationale - describing the importance of the indicator

Know It When You See It - descriptions of what the indicator

looks like in implementation

Great Tips! - helpful hints for successful implementation

When appropriate, some indicators also include sections on Related BPIE Indicators, and from the BPIE Glossary. The Guide is intended to be used by district staff as they are learning about ways to increase universal/inclusive education in Florida. Districts planning on conducting a BPIE analysis of the status of inclusion/ universal education can use this guide in preparation for the BPIE sessions as well as a reference on specific indicators on which additional work is needed. Other groups may also benefit from a better understanding of the indicators. The most important outcome is to increase the opportunities for all students with disabilities to learn together with their peers.


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SECTION I: VALUES AND DISTRICT CLIMATE

There are four (4) indicators in the Values and District Climate section:

1. District mission statement reflects a philosophy that all students can learn

2. Proactive, collaborative education system 3. Person-first language, respect, and confidentiality 4. Articulate and model values consistent with best practices for

inclusive education

As a Whole In these days, it is doubtful that any child may reasonably be expected to succeed in life if he is denied the opportunity of an education. Such an opportunity…is a right which must be made available on equal terms. We conclude that in the field of education, the doctrine ‘separate but equal’ has no place” (Brown v. Board of Education, 1954). This direct quote from the Brown v. Board decision in 1954 is still applicable today. While “separate but equal” was originally applied to racial segregation, it holds true today for children who attend school with a disability label, the majority of whom continue to be segregated from their peers who do not carry a disability label (U.S. Department of Education, 2007). Research from the mid 1970s supports the education of children with disabilities alongside their peers. Although many separate special education classes have lower student-to-teacher ratios and controlled environments with specially trained staff, research fails to demonstrate the effectiveness of such programs over programs that educate students together (Sailor, 2003). In addition, there are decades worth of evidence that speak to the negative effects of separating children with disabilities

http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wrightslaw.com%2Flaw%2Fcaselaw%2Fussupct.brown.bd.ed.htm&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNGCHU6HTfAKTjlbwpSAOr00yQ8gnQ

http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wrightslaw.com%2Flaw%2Fcaselaw%2Fussupct.brown.bd.ed.htm&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNGCHU6HTfAKTjlbwpSAOr00yQ8gnQ


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from their peers. Inclusion far outweighs any benefit shown in segregated programs (Audette & Algozzine, 1997; Lipsky, 1997 as examples). This section addresses the values administrators must hold in order to support and implement inclusive/universal education and the culture or climate administrators need to develop in their districts and schools to ensure that every student is given the opportunity to learn with their peers. Essential elements include a district mission statement that gives voice to the commitment of the whole system to each student, a proactive and collaborative educational system in which all staff work together to implement quality education, the use of person-first language that values each person above any labels used to describe them, and modeling and discussing all of these values openly.


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I.1: Inclusive Values and Beliefs

I.1. The district mission statement reflects a philosophy that every student can learn and each school is accountable for demonstrating adequate yearly progress for all students. The provision of effective services in age-appropriate general education and natural contexts for students with disabilities (including students with severe disabilities) within their neighborhood school or school of choice is stated directly in the district mission statement. NOTE: The mission statement is distributed to key people including school staff, parents, district level administrators, and community members and is posted in schools, included in handbooks, and referenced repeatedly.

Rationale The district mission statement sets the overall vision for the district. School districts usually generate broad statements reflecting their commitment to providing a high quality education for all students. Specific references within the district’s mission statement to providing high quality education within their neighborhood school or school of choice to students with disabilities, including students with severe disabilities, increase the likelihood that every student will maximize his or her educational potential.


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Know It When You See It Vision and mission statements often are printed as a separate document, sometimes including pertinent information about the district or sometimes in formats such as posters or pamphlets intended for wide distribution. Usually the mission statement is generated as the first activity in a strategic planning effort and may be printed with the strategic plan. The mission/vision statement may be disseminated separately to all schools and frequently is used at the beginning of annual planning efforts. Some districts require principals to begin the first faculty meeting of the year with the mission statement, and some schools create their own mission statements as part of the school improvement-planning process. The mission statement may be very broad, such as: “The School District is committed to providing high quality educational opportunities that will inspire all students to acquire and use the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in a global economy, and culturally diverse world.” (Duval County). These broad statements may be followed with specific core commitments, beliefs, values, or goals, and further defined through business plans, score cards, or specific goals or objectives by departments. In some instances, the further statements provide the specificity of a totally inclusive school system. The lowest rating for this indicator states simply that “The district mission statement reflects a philosophy that every student can learn.” To earn the highest rating, the statement must include specific references to students with disabilities, including students with severe disabilities, and providing high-quality education within their neighborhood school or school of choice.


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Great Tips! An example of a mission statement that meets the indicator is: “The School District is committed to providing high quality educational opportunities within neighborhood schools or schools of choice that will inspire all students, including students with any level of disability, to acquire and use the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in a global economy and culturally diverse world.” Another phrasing that meets the indicator is to incorporate the clauses “regardless of any disability level,” and “providing high quality education within their neighborhood school or school of choice.” Revising and re-working the mission/vision statements for a district typically occurs when there is a major shift in the district such as the arrival of a new superintendent or a commitment to a new endeavor or initiative. Completion of the BPIE process at the district level may also trigger this revision process if the results have demonstrated a low rating on this indicator. In some districts the revision may be handled through the addition of the clauses to the existing statement through a vote of the School Board. In other cases, this process may be much more involved.


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I.2: Proactive, Collaborative Education System

I.2. All personnel in the district are part of a proactive, collaborative education system where there is parity between general and special education, evidenced by administrative and programmatic organization that uses shared decision-making about policy and program development and implementation within the district and across schools, leading to effective instruction for all students (including all students with disabilities) in general education and natural contexts.

Rationale The operation of programs for students with disabilities is best managed within a system that acknowledges and values the contributions of the students to the entire district and facilitates decision-making that supports the learning by the students. The organizational structure should place administrators for exceptional education on a par with other administrators of academic programs and provide visibility within the district’s organizational structure. Extensive mechanisms and opportunities should be provided for the directors and staff of Exceptional Student Education (ESE) programs to participate with other district staff in making decisions about all programs. Decisions about instructional programs for students with disabilities should be conducted within an inclusive context.


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Know It When You See It The lowest rating for this indicator is given when the administrative and programmatic systems for general and special education are structured and operated separately within the district and across schools. Typically, decisions flow up and down the organization through the “silos” with little cross-communication. In the highest rated districts, directors and staff of ESE programs are routinely included in, and are part of, committees and structures for decision-making. For example, a representative from the ESE Department is included in groups making decisions about curriculum and instruction, food services, transportation, non-instructional staffing, and federal programs. They are included in committees determining hiring of staff and generating new policies. These approaches are infused throughout the district and reflected as well in school-level organization and management.

Great Tips! Completion of the BPIE process at the district level may stimulate a review of the parity of exceptional student education with other programs if the results have demonstrated a low rating on this indicator. Administrators can work with other district staff in examining the participation on standing and ad hoc committees and groups, as well as the overall organizational structure. Use the indicator in any overall district reviews to stimulate discussion and change, emphasizing the importance of implementing the “best practice.” Hannel (2007) offers these strategies for creating an inclusive school community:


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• Openly endorse the right of every pupil, parent and colleague to

equal and appropriate treatment, not only because it is the law, but because it is the fair and reasonable thing to do.

• Check your own profile as an inclusive educator. Seek out professional development opportunities, such as courses, books and conferences to further your knowledge.

• Always treat inclusion and intervention as integral and essential parts of everything you do. Avoid implying or even thinking that intervention strategies are “extras” to do on top of “real” work.

• Emphasize that the school community is a single social unit. Every pupil, every parent and every staff member is included in the group.

• Have informal social gatherings to share fun and friendship with everyone connected with your school.

• Use “our” instead of “them” to stress the fact that everyone belongs and shares in the school community, e.g. our school, our library.

• Make a celebration of diversity. Highlight the fact that everyone is unique and that a mix of abilities, talents, difficulties and differences is normal.

• Create collages of photographs that include every pupil and adult in the school.

• Do not tolerate “put downs” of any pupil, parent, or colleague. • Avoid using negative words that place blame. • Do not allow prejudice, gossip, bias or exclusion to go

unchallenged or unchecked.


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I.3: Person-First Language, Respect, and Confidentiality

I.3. All district-level personnel, school-level administrators, and school board members consistently refer to students using person-first language, communicate with and about students and their families in a manner that demonstrates respect, and maintains confidentiality for all students, (including students with severe disabilities). These personnel articulate and model these behaviors, and encourage and support their use by personnel across general education and natural contexts.

Rationale Person-first language is the practice of referring to an individual as a person first and using the modifiers describing characteristics of the individual afterward. It also includes using language that emphasizes the strengths of the individual instead of concentrating on deficits or negative aspects. Using person-first language demonstrates the district’s commitment to treating each person and student in the district with respect.

Know It When You See It According to Kathy Snow (parent, author, and trainer), “People First Language puts the person before the disability, and describes what a


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person has, not who a person is.” Her website (http://www.disabilityisnatural.com/images/PDF/pfl-sh09.pdf) contains an excellent two-page article explaining person-first language with examples. She recommends using language such as “She uses a wheelchair” instead of “She is wheelchair bound.” Other examples include students with cognitive disabilities instead of “those retarded children.” This concept is also applied to the staff in the district and schools. It is more appropriate to use terms such as ‘teachers of students with learning disabilities’, instead of ‘the LD (learning disabilities) teacher’. When staff have been sensitized to using person-first language, the non-examples that continue to be used by some staff become obvious. With appropriate training, all district and school personnel will refer to students using person-first language, rather than language based on labels or categories. All education team members should consistently use person-first language to communicate with and about students. The Florida Developmental Disabilities Council (FDDC) offers the following observation on person-first language:

People First Language recognizes that individuals with disabilities are—first and foremost—people. It emphasizes each person’s value, individuality, dignity and capabilities.

Here are some examples of person-first language contrasted with labels that stereotype and devalue: Language to Use Instead of: Student with disabilities Disabled student; handicapped student Student without disabilities Normal student; healthy student Student with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities

Mentally retarded student

Student who has autism Autistic student Student who has epilepsy Epileptic student Student who had Down syndrome A Down’s student, a Mongoloid Person with a mental illness Mentally ill, emotionally disturbed

person Student with a learning disability Learning disabled student Student who is deaf, has a hearing impairment

Deaf student

Student who is deaf and cannot speak; has a speech disorder

Deaf and dumb student; mute

Student who uses a wheelchair Wheelchair bound student Congenital disability Birth defect

http://www.disabilityisnatural.com/images/PDF/pfl-sh09.pdf


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Accessible buses, bathrooms Handicapped buses, bathrooms Reserved parking for people with disabilities

Handicapped parking

Source: Florida Developmental Disabilities Council paper, citing Kathie Snow (http://www.disabilityisnatural.com/images/PDF/pflchart09.pdf)

From the BPIE Glossary Person-First Language: Language that acknowledges a person’s humanity first, then describes any existing condition (e. g., “a student with autism” rather than “the autistic student”).

Great Tips! District staff can help implement this indicator in many ways.

The Florida Inclusion Network (FIN) can assist districts and schools by conducting workshops on person-first language, and many resources are available through FIN and the Florida Department of Education, Bureau of Exceptional Education and Support Services (FDOE-BEESS).

The district staff also can organize and conduct sessions during district administrator meetings, principal meetings, meetings of the school board staff, and at cross-school meetings.

The concepts can be included in orientation programs for all new teachers and principals as well as organized into short online courses available for professional development credit.

http://www.disabilityisnatural.com/images/PDF/pflchart09.pdf


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I.4: Articulate and Model Values and Beliefs

I.4. All district-level personnel consistently articulate and model a clear set of values that are consistent with best practices for inclusive education for all students with disabilities (including students with severe disabilities).

Rationale Students with disabilities and especially students with significant significant disabilities will receive an appropriate education if all district and school personnel understand the benefits of inclusive/universal education and support policies and decisions that will fully implement inclusive/ universal education. Through the consistent modeling and expression of these values, every student in the school system will benefit.

Know It When You See It This indicator is the culmination of all of the other indicators in the system. Typically, the BPIE process is completed before forming this judgment, and the judgment represents a summary across all of the indicators.


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Great Tips! Beattie (2006, p 22) notes the importance of positive attitudes toward inclusion. “Effective practices often require that teachers, administrators and other professionals give up traditional attitudes and expectations. Successful inclusion in the general education curriculum is most likely to happen when the following beliefs are fostered”:

“Responsibility for positive outcomes for special education students is equally shared by all school personnel.

General and special education classroom teachers both feel and are held responsible for identifying appropriate education goals and providing instruction to help the student reach them.

Teachers know the strengths and weaknesses of all their students.

Administrators recognize that teachers need time and support to adequately teach diverse groups of students.

Administrators recognize that teachers need to have time set aside to work with other teachers and parents to identify best practices and approaches for all students.

Teachers recognize that a special education label does not direct how much or how well a student will learn or perform, so assignments and activities are not based primarily on a student’s educational category.

All parties concerned recognize that good teaching involves sometimes alternative methods, activities, expectations, and approaches to meet the diverse learning strengths and weaknesses prevalent in today’s classrooms.”

The best method for increasing the district’s implementation of this indicator is to conduct a district-level BPIE process to review all of the indicators. The FIN Facilitators are available to assist all districts in conducting a BPIE review, and districts that have already completed one in the past can always benefit by reviewing recent processes and reassessing the status on the indicators. Contact your FIN facilitator


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through the FIN Network at: http://www.floridainclusionnetwork.com/page265.aspx.

http://www.floridainclusionnetwork.com/page265.aspx


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SECTION II:

ACCESS TO GENERAL EDUCATION There are eight (8) indicators in Access to General Education:

1. Neighborhood schools or schools of choice and general education contexts

2. Students with disabilities on every campus proportionate to national incidence rates

3. Scheduling process ensures assignment of all students with disabilities to general education contexts prior to the assignment of students without disabilities

4. Instructional goals for all students based on the state standards 5. Participation in state and district assessments 6. Facilities are fully accessible; emergency/ evacuation plans 7. Participation across district and school activities and services 8. Students are transported to the same activities, on the same bus, at

the same time and location

As a Whole Access to the general education curriculum and culture is a vital component of inclusive education. It is important that policy and practice promote a philosophy of equal membership for all children in the culture of a given school. At the core of special education legislation is the concept of the Least Restrictive Environment or LRE. The LRE provision guarantees a student’s right to be educated in the setting most like that for peers without disabilities in which the student can be successful with appropriate supports provided. For most students with disabilities, the LRE is full-time or nearly full-time participation in the general education classroom (Friend & Bursuck, 2009). Until recently, any discussion of special education was typically centered on where the student would receive educational services. Inclusive practices are currently receiving increased attention among education professionals and parents because they understand and acknowledge the


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importance of such practices. Additionally, the high standards and accountability provisions of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), and the requirement of IDEA that students with disabilities are taught by highly qualified teachers, are leading schools to become more inclusive (U.S. Department of Education, 2004). The LRE discussion and decision must move beyond the “place” and to a discussion of access to the curriculum and culture of general education. When discussing LRE, inclusive practices, and access to the general education curriculum, the effect on student achievement must be considered (Friend & Bursuck, 2009). Generally, academic outcomes have been found to be positive for all students who participate in inclusive settings (Idol, 2006). Although few studies have particularly targeted the outcomes of students without disabilities, studies in existence suggest that these students’ achievements are not hindered because of inclusive practices (for example McDonnell et al., 2003). The concept of inclusive practices implies that all learners are welcomed at their schools and that they are seen as the responsibility of all educators (Frattura & Capper, 2006; Turnbull, Turnbull, Wehmeyer, & Park, 2003). There are three dimensions to inclusive practices: physical integration, social integration, and instructional integration. All are equally important when designing educational experiences for all children. Perhaps most important to the discussion of access is the notion of social justice and the right of all children to be full members of their school and community. Students with disabilities have a right to equal membership in their schools and communities and to equal educational opportunities. Our traditional system of separate programs and services for different groups of children is based on problematic assumptions and leads to the perpetuation of tracking, particularly of students of color and lower social class. This limits their educational opportunity, leads to higher costs, creates issues with generalization of skills and knowledge, and perpetuates the notion that a label is required for a student to receive support (Capper & Frattura, 2009). The alternative is a comprehensive and collaborative system in which a broad range of teachers teach together and schools are better able to meet the needs of all students. Lack of access to general education leads to reduced expectations and opportunities for children. This cannot happen if we are to promote the equal value and membership of all children. Therefore we must ensure access for all to all.


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II.1: Neighborhood Schools

II.1. All students with disabilities (including all students with severe disabilities) are assigned to schools and classes along with their peers without disabilities based on the premise that they belong in their neighborhood schools (or schools of choice) and general education contexts, rather than the premise that they belong in a program or class reflecting their diagnostic label, level of disability, or eligibility for services or supports.

Rationale The Florida Developmental Disabilities Council’s Position, Policy and Practices Statement on Universal Education asserts that “Education is the right of ALL children.” It further states that “Universal education, also referred to as inclusion, is an approach to education that creates learning environments which are inherently designed for diversity, making natural educational settings accessible to all children, all together, all the time.” The FDDC defines characteristics of universal education that are focused on school values, knowledge, and supports. Placement of students into schools and classes with their peers without disabilities is beneficial to all students. Students needing greater support benefit by the increased exposure to age-appropriate academic and social stimuli. Students without disabilities benefit by increasing their appreciation for the contributions that all students make to the classroom and the school.

Know It When You See It


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Districts have direct evidence of full implementation of this indicator through the Florida Department of Education (DOE) database tracking the placement of students in the least restrictive environment. The DOE website displays the data for each Florida school district in their “Local Education Agency (LEA) Profiles,” as well as providing access to historical data (http://www.fldoe.org/ese/datapage.asp). The DOE website also contains the annual Data book, a variety of comparative statistics for programs serving exceptional students in consecutive years (http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/databook.pdf). Districts can compare their current status against full inclusion as well as against other districts in their geographic area or similar in size, and against their performance levels in previous years. Some districts have adopted a “serve our own” policy in which students with disabilities are placed in their neighborhood schools unless parents request a different placement. Another concept gaining acceptance is that of “homecoming” in which schools embark on a campaign to encourage students with disabilities to return to their home schools. Districts continuing to operate separate facilities for students with significant disabilities will need to consider placement alternatives to meet this indicator.

From the BPIE Glossary Neighborhood schools or schools of choice: The school that a student with a disability would attend if he/she did not have a disability.

http://www.fldoe.org/ese/datapage.asp

http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/databook.pdf


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Great Tips! Karen Karten (2005) points out that the educational goals of students with disabilities are just as valid as those of other students. Without proper supports, however, students and teachers can encounter difficulties translating research into classroom practices. (p.17). Karten (2005 p.23) provides 18 inclusive principles for administrators and teachers to consider in implementing inclusive education:

1. Ask for help. 2. Differentiate content and process. 3. Work with specialists as a team to modify and adapt the

curriculum to meet the special needs of students while allowing for flexibility in scheduling.

4. Teach students how to learn. 5. Get the whole class involved so that everyone is working together

to help each other. 6. Use cooperative learning and let peers work together to develop

friendships. 7. Know when to change course. 8. Increase your own disability awareness. 9. Be aware of the physical classroom setup. 10. Provide directions in written form for children with auditory

problems and in verbal form for those with visual difficulties. 11. Teach to strengths while avoiding weaknesses to minimize

frustrations. 12. Help students use methods(what kind of methods?) to organize

their written work. 13. Collect files containing additional higher-level materials and

activities for students who require more challenges. 14. Allow students to work on varied assigned tasks. 15. Be aware of multiple intelligences. 16. Value opinions of parents and community. 17. Model appropriate behaviors. 18. Believe in yourself and your students.


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Many resource guides are available to help administrators and educators increase universal/inclusive education. Karten (2005) points out the educational goals of students with disabilities are just as valid as those of other students. General education teachers typically need more training on how to plan differentiated instruction while not sacrificing any one group of students. Without proper supports, however, students and teachers can encounter difficulties translating research into classroom practices. (p.17). The FDOE and FIN can assist districts through the professional learning program on Differentiated Instruction and Response to Intervention. Some websites that can assist are:

• Response to Intervention (RTI) Project at the University of South Florida. http://www.florida-rti.org

• Florida’s Problem-solving/Response to Intervention Pilot Project, contact Clark Dorman, Project Leader, at [email protected].

http://www.florida-rti.org/

mailto:[email protected]


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II.2: Students Proportionate to National Incidence Rates

II.2. The percentage of students with disabilities (including students with severe disabilities) on every campus is proportionate to national incidence rates (i.e., no more than 13.8 percent of the student population is identified as having a disability and no more than 1 percent of those students are identified as having a severe disability), and no one school has more than 13.8 percent of the student population identified as having a disability.

Rationale Furthering the concept of students being served in their neighborhood schools, this indicator ensures that students with special needs receive their education with their peers in their own neighborhoods, rather than being placed in special “centers” or “clusters” that often form isolated enclaves within the districts/schools, with little contact with their peers. The approach in this indicator increases the interactions of the students with special needs with other children in their neighborhoods, and reduces the extensive travel times and distances needed to transport students to far away cluster sites. The travel times often reduce the amount of educational time for students and increases the stress on students who often have other health issues and can least afford further challenges to their physical health.



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Examining the Florida DOE database on school-level reports of placement of students in least restrictive environments provides evidence of meeting this indicator. Districts should strive to place all students within regular education classroom settings. The efforts of the Florida DOE to increase general education classroom placements through co-teaching and Response to Intervention (RtI) professional learning have met with considerable success in many Florida school districts. Schwartz (2005, p. 115) presents the primary themes of the inclusive classroom:

• Community building—Create a community in which all students feel that they belong and allow them the opportunity to develop social responsibility. Facilitate a healthy balance of the student’s relationship to the teacher and among themselves to avoid dependence on the adult figure to answer all questions, solve all problems, and direct all activities. The physical layout of the classroom impacts student behavior and attitude and can encourage appropriate behavior.

• Curriculum development—The classroom must be academically

inclusive as well as physically, emotionally, and socially inclusive. The needs of all students should be built into the curriculum, not added on.

• Differentiated instruction—Addressing diverse learners can require

multiple entry points, tiered assignments, varying questions, and flexible grouping.

Administrators must recreate the role of educators to integrate students with disabilities with the general education population. Drawing on suggestions made by Schwartz, administrators must:

• Have a vision of inclusive teaching and schooling—develop a clear enough vision to guide action; connect the vision to daily practices, as well as to school policies and practices;

• Transform their view of student learning—accept the premise that all students are capable of learning complex material; and

• Transform their roles into models of universal/inclusive education and provide coaches to assist teachers in living and practicing the principles of inclusive/universal education.


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From the BPIE Glossary Naturally occurring proportions” When the number of students with disabilities in an environment reflects the percentage of individuals with disabilities generally found in the community. Gartner, A., & Lipsky, D.K. (2002) Inclusion: A Service, Not a Place. Port Chester, NY: Dude Publishing. Students with disabilities should be placed in schools and on classroom rosters in similar proportions to the occurrence of disabilities in the general population.

Great Tips! The choice of placement of students with disabilities in general education classrooms sometimes tells more about the school and the values of the teachers and administrators than about the student characteristics. Giangreco (2007, p.5+) suggests guidelines that administrators can use with classroom teachers to establish values consistent with effective inclusive classrooms. In summary, the guidelines are:

1. Get a Little Help from Your Friends—The general education classroom teacher is not expected to know all the specialized information that is needed to work with all students with disabilities. Collaborative teamwork is essential.

2. Welcome the Student in Your Classroom—The classroom teacher will set an example for all the students in the classroom and for other teachers if they send a message that the student with disabilities is welcome in the classroom and “belongs” there. For


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the student with disabilities, the welcome will create a positive learning environment.

3. Be the Teacher for All Your Students—General education teachers should think of the students with disabilities in their classrooms as “their student” and should learn each student’s strengths and abilities. Often this will help the teacher learn approaches that benefit their entire class.

4. Establish a Classroom Community—Students with disabilities should have desks and classroom placements and assignments so they can participate in the same activities as other classmates as much as possible. The students with disabilities should have the opportunity to learn, socialize and work with the rest of the class.

5. Develop Shared Educational Program Expectations—The teaching team must share common expectations about what the student should learn in the classroom and who will do the teaching. Identify the student’s highest priority learning outcomes, then a larger set of outcomes that reflect a broad-based education program. Identify supports needed to clarify what the team expects the student to learn.

6. Have Options for Including Students—Some students with disabilities will have the same learning outcomes as other students in the classroom. In other cases, the student with disabilities will pursue learning outcomes at a different level, but from the same curriculum. Another possibility is that the student with a disability will have individual learning outcomes from different curriculum areas than the rest of the class. The teacher differentiates instruction and increases the likelihood that all students can meaningfully participate.

7. Make Learning Active and Participatory—Activity-based learning (as opposed to large-group lectures and worksheets) is well suited to a wide range of students and is typically more enjoyable for all students.

8. Adapt Classroom Strategies and Materials—Instruction must often be adapted to be effective with students with disabilities. Adaptations include small cooperative groups, computer-assisted instruction, guided practice, peer-assisted instruction, matching materials to the student’s interests, and adding tactile or auditory


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cues. The teaching team and class members can assist with adaptation ideas.

9. Make Sure Support Services are Really Helping—Some support service personnel can inadvertently be a hindrance. General education teachers should establish a shared agenda with support service personnel that accounts for the student’s education program, facilitates social interactions, and minimizes disruptions to the classroom and the student’s schedule.

10. Evaluate the Effectiveness of Your Teaching—Teachers must continually evaluate their teaching in terms of whether it makes a positive difference in the students’ lives. The form of evaluation for students with disabilities may vary, but is still important to determine whether outcomes are achieved and to adjust and improve instruction.


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II.3: Scheduling Process

II.3. District-level administrators facilitate and monitor the use of a school-wide scheduling process at all schools that ensures the assignment of all students with disabilities (including all students with severe disabilities) to general education and natural contexts prior to the assignment of students without disabilities.

Rationale Services for students with special needs are usually delivered through a variety of specialized support staff. Scheduling these services to ensure the requirements of each Individualized Education Plan (IEP) are met is a challenge for schools. Scheduling the students with special needs first facilitates the placement of students with special needs into general education classrooms for courses or classes that are needed.

Know It When You See It At all levels of schools (elementary, middle, and high) scheduling for students with special needs can be conducted prior to scheduling for general education students. Support services for these students can then be organized efficiently around the remaining time slots. Reversing the process results in students with special needs not being scheduled into classes they need or want because the classes or sections are filled during the time slots that are available beyond their support services.


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Great Tips! FIN Facilitators can assist districts through a professional learning program on flexible scheduling. Teachers and administrators learn how to generate master schedules and conduct scheduling so that students with disabilities are scheduled first into classes that will work around the support services they will be receiving. Contact your FIN Facilitator through their website at: http://www.floridainclusionnetwork.com/page265.aspx The Florida Inclusion Network has generated a CUE (Collaboration Unity Equity) card on inclusive scheduling that is displayed on the next two pages (reprinted by permission from the Florida Inclusion Network). Contact your FIN Facilitator to obtain printed copies.



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II.4: Instructional Goals

II.4. District-level administrators facilitate and monitor the identification of instructional goals for all students with disabilities (including all students with severe disabilities) based on the state standards, which may be supplemented with instructional goals related to independence and participation across general education and natural contexts.

Rationale All students learn more when there are set instructional goals that teachers, parents, and students are working together to master. Students with special needs thrive in a setting in which they are aware of and participate in the educational process. Florida is a national leader in setting high expectations for all students, including students with special needs. Many students with special needs are capable of succeeding in the general education curriculum defined by the Florida Common Core Standards (CCS) and previously by the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards). The DOE Access Points provide guidance to teachers and administrators on the “building blocks” for students with disabilities that lead to appropriate standards by content areas.

Know It When You See It All students with disabilities in exceptional education must by law have an IEP. The plan stipulates the instructional goals for the student.


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Districts must facilitate the generation of the IEPs using the CCS and, if appropriate, the DOE Access Points for each child.

From the BPIE Glossary Naturally Occurring Activities: Events that occur within the normal flow of a student’s daily life. General and Natural Contexts: In general education contexts, instruction addresses the established curriculum of academic subjects offered in essentially the same fashion for all students. Natural contexts are those in which an activity typically occurs (e.g., learning to button in physical education, practicing math skills in the cafeteria).

Great Tips! Schwartz (2005, p. 206-7) stated: “If a collaborative model is to work in the schools, administrators need to view their role in different ways as well. The administrator of an inclusive school needs to promote collaboration and cooperation rather than competition with the school culture, and help to create and reward teacher partnerships at different stages of implementation. Setting a tone for open sharing and risk-taking will support teachers in creating inclusive classrooms that are truly collaborative and innovative. Faculty meetings and staff development that realistically reflect the needs of teachers who are striving for success with more inclusive practices is an important administrative function as well. The sharing of successful inclusive practices by colleagues and having the opportunity to observe model collaborative classroom firsthand have been reported as effective ways that teachers feel supported and best prepared for inclusion.”


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Inclusive classrooms can benefit all students as teachers vary instruction and assessment based on the students’ learning styles and abilities. Karten (2005 p.58) offers the following acronym (TIPS) to highlight four major considerations that co-teachers and teaching teams should incorporate into their instructional planning:

• Topic (concrete vs. abstract concepts, unfamiliar subjects vs. material review, amount of prior knowledge, complexity, number of lessons)

• Individuals (teachers, students, administrators, parents—attitudes, skills, experiences, motivation, cognitive levels)

• Planning—cooperative learning, learning stations, varying objectives, repeated exposure, modifications

• Setting (physical classroom design, texts, materials, policies, class size)

Schwartz (2005, p. 206-7) stated: “Administrators can help to convey a sense of confidence in the inclusive model by helping to educate parents about the benefits their students will receive and encouraging them to volunteer in the classrooms to see inclusion at work. Helping to organize classrooms with a reasonable balance of students with disabilities in an equitable and productive way is another way administrators can support inclusion.” FIN and FDLRS facilitators are available to provide professional learning for teachers and administrators on the Common Core Standards and Access Points. Resources for these programs are located on the DOE website at: http://www.floridastandards.org/Standards/FLStandardSearch.aspx. http://www.floridastandards.org/Standards/AccesspointSearch.aspx.

http://www.floridastandards.org/Standards/FLStandardSearch.aspx

http://www.floridastandards.org/Standards/AccesspointSearch.aspx


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II.5: State and District Assessments

II.5. District-level administrators facilitate and monitor the participation of all students with disabilities (including all students with severe disabilities) in state and district assessments required for a standard diploma with accommodations and modifications when needed.

Rationale A common saying is that we value what we measure. Participation by students with disabilities in state and district assessments provides the students, teachers, administrators, and parents with valuable information on the academic progress of the student. Simply spending “seat time” in classes is not sufficient to meet the needs of any student, including students with disabilities. To become valuable and fulfilled adults, all students must maximize their potential for learning, regardless of where that maximum level may be.

Know It When You See It Florida is a national leader in creating student assessment systems and in measuring the academic progress of students with special needs. As of the 2011-12 school year, all students whose IEPs do not indicate they are intellectually impaired must take the appropriate statewide tests, typically the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) at grades 3-10, and the Florida’s End-of-Course Assessments that are being phased in. Students who are exempt from taking the FCAT are required to take


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the Florida Alternative Assessment (see http://www.fldoe.org/asp/altassessment.asp). Districts are also required to assess all students for benchmark testing and other assessments used in the statewide determination of student progress. One of the issues with this indicator is the phrase “accommodations and modifications when needed.” The BPIE Glossary defines accommodations as changes to how (the way) students are expected to learn (i.e., instruction) and to demonstrate what they have learned (i.e., assessment). When accommodations are made, expectations for student achievement do not change. Accommodations should be made based on individual learner characteristics, not the particular disability. Accommodations involve a wide range of techniques and support systems in areas such as: methods and materials, assignments and assessments, learning environment, time and scheduling, and special communication systems. The Glossary defines modifications as “Changes to the requirements of a course or the standards a student must meet - a change in what a student is taught and/or tested on. This change is based on a student’s needs as identified by the IEP team.” Modifications are not allowed in the administration of any of the statewide assessments because the modifications would alter the validity of the test for the student, making it invalid to compare the student’s performance on any given test with other students or with that student’s performance on another level of the test (such as the scaled scores on standardized tests or the developmental scores on the FCAT). Certain accommodations are allowed under specified circumstances. The DOE website on the statewide assessment program describes the allowable accommodations and eligibility of students. It is readily available at: http://www.fldoe.org/ese/fcatasd.asp and http://info.fldoe.org/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-5831/dps-2010-92.pdf. Districts may also have limits on the types of accommodations and modifications that are allowed for different district assessments. Consult your district testing coordinator for directions and assistance.

http://www.fldoe.org/asp/altassessment.asp

http://www.fldoe.org/ese/fcatasd.asp

http://info.fldoe.org/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-5831/dps-2010-92.pdf



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Great Tips! Additional resources on the FCAT and End-of-Course examinations are the DOE websites:

FCAT: http://fcat.fldoe.org/fcat/. End-of-Course Examinations: http://fcat.fldoe.org/eoc/.

http://fcat.fldoe.org/fcat/

http://fcat.fldoe.org/eoc/


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II.6: Facilities

II.6. All district and school facilities (e.g., entrances, bathrooms, instructional and non-instructional areas, portables, locker areas, stages) are fully accessible. Emergency/evacuation plans exist and all personnel can implement the plans for all students with disabilities (including students with severe disabilities).

Rationale To be fully included in school activities, every student must have access to all of the facilities of the school needed to ensure full participation in the educational program with their age-appropriate peers without disabilities. Students with disabilities should have access to lockers, the gymnasium and locker rooms, the cafeteria area, including seating, the media center, and the administrative offices, including the guidance suite. Each student should be able to exit from the school during an emergency in a manner designed to prevent injury.

Know It When You See It This indicator is in line with requirements of IDEA and Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as well as the expanded rights enumerated for individuals with disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. Under Section 504, districts are required to provide non-discriminatory access to educational programs for students with disabilities. Program access includes physical access to the


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buildings and programs, including vocational services and extracurricular programs. Similarly, transportation needs cannot be used to deny access to programs for which the student qualifies. Transportation is defined as “travel to and from school and between schools; travel in and around school building; and specialized equipment (such as special or adapted buses, lifts, and ramps) if required to provide special transportation for a child with a disability.” The indicator is a challenge for some districts in which older facilities continue to be used, especially when funds are limited for infrastructure improvements. Note that providing an education to a student in a wing of a school or a portable that is accessible, but the other facilities such as the library or cafeteria are not, will result in a lower rating for this indicator. Note, having an emergency exit plan for each student is not sufficient. All staff in the building should know what the exit plans are for all students, especially those with wheelchairs or other physical support needs, so that every student in the school can be evacuated quickly and safely in case of an emergency.

Great Tips!

• Social Inclusion Project – http://flfcic.fmhi.usf.edu/projects/community.htm

• Circle of Friends http://www.circleofriends.org/ • Extensive documents are available on ways to meet compliance

for Section 504. Schwartz (2005, p. 44, 182) • School districts are required to have accessibility plans for all

schools and for every student qualifying under Section 504. • A Parent and Teacher Guide to Section 504 - Frequently Asked

Questions - (PDF, 332KB) http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/504bro.pdf

• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 - District Implementation Guide (2011) (PDF, 2MB)

• Section 504 - Accommodation Plan for Postsecondary Adult/Vocational Education Students (May 2004) - (PDF, 1MB)

http://flfcic.fmhi.usf.edu/projects/community.htm

http://www.circleofriends.org/

http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/504bro.pdf

http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/504bro.pdf

http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/sect504.pdf

http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/sect504.pdf

http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/504.pdf

http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/504.pdf


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II.7: Activities and Services

II.7. The district facilitates and monitors the participation of all students with disabilities (including all students with severe disabilities) across district and school activities and services (e.g., remediation programs, field trips, high school band, and athletics).

Rationale Students with disabilities, including students with significant disabilities, benefit from participation in many extra-curricular activities in addition to the school’s academic programs. Many students with disabilities have special talents in non-academic areas that facilitate the development of the whole student, may increase academic functioning, and serve as a contribution to the entire school. All students benefit by the inclusion of all students in extra-curricular activities, helping the entire student body and whole school understand the benefits of accepting each person for their strengths and differences.

Know It When You See It Individual Educational Plans (IEPs) provide an excellent place to document the extra-curricular activities in which students will be participating. Additional monitoring systems are needed, however, to document how each student is participating in extra-curricular activities, and how this participation occurs throughout each school and across the


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whole district. For example, blending students with varying levels of disabilities into the after-school choral program is a good practice; it is best practice to ensure that all students participate in the special performances by the group. Encouraging students with significant cognitive disabilities to participate in field trips and remediation programs increases their academic knowledge which in turn will increase their functioning levels. Note that this indicator specifies that the district “monitors” and “facilitates.” Monitor is defined in the BPIE as “To examine whether processes or practices are being implemented appropriately and have the desired outcome(s).” Facilitate is to “Provide necessary training, resources, and supports (e.g., subs, release time, stipends, consultants) to assist with the effective implementation of a process or practice.” Districts should not only monitor the success of schools and education teams in including students with all levels of disability into extra-curricular activities, but should actively support and promote these efforts.

Great Tips! Some students who use a wheelchair for mobility may participate fully in after school sports activities by rolling a wheelchair up and down a court or pairing with other students who can help with mobility. Rouse (2009) provides many examples of activities in which all students can participate as well as lists by specific areas of support needs. Rouse says (p.53) “Students in wheelchairs add a new dimension to your class; with a little creative thinking and planning, physical education can be a successful and fun learning environment for them. In every class I’ve had that included a student in a wheelchair, he or she has been accepted and admired by the general students. Within the context of all the disabilities, general students really understand that students in wheelchairs have to work a little harder to get things done and respect


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any ability that the student in a wheelchair has. They truly want the student to succeed, and many of them want to help make that happen.”


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II.8: Inclusive Values and Beliefs

II.8. All students with disabilities, (including all students with severe disabilities), are transported to and from curricular and extra-curricular activities with students without disabilities who attend the same school. Students with and without disabilities, including students with severe disabilities, arrive at and depart from the same school/community location at the same time.

Rationale Federal law requires that students with disabilities be provided non-discriminatory access to educational programs as part of their civil rights. More importantly, an essential part of a student’s school day is the interaction among students as they go to and from school. When schools are located too far from home for students to walk to school, students of all abilities benefit from being transported together. These arrangements decrease the amount of time that students with special needs (often with health concerns as well) must spend on a bus and often result in increased instructional time because students do not have to leave early.

Know It When You See It Transportation is considered a related service for a student with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part B. Also, as stated in Schwartz (2005, p. 44, 182), under Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act, districts are required to provide nondiscriminatory program access. Program access


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includes physical access to the buildings and programs, including vocational services and extra-curricular programs. Similarly, special transportation needs cannot be used to deny access to programs for which the student qualifies. Transportation is defined as “travel to and from school and between schools; travel in and around school buildings; and specialized equipment, (such as special or adapted buses, lifts, and ramps) if required for a child with a disability.” Specifically to be avoided are transportation arrangements that segregates students from same-age peers without disabilities. In districts that have adopted a “serve our own” policy to place students in the schools closest to their home or in a school of choice, buses that pick up and drop off a student with special transportation needs also include other students of all ability levels. These policies reduce the stigma attached to the students designated to ride the “special” bus.

Great Tips! The Florida Department of Education’s Technical Paper on Transportation and Students with Disabilities contains specifics on the Department’s policy on the transportation of students with support needs and is located on the web at: http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/y2001-13.pdf Work with your local transportation director to develop improved procedures and systems for transporting students with special needs that reduces the travel time and the increased risk to the school system resulting from extended travel times for students with special needs who are sometimes unable to easily communicate their needs. Include the transportation director and staff in BPIE planning to increase their understanding of the issues and the benefits of providing students with special needs the transportation services that meet this indicator.

http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/y2001-13.pdf


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SECTION III: POLICIES AND SUPPORT - Leadership

Policies and Support contain two sections:

Leadership (six indicators) and Program Development and Evaluation (eight indicators)

There are six indicators in the Leadership section: 1. Key person with experience and expertise in inclusion 2. District leaders knowledgeable about inclusion 3. Implementation of strategies to support collaboration 4. Allocation of special education units and resources 5. Advocate for assignment to neighborhood schools or schools of

choice 6. District-wide process to determine appropriate assessments

As a Whole A district leader acting in support of inclusive/universal education ensures that the district educates all children in settings that provide extensive and natural interactions with their peers. All means every single child in a school’s boundaries regardless of disability label. To accomplish this goal, the leaders must be knowledgeable about inclusive/universal education, and have the experience and expertise to lead others into implementing best practices in universal/inclusive education.


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III.1: Key Person in Inclusion

III.1. District-level administrators have identified and provide support for a key person who has experience and expertise in best practices in inclusive education to provide support (e.g., needs assessments, site-specific training, technical assistance) to school-level administrators and personnel, as they include students with disabilities (including students with severe disabilities) in general education and natural contexts. These supports are provided on an ongoing basis and in a coordinated effort.

Rationale Having a key person in the district who is responsible for tracking the best practices in universal/inclusive education simplifies the process when others in the district or from schools or the general public need answers to questions about universal/inclusive education. This person serves as the “go to” person when more in-depth information is needed about universal/inclusive education.

Know It When You See It In small districts, this person usually is the individual designated as the director, supervisor, or coordinator of exceptional student education (ESE). They may also “wear several other hats” with responsibilities for programs such as transportation, federal programs, and/or student assessment. The responsibility may be designated from the director or


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supervisor to a lead person or ESE Department Chair in a school. In larger districts, the key person may be one of the staff in the ESE Department and may also have other key responsibilities in exceptional education. Important functions of this person include serving as a two-way conduit for the district. The key person gathers information from outside sources such as the DOE, FIN, FDLRS, and websites critical information about universal/inclusive education and shares this information with administrators and educators in the district’s schools through presentations in schools, emails, and district websites and communication systems. The key person also provides support to district and school staff through needs assessments, site-specific training, technical assistance, and on-going information. Additionally, the individual serves as the “point of contact” to field questions and respond to requests for assistance from within the district and from other schools as well as from the general public. The most important concept is that there is one person who is widely known as the expert in the district on inclusive/universal education.

Great Tips! If your district does not already have a key person for inclusive/universal education, conducting a district BPIE can provide impetus for and interest in this function. Look for a person who is enthusiastic and knowledgeable about least restrictive environment issues and who has a strong commitment to providing supports and services to all children. Share the BPIE standards with district staff informally through staff meetings or short workshops to increase awareness of the need for a key person to be the “champion’ for inclusive/universal education.


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III.3: District Leaders Knowledgeable

III.2. All district-level administrators, school-level administrators, and school board members are knowledgeable about best practices in inclusive education for all students with disabilities (including all students with severe disabilities), and utilize resources to develop, implement, and sustain services that reflect those best practices for all students.

Rationale To make informed decisions, all district and school administrators, as well as school board members, must have accurate and timely information about inclusive/universal education. Keeping all of these important decision-makers up to date on new approaches and systems that work is a critical function.

Know It When You See It Districts implementing this indicator ensure that all current decision-makers are informed about inclusion/universal education using a workshop format, through presentations at principal and district administrator meetings, postings on district electronic bulletin boards such as Wikis or Moodle, and by sending emails with attachments. The district also should implement a systematic method for ensuring that all new decision-makers are informed.


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Great Tips! The ways in which decision-makers are informed on universal/inclusive education vary with the size and “climate” of the district. In large districts, formal communication systems often are expected and may work the best. FIN facilitators are available to provide introductory sessions or to assist the district director/supervisor of ESE programs in organizing and presenting sessions on inclusive/universal education. In smaller districts, informal methods may be more appropriate and effective. Schedule a time slot on the calendar for the next district administrator/principal’s meeting. Work with the Superintendent or Assistant Superintendent in arranging a time slot to present to the School Board. Sharing information is the best way to increase understanding and support for students with disabilities.


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III.3: Support for Collaboration

III.3. District-level administrators facilitate and monitor, at all schools, the implementation of strategies (e.g., money for substitutes, early release days, floating substitute(s), pre-service days for collaboration, more in-service days in school calendar) that support collaboration among general and exceptional education personnel during teacher contract hours in order to plan, implement, and evaluate instruction in general education and natural contexts for all students with disabilities (including all students with severe disabilities).

Rationale Effective inclusive/universal education hinges on the efforts of general and exceptional education teachers and staff. Collaborative time for planning, implementing, and evaluating instruction is essential in making the process work. District administrators play a pivotal role in ensuring that this critical time is available and used appropriately to further the education of all students, including all students with disabilities.

Know It When You See It Collaborative planning for general and exceptional education teachers and staff should be scheduled as a routine part of the day/week so that all teachers and staff know when they will be meeting and the expectations for the meeting. Meetings should have an agenda, and a designated person to coordinate the meetings, as well as a note-taker for continuity. If the meeting is convened to examine student progress,


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identify new instructional strategies that may be more effective for the students, and learn about new approaches to inclusive/universal instructional methods, as it can count as a “learning community” under the DOE’s Professional Development Evaluation System Protocol. When classes are co-taught by general and exceptional education teachers, planning times for both teachers should be scheduled at the same time. Some schools use a period at the beginning or end of the school day for planning, facilitating multiple groupings on different days of the week. Note, however, that the actual time available for joint planning in this arrangement needs to be long enough to accomplish its meaningful collaboration. If it is too short it defeats this purpose.

From the BPIE Glossary Collaborate: To cooperatively utilize resources, talents, etc. to accomplish a common goal.

Great Tips! FIN facilitators can provide training on flexible scheduling that can help districts and schools increase inclusion and provide for common planning times for general and exceptional education teachers. Contact your FIN facilitator through their website at: http://www.floridainclusionnetwork.com/ Curriculum coordinators and coaches can assist by regularly sitting in on planning meetings to provide resources and field questions. District staff can assist by rotating around schools to sit in on selected planning meetings which serves two purposes: 1) providing assistance and resources when appropriate, and 2) learning about the issues and



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concerns that should be raised to a higher level for district-level solutions and implementation. General education teachers and special education teachers must work together to provide instruction to both general education students and students with disabilities. Teachers verbally and physically support instruction and are responsible for all students. General education teachers must be given supports to make these practices work in the classroom. The key is to share information and ideas about meeting students’ needs—all students. (Karten, 2005, p. 131). Administrators can facilitate this sharing by arranging planning times that allow general education teachers and special education teachers to plan together for their instruction. It would be counter-productive to have general education teachers with one planning period and special education teachers with another.


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III.4: Allocation of Special Education Units

III.4. District-level administrators allocate special education units (e.g., teachers, paraprofessionals, staffing specialists, related services providers) and materials (e.g., assistive technology) to all schools based on flexible models of support as determined by the instructional needs of all students with disabilities, (including all students with severe disabilities), in general education and natural contexts rather than based on disability categories, existing programs, or facilities.

Rationale A basic tenet of universal/inclusive education is the belief that Florida’s children have the right to receive their education in an inclusive general education setting, reflecting natural proportions and age-appropriate heterogeneous groups across core academic and elective/special areas within the school community and within their neighborhood school or school of choice. Supports for these educational settings should be provided by the district and schools.

Know It When You See It If this indicator is being applied, every student in the district is educated within their neighborhood school, or school of choice, within general education classes. Districts provide support services to make this happen. The needs of the student drive the supports provided in the school.


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Many districts have moved to greater inclusion of students with disabilities through co-teaching models that place students with disabilities into general education classrooms taught by a general education and exceptional student teacher. In the best models, teachers share teaching responsibilities, and lessons are designed universally with learning objectives for each student, including students with disabilities, as appropriate. Schools are embracing the Response to Intervention (RtI) model supported by the FDOE to assist in keeping students with disabilities in general education classrooms. Lower levels of adherence to this indicator are noted in some districts that allocate resources based on cluster placement of classes at specific schools in a regional pattern, designating a set of schools for students on the autism spectrum or students with intellectual disabilities. In these systems, students are gathered by their disabilities instead of learning together with children from their neighborhoods or schools of choice. Some districts continue to segregate students with disabilities into separate schools entirely, including sometimes transporting them for hours each day to another school district.

Great Tips! The best resources for this indicator are the FIN facilitators and FDLRS. Coordinate with your FIN facilitator professional development on RtI and co-teaching. Provide principals and district administrators with examples of how co-teaching can assist the district in meeting class size requirements while increasing universal/inclusive education for all students. Work with your local universities and FDLRS to encourage teachers to obtain additional certifications that facilitate RtI and co-teaching. Some resources that can assist include:


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• Florida Inclusion Network: http://www.floridainclusionnetwork.com/

• Florida Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology: http://www.faast.org/

• Response to Intervention (RTI) Project at the University of South Florida. http://www.florida-rti.org

• Florida’s Problem-solving/Response to Intervention Pilot Project, contact Clark Dorman, Project Leader, at [email protected].


http://www.faast.org/


mailto:[email protected]


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III.5: Advocate for Neighborhood School Assignment

III.5. All district-level administrators advocate for the assignment of all students with disabilities, (including all students with severe disabilities), to schools and classes based on the premise that they belong in their neighborhood schools (or schools of choice) and general education contexts rather than the premise that they belong in a program or class reflecting their diagnostic label, level of disability, or eligibility for services or supports.

Rationale It is an axiom of universal/inclusive education that all students benefit when all students, including students with disabilities, are learning together in classes reflecting similar-aged peer groups. Research has documented the intellectual and social benefits to both groups.

Know It When You See It Many district-level administrators believe that students in their district should receive their education in an inclusive general education setting. Advocating for this position means extensive and persistent efforts to implement policies that support universal/inclusive education. Especially important is ensuring that school board members, superintendents, and other high-level administrators understand the benefits and know about the successes of placing students with disabilities into general education classes. Frequently the greatest barrier comes from parents who are concerned about the acceptance of their child in classes of students


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without disabilities. Successfully addressing these issues is the ongoing challenge of every director of exceptional education programs.

Great Tips! Generate a short presentation for the School Board on the research documenting the success of universal/general education. Insert excerpts into board presentations on RtI and co-teaching as part of the broader effort to individualize education for all students. Work with your FIN Facilitator to organize and conduct a BPIE review that will provide a basis for improving placement of all students within general education and natural settings.


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III.6: District Process for Appropriate Assessments

III.6. District leaders facilitate and monitor the implementation, by all schools, of a district wide decision-making process (e.g., use of guiding questions) to determine appropriate assessments (i.e., state, district or alternate assessment) for each student with disabilities, including all students with severe disabilities. When the use of alternate assessment has been determined to be appropriate for a student, a district wide process is used to identify alternate assessment strategies across general education and natural contexts to be used in conjunction with state required practices.

Rationale Participation by students with disabilities in state and district assessments provides the students, teachers, administrators, and parents valuable information on the academic progress of the student. The process used to determine which assessments are appropriate for an individual student needs to be consistent across all schools and all students to ensure the assessments provide the most useful information on the learning progress of each student. This information, in turn, results in adjusting and improving instructional strategies to ensure all students will learn to the maximum of their potential.

Know It When You See It In Florida, a very extensive and well-designed process for determining appropriate assessments has been generate by the FDOE as part of the


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IEP development and review procedure. This is the starting point for a district and is the minimum rating for the indicator. Additionally, districts need to review the state process to see what additional tools and guidance will improve the process, facilitate implementation in all schools, and monitor the implementation to ensure the process is employed in all schools for all students. The best implementation of this indicator is when the director and staff of exceptional education facilitate and monitor these processes as well.

From the BPIE Glossary Alternate Assessment: An alternate assessment is a way to measure the performance of students with disabilities who are unable to participate in general large-scale assessments used by districts or states (as determined by the IEP team). Alternate assessment strategies should include information from a variety of sources collected by multiple people across time and settings.

Assessment: A way of collecting information about what a student knows and can do and what a student still needs to learn. Assessment may include things like giving tests, observing a student, and looking at a student’s portfolio or work samples.

General and Natural Contexts: In general education contexts, instruction addresses the established curriculum of academic subjects offered in essentially the same fashion for all students. Natural contexts are those in which an activity typically occurs (e.g., learning to button in physical education, practicing math skills in the cafeteria).

Great Tips!


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Review the district’s facilitation of this indicator and make sure it includes:

• training all district and school staff making these determinations in the district’s process,

• providing the needed resources such as sufficient meeting time for IEP meetings and research on appropriate instruments,

• encouraging use of the procedures through meetings and written communications such as emails, Wikis, and bulletin boards

• celebrating successes of schools and staff who implement the procedures well.

Review the district’s monitoring of this indicator and makes sure it includes:

• setting up and conducting reviews of these processes, perhaps selecting a random or purposeful set of IEPs and tracking how the decisions are made

• observing a sample of IEP meetings of selected students representing different types and levels of disabilities to see how the determination of assessments to be used is conducted

• collecting data on the specific assessments used by school and types and levels of support needs to determine patterns that may reflect or warrant improvements.

Related Indicators

• II.5. Participation in state and district assessments.


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SECTION IV: POLICIES AND SUPPORT - Program Development and

Evaluation There are eight (8) indicators in the Policies and Support - Program Development and Evaluation section:

1. The district improvement plan addresses best practices for inclusive education

2. A district team evaluates progress toward best practices for inclusive education

3. Outcome and achievement measures for all students with severe disabilities are used for district improvement planning

4. Aggregated and disaggregated scores on assessments required for a standard diploma are used for district improvement planning

5. Hiring procedures ensure applicant has knowledge of, experience with, and willingness to implement best practices for inclusive education

6. Collaborative, job embedded professional development 7. Administrators participate in collaborative professional

development 8. District personnel advocates for and supports school-wide

approaches to facilitate positive, interdependent relationships among all students

As a Whole Combined, these indicators address the essential elements of management that should be in place to facilitate and nurture universal/inclusive education. Hiring educators who are aware of the benefits of and committed to inclusive/universal education as well as providing them with professional learning that increases their methods and techniques are best practices for all administrators.


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IV.1: District Improvement Plan

IV.1. Each goal of the district’s improvement plan includes strategies to facilitate positive academic and social outcomes for students with disabilities (including students with severe disabilities) in general education and natural contexts. A district team annually evaluates progress toward objectives that address best practices for inclusive education.

Rationale Planning for district improvement in Florida is guided by the district’s strategic planning efforts, the district improvement plan, and the school improvement plans. It is critical that the district plans include specific statements confirming the commitment to every student in the district, including students with significant disabilities. To ensure implementation, this commitment should be stated in the specific goals for academic and other programs and services that will ensure every student receives the highest quality education and services to maximize their learning potential. The annual evaluation of progress toward best practices for inclusive education ensures that the statements on paper are actually implemented.

Know It When You See It Including general statements such as “all students” is a good start toward implementing this indicator, but not sufficient. Too often the term is


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interpreted to exclude students with disabilities, especially students with significant disabilities. Specific statements should be made about the provision of appropriate academic programs and support services to each student within an inclusive setting. To obtain the highest rating, the district must also conduct an annual evaluation to document the improvements in inclusive/universal education and to plan for even better implementation.

Great Tips! Changes toward greater universal/inclusive education need to occur at all levels. Disseminating the BPIE indicators to the school board and district administrators can heighten awareness and acceptance of every child in the school system. To work from the school up, use the key principles to developing inclusive approaches within schools presented in: Eiken (2009, 11-12)

• Developing inclusive school culture— Successful inclusive schools will build upon a shared understanding of and commitment to inclusive values and practices. Staff will develop inclusive policies, but also will work on developing an inclusive culture.

• Responding to student diversity—Inclusive schools will work to remove any barriers to participation, access and achievement for all students. Diversity is welcomed and celebrated.

• Developing leaders who are committed to inclusive values—There will be evidence of distributed leadership across the school and leaders who have a strong commitment to inclusive values.

• Evolving shared inclusive values—Staff will engage in ongoing professional dialogue on problem solving and creative approaches to curriculum innovation.

• Developing collaborative problem solving—Staffing will take a creative and professional approach to working collaboratively with


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a wide range of other professionals and agencies to support the needs of all students.

• Individual inclusive school development—There is no one “blueprint” model for developing inclusive schools. Inclusive schools will place a priority in developing a partnership with parents and the local community to develop the model appropriate for their mix of students and families.


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IV.2: District Evaluation of Inclusive Education

IV.2. A district team (e.g., advisory board, inclusion task force) comprised of parents and both district-and school-level representatives from general and special education, uses a validated instrument (e.g., BPIE, Program Quality Indicators) to evaluate the district’s progress toward the implementation of research-based best practices for effective instruction of all students with disabilities (including students with severe disabilities) in general education and natural contexts. This team presents an annual progress report to the superintendent and school board and collaboratively develops plans for further implementation of these research-based best practices, which then are incorporated into the district strategic plan.

Rationale Using the nationally recognized BPIE to measure adherence to research-based best practices in universal/inclusive education provides a systematic and reliable method for planning improvements in inclusive/universal practices. Regardless of how well a district is performing, there is always room for improvement. Sharing results with policy-makers in the district increases the probability that further improvements will be made.



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A critical component of this indicator is the composition of the district team. An initial review may begin with an internal review by the district exceptional education staff, but the most appropriate review is conducted by a team that includes wide representation to encompass a variety of perspectives on the degree to which the indicators are being met. Parent input into the review is a must, including parents of students with support needs. Keeping the effort going with periodic reviews by the panel or review group is a necessary component of success.

Great Tips! Florida districts are fortunate to have the resources of FIN facilitators to assist districts in meeting this indicator. Obtain a copy of the BPIE Manual from your FIN facilitator. If your district has not conducted a BPIE, begin by gathering a group of staff and some key district people to review the BPIE indicators and hold an informal discussion of the status of the district on the indicators. Share the results in bulleted format with other administrators. Ramp up the effort by working with your FIN facilitator to plan a BPIE review. Set a date a couple months out to give everyone an opportunity to attend. Here is a list from the BPIE manual of recommended participants: District general education administrator(s) District exceptional student education (ESE) administrator(s) Parent/guardian of child without disability Parent/guardian of child with disability Teachers

a. General education – elementary b. ESE – elementary c. General education – secondary d. ESE – secondary

Elementary and secondary school-based administrators Representatives from one or more resource organizations, e.g.,

Florida Inclusion Network (FIN), a university, the Center for Autism


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and Related Disabilities (CARD), or the Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resource Systems (FDLRS)

Representatives from community agencies,e.g., Vocational Rehabilitation, Agency for Persons with Disabilities–

A local school board member Any other service providers, as appropriate.

If your district has already completed a BPIE, set up a time to conduct an update session in your district. Some districts use their ongoing District Advisory Group for Exceptional Student Education to conduct annual or bi-ennial reviews of progress on the BPIE indicators and plan for further improvements.


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IV.3: Outcome and Achievement Measures

IV.3. Outcome and achievement measures for all students with severe disabilities, regardless of instructional setting, e.g., general education and natural contexts, special class, special school, are used for district improvement planning.

Rationale The purpose of providing education to all students is to increase their knowledge and skills. Student achievement results are one of the best methods for determining whether each student is making progress on academic and social skills. This is true for students with disabilities as well as those without disabilities. Using summaries of these data is an essential component of identifying strategies and efforts that are working and making plans to improve the academic and support systems for students with disabilities.

Know It When You See It The No Child Left Behind legislation requires that assessment data be collected and used to determine student proficiency and adequate yearly progress. These requirements have implications for all students, but especially those in inclusive classrooms. Students with disabilities are among the four groups of students who are included in the data used to determine adequate yearly progress along with the total school scores. Beattie (2006, p. 202). The FDOE requires all students, including students


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with significant disabilities, to be tested using either the FCAT or the Florida Alternative Assessment. Consequently, Florida districts collect and report the data needed to meet this indicator. More importantly, however, is whether the data are used to improve instructional and support programs for all students, including those with significant disabilities.

Great Tips! The FDOE has provided extensive guidance on which students must take the state assessment tests. The determination is made on an individual basis for each student during the IEP meeting. The student should take the FCAT unless the IEP team members can answer yes to all of the following questions:

1. Is the student unable to master the Sunshine State Standards, even with appropriate and allowable course accommodations? 2. Is the student’s demonstrated cognitive ability the primary reason for the inability to master these standards? 3. Is the student participating in a modified or functional curriculum based upon competencies in the Sunshine State Standards for Special Diploma for all academic areas? 4. Does the student require extensive direct instruction in functional academics and vocational competencies as well as domestic, community living, and leisure activities? 5. Does the student have deficits in adaptive behavior, as demonstrated by the inability to function effectively and independently in everyday living skills (interpersonal and social interactions) across a variety of settings?

http://info.fldoe.org/docushare/dsweb/GetRendition/Document-1857/html In addition to the formal statewide assessments, teachers can gather assessment data through a variety of means including:

http://info.fldoe.org/docushare/dsweb/GetRendition/Document-1857/html

http://info.fldoe.org/docushare/dsweb/GetRendition/Document-1857/html


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• Observations o Active (active observational record) o Passive (review products of previous actions)

• Various test types o norm-referenced o criterion referenced o curriculum-based measurement

• Various test item formats (oral or written)— o multiple choice o matching o fill-in o essay o activity

• Portfolio assessment • Interviews

o structured o unstructured

Criterion-referenced assessments and curriculum-based measurement are directly related to specific objectives and will probably provide the teacher with the strongest basis for planning and delivering instruction. Ekins (2009, p. 41) emphasizes that staff must have a clear understanding of how to use data effectively and strategically to enable meaningful change and development. Some key questions related to systems and practices on which to reflect include:

• How often is pupil progress assessed within the school context?

• How is pupil progress assessed? What assessment materials are used?

• Do these materials link in and complete end-stage assessment tests?

• How is work leveled? Has there been any standardization of leveling across the whole school setting?

• Do all staff have a clear understanding of what progress looks like at each level?

• Is there a clear understanding of what good and expected rates of progress are?


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• How is the information from pupil assessments collated?

• Who is involved in the process?

• Is the information from the pupil assessments shared and discussed at a strategic level? How does this impact on practice within the school?

• How are individual class- and subject-teachers encouraged and supported to reflect on and evaluate cohort issues raised by the assessment data?

In response to analysis of assessment data, the following needs may be identified:

• Reconsider the structure of a particular teaching input or lesson

• Provide more focus and opportunities to develop skills in a particular area

• Reconsider how they approach appropriate differentiation in order to extend and challenge all students, and

• Question how support is currently used, and how to make changes in order to give further focused support to key groups of students.

Jorgensen, (2006, p. 159), notes that teams should refrain from making judgments about a student’s performance without carefully evaluating the quality of the instruction and support provided to those students. If the team is confident about the quality of the instruction and support, then the student assessment is more meaningful. If not, team members might make a commitment to try other supports and assess again.


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IV.4: Aggregated and Disaggregated Scores

IV.4. The aggregated and disaggregated scores of all students with disabilities who participate in state and district assessments required for a standard diploma are used as part of a district improvement planning process and are included in reports to the public.

Rationale Assessment information is one of the best sources for determining the overall success of the district’s efforts in increasing the academic performance levels of students. Florida has one of the most detailed and rigorous statewide assessment systems in the nation that generates extensive information that can be used to improve the overall educational system. Most districts conduct additional assessments that provide more frequent and more detailed results related to specific curricular programs. All of these data are valuable inputs into decision-making about better ways to educate and support students with disabilities. Public reporting of these data provides transparency to the programs so that parents, teachers, and others can fully participate in improving the education of all students.

Know It When You See It No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requires all states and schools to collect and report disaggregated data by several different factors. FCAT reports


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present student assessment scores that are disaggregated by the NCLB factors, including participation in exceptional education programs. As of 2011, FCAT aggregated scores must include all students taking the test, and all students must take the FCAT unless their IEPs stipulate that they will be taking the Florida Alternative Assessment. Reports of results from district assessments, however, may not be reported separately for students with disabilities, and these students may also still be excluded from district results. Look also for disaggregation by type of disability as a further set of data that may be useful in planning instruction and support needs.

From the BPIE Glossary

Aggregated Data: The reporting of scores reflects the scores of all students. The scores of students with disabilities (or any other subgroups) are NOT removed before calculating school/district averages for school grading purposes.

Great Tips! Work with the person in your district who has the most knowledge about assessments (perhaps the district assessment coordinator) to determine the current status of the inclusion of students with disabilities in state and district assessment data. Determine any areas in which further disaggregation may be helpful in making programmatic decisions. Set up a work group to study and share information on assessment methods. Use the group to assist schools in formulating improvement plans.


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Disaggregated Data: The reporting of scores reflects the scores of all students. The scores of students with disabilities (or any other subgroups) are reported separately.


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IV.5: Hiring Procedures

IV.5. Hiring procedures for all school-level and all district-level personnel include gathering information on the applicant’s knowledge of, experience with, and willingness to implement, best practices for inclusive education (e.g., models of support, roles of collaboration, accommodations, modifications, differentiated instruction) for all students with disabilities, (including students with severe disabilities), and this information is a factor in a recommendation for employment.

Rationale All staff within a district are important factors in ensuring that all students in the school system receive an education that will maximize their potential. Hiring procedures should ensure that each person has the skills and willingness to support universal/inclusive education. Through national and state mandates as well as local changes in attitudes, greater efforts are being made to include students with disabilities in general education settings. In order to facilitate these mandates, every teacher will need to have the skills and attitudes to work effectively with students of all performance levels, regardless of their disabilities.

Know It When You See It Interview guides and targeted selection procedures should include specific questions about the prospective teacher’s experience with individuals with disabilities and their willingness to work toward an


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educational system that is inclusive of all students. These questions are specifically important for classroom teachers who may be expected to co-teach students with disabilities. District staff is instrumental in promulgating questions for use in hiring instruments and interview guides, as well increasing district awareness of the need for using the information in hiring decisions.

Great Tips! Review the hiring procedures in the district. Look for questions addressing universal/inclusive education and experience with individuals with disabilities. Work with the district personnel director to develop a strategy for including questions and probes about the potential hire’s experience with, and willingness to support, inclusive/universal education. Generate a set of questions that will elicit information about the potential hire’s experience with, and willingness to support, inclusive/universal education, and share with selected school administrators for feedback. Introduce the issue at an administrator’s meeting along with statistics on the increasing use of RtI and co-teaching to support the need for the change in hiring practices.


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IV.6: Professional Development

IV.6. Collaborative, job-embedded staff development activities to provide all personnel in the district with the expertise to implement best practices for including all students with disabilities, (including all students with severe disabilities), in general education and natural contexts are included in the district professional development plan. Information about specific activities is disseminated to all personnel with sufficient notice to plan for attendance.

Rationale Most teachers and staff, when informed about the benefits of inclusive/universal education, willingly support this approach to educating all students in our schools. Providing job-embedded professional development to explain what universal/inclusive education is and how it works is an effective means of creating a culture of acceptance and success in our schools. These opportunities should be provided during the school day and as much as possible in the context within which the skills and knowledge will be used.

Know It When You See It All district and school staff should participate in training on best practices in inclusive/universal education. The intensity of the professional learning may vary with the level of responsibility of the individual. Teachers (general and exceptional education), para-


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professionals, guidance counselors, and media specialists can benefit from the most intensive sessions and detailed knowledge about specific instructional and management strategies to use in classrooms and with individual students. Office staff needs specific examples for interacting with parents and students. Other school staff who interact with students (custodial staff, bus drivers, food service staff) benefit from understanding the reasons for including all students and specific examples of how they can help implement universal/inclusive education.

From the BPIE Glossary

Job-embedded professional development: Professional development activities that occur as teachers and administrators engage in their daily work settings and schedules.

Great Tips! Schwartz (2005, p. 206-7) stated: “Administrators need to show their support by arranging collaborative planning time on a regular basis for teachers, and by providing effective and relevant professional development opportunities. In addition, teachers need to be given more decision-making responsibilities in creating collaborative models like co-teaching that will work to fit their teaching styles, and that will best address pupil needs. Teachers need to know that they are regarded as major players in making decisions rather than merely serving as a sounding board for the principal's ideas and mandates. Administrator also should provide necessary technological support and resources to help further inclusive practices within the classroom program.”


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Beattie (2006, p.24) reflected that “Ensuring that all students gain access to the general education curriculum in inclusive settings requires support for efforts to improve teacher skills. All teachers have their own sets of unique strengths and weaknesses. When teachers identify and address their own teaching needs, they are better equipped to make inclusion work. Teachers must have high-quality training and support to be successful inclusive teachers. The following are skills that help teachers support inclusion and access to the general curriculum for all of their students:”

• “Organizing classrooms and physical space to support diverse learning styles

• Planning, organizing, and presenting lessons that encourage diverse learning styles

• Managing behavior and motivation to keep students actively engaged

• Teaching reading relentlessly to support learning in other content areas

• Teaching cognitive strategies to support diverse learning styles and remediate typical learning problems

• Providing accommodations and modifications to encourage all students to learn

• Monitoring progress frequently with appropriate assessments and grading practices

• Providing family-friendly educational experiences

• Collaborating, consulting, and communicating with other professionals.

Today, high quality professional development is typically characterized by the principles of reflective practice, described in Jorgensen (2006, p. 192-3). “Reflective practice is characterized by teachers’ participation in small learning communities that meet on a regular basis to talk about school culture, teaching, and student learning”, and focusing on collaboratively improving student performance. “Reflective practice groups can be a powerful tool for teams trying to solve challenges relating to inclusive education, such as:”


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• “Reorganizing staff assignments and caseloads so that all students are well supported;

• Solving problems related to a student’s challenging behavior;

• Determining why a student is having difficulty using an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device;

• Gaining insight into what supports best facilitate a student’s learning of the general education curriculum;

• Developing strategies for promoting acceptance of diversity within a school; and

• Finding ways to improve a student’s social connections and friendships.”

Eiken lists some reflective questions for teams to consider as they track, monitor and analyze the progress of all students and measure the impact and quality of the programs and interventions (2009, p 14):

• How is the process of self-evaluation undertaken at your school? o Who is involved? When does this occur? What activities have

been developed to encourage and engage participation of all members of the school community? Are there any stakeholders who are currently not fully involved?

• Does your school engage in processes such as target setting,

intervention planning, student tracking, and data analysis? o How is this organized? Who is involved? How do the

individual processes relate to each other? How do the processes impact upon students learning and engagement within the school? How do the processes lead to future strategic planning and development for the whole school to respond to developing needs?

• What do you perceive your role to be in enabling the processes to

occur within your school setting? o Will you lead efforts toward inclusive/universal education in

your school? Will you collaborate in strategic partnerships with colleagues? Will you support other schools to think in different ways about the issues raised? Will you contribute to the whole school self-evaluation?


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FIN is an excellent resource for the professional development specified in this indicator (http://www.floridainclusionnetwork.com/). The website has “Fact Folios” that can be used in training teachers and parents, as well as other resources. The FIN facilitators will assist or present in groups and work with schools to increase awareness and understanding of inclusive/universal education. FDLRS staff are also available with a wealth of resources and documents that can be used to help all district and school staff in the ongoing process of increasing universal education/inclusion.



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IV.7: Administrative Professional Development

IV.7. All district-and school-level administrators participate in collaborative professional development on best practices related to effective instruction of students with disabilities, (including students with severe disabilities), in general education and natural contexts. All district-and school-level administrators facilitate implementation of these best practices throughout the district.

Rationale Implementing effective practices in inclusive/universal education must be pervasive throughout the district. When armed with understanding and commitment, administrators are key in setting and supporting the policies that are needed to help teachers and school staff make each school an exemplary inclusive school using universal design principles to instruct all students. The Florida Department of Education’s Professional Development System Evaluation Protocol specifies 65 standards for professional development that can assist school teams in ensuring that professional learning in the schools is meeting high standards.

Know It When You See It District and school administrators control what happens in the schools. Ensuring that they are knowledgeable about and support universal/inclusive education is essential in bringing about the needed changes in our schools. Administrative professional development can


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take many forms. Shorter sessions spread over time may be the easiest and most effective way to implement, as the schedules for administrators are very demanding. Devoting a portion of time to inclusive/universal education in successive administrative meetings can be very effective when administrators are given an assignment or a question to respond to at the next meeting that forms the basis for discussion and probing. Note that simply having the professional development available is not sufficient to obtain the highest rating on this indicator. The district must have an organized, coordinated effort for ensuring all administrators participate. These efforts should include providing professional development on universal/inclusive education to all new administrators; training administrators in schools where more intensive efforts will be implemented to increase co-teaching, RtI, and other inclusive/universal education processes; and “refresher courses” for all district and school administrators on a regularly scheduled basis. These efforts should not be “one-shot” deals—the research and best practices in this field change quickly, and all administrators need to stay abreast of recent improvements and effective strategies.

Great Tips! A good resource for high quality professional development is the set of standards included in the Florida Professional Development System Evaluation Protocol. http://www.fldoe.org/profdev/pdstandards.asp. Another contact for information and training on professional development is the Florida Association for Staff Development. http://www.fasdonline.org/.

http://www.fldoe.org/profdev/pdstandards.asp

http://www.fasdonline.org/


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IV.8: Positive, Interdependent Relationships

IV.8. District-level personnel advocate for and support school wide efforts (e.g., peer supports, funding, training) to facilitate positive, interdependent relationships among all students with disabilities, (including all students with severe disabilities), and students without disabilities across all instructional and non-instructional activities during and outside of the school day (e.g., academic peer supports, social and community inclusion programs).

Rationale Inclusive/universal education works best when the entire school body understands the reasons for including all students in the school’s programs and activities, and supports the process and the students. District administrators and staff are crucial factors in speaking up for and encouraging the needed resources to support and facilitate inclusive/universal education.

Know It When You See It Four distinctions are highlighted in this standard:

1) advocating for and supporting, 2) all students with disabilities, 3) across all instructional and non-instructional activities, 4) during and outside of the school day.


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Administrators may “talk the talk” on inclusive/universal education, but what is needed is for them to “walk the walk” and actually support the teachers to make it happen. This includes sufficient funding for the staff and para-professionals needed to implement co-teaching and inclusive placements; professional development and intensive instruction for teachers, staff, and students when students with disabilities are initially placed in general education classrooms; and ongoing assistance with issues and specific needs of students after initial placement. The term “all” means each and every, not just the students who are easiest to assimilate into a general education classroom. The advocacy and support should extend across instructional and non-instructional activities. Students with disabilities should not only be placed in academic general education classes but also in art, music, physical education, and assemblies, performances, and school activities such as raising the flag and field day. The advocacy and support also should extend to after- school programs, and the before-and after-school times when students are on campus.

Great Tips! Causton (2009, p67) offers six tips to facilitate relationships between students with disabilities and their peers:

1. Highlight similarities among students

2. Help students invite each other to socialize

3. Provide behavioral supports that are social in nature

4. Provide your students with responsibilities that are interactive and collaborative

5. Help other students understand disabilities

6. Get out of the way! Give students space so that a natural conversation can occur.


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Jorgensen (2006, 127+) shares seven essential conditions that facilitate student interactions:

• Fully including students in a heterogeneous general education class—fully included students will develop a set of common experiences on which to base conversations and relationships.

• Providing students with a means to communicate all of the time—

when students with disabilities have a means to communicate, they are more likely to gain a variety of social relationships.

• Providing support in a way that encourage inter-dependence and

independence—when students have to rely first on natural supports, such as their classmates, rather than a para-professional, there is a chance for the students to build a relationship.

• Involving students in problem solving to remove barriers to social

relationships.One approach is to identify existing groups that can connect students and break down barriers. Another approach is to establish a “circle of friends” who are invited to get to know a student who is not yet connected in a meaningful way.

• Giving students access to age-appropriate materials and activities—

help students with disabilities who have not previously been with their age group to dress and express interests that are consistent with their age group.

• Forging a partnership between home and school to facilitate

friendships and participation in social activities—actively work with families to promote participation of students with disabilities in school-sponsored extra-curricular activities and social events.

• Addressing the climate of the whole school with respect to

diversity.Schools that value diversity embed social justice and diversity issues within the curriculum. School staff reflect racial, cultural, linguistic, gender and sexual orientation diversities.

• Treating students as if they are competent—staff should treat all

students as if they are competent, engaging them in regular conversations, avoiding exaggerated praise, and applying the same standards for behavior as with other students.


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All students need a variety of relationships with their classmates. Teachers can help students with and without disabilities connect and overcome the barriers that prevent students from seeing each other as potential friends. Giangreco (2007, p.49+) offers the following guidelines for supporting friendships for all students:

1. Everyone can and should have friends.

2. Model high expectations for all students.

3. Make sure all students share time, space and activities.

4. Even if students don’t speak, they still have things to say.

5. Create classes that celebrate, not simply tolerate, diversity.

6. Respect the space that friendships require. Don’t get in the way.

7. Seek the perspectives and involvement of classmates.

8. Families are essential. You can’t do it alone.

9. Pay attention to what friendship is and isn’t.

10. Provide intentional facilitation.

School administrators, along with inclusion facilitators, may find their primary role in inclusion is to serve as a change agent, transforming other’s beliefs about inclusive education and students with significant disabilities. Jorgensen, (2006, p. 65), describes a model focused on changing individuals (rather than systems) that is based on the Concerns Based Adoption Model. The answers to the following questions are used to plan strategies for transforming that person’s beliefs and practices:

• What does this person value?

• What are this person’s concerns about inclusion?

• How might this person’s personality type affect the best way to communicate and work with him or her?

Jorgenson also presents characteristics of effective change agents for inclusion:


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• Administrators and inclusion facilitators who are effective as change agents must embody many strong principles relating to working with others.

• Change agents for inclusion are confident about their own efficacy. They persevere, manage their stress and use self-talk productively.

• Change agents possess a broad repertoire of skills for working with diverse individuals in a variety of situations.


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SECTION V: INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT AND PEDAGOGY

There are 10 indicators in the Instruction Support and Pedagogy section:

1. Family members are actively involved in district-wide decision making processes

2. Variety of appropriate assessment instruments for all students used to determine services and models of support

3. Assortment of data collection tools used to identify the effectiveness of instructional strategies

4. Decision-making process to identify research-based school-wide behavior plan models

5. Key person with experience and expertise in FBA and BIP 6. Key person with experience and expertise in assistive technology 7. Same report cards as students without disabilities; modified to

show progress in general education 8. Grading policies are consistent with those for students without

disabilities 9. District personnel facilitate transition planning including agency

and community participation 10. Procedures for articulation from grade to grade or school to school

facilitate instruction.

As a Whole Students of all abilities can learn well together, but it takes unique, individualized and targeted instructional strategies and supports to move each student from where they are to their next level. Teachers must move beyond the old-fashioned model of education where student learning is dominated by learning facts and content in isolated subject areas, and students are rewarded for “content mastery” via passing of traditional tests and unit quizzes. Instead, mastery teaching is seen as a collaborative, student-centered and integrative process.


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District and school administrators need to lead, model, and support universal/inclusive instructional practices. Helping teachers to learn how to differentiate instruction and implement Response to Intervention models are good practices for all students, but especially supportive of students with disabilities who are placed within general education settings with their peers. These teaching practices are simply good teaching made better.


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V.1: Family Involvement

V.1. District-level personnel actively seek participation from family members of students with disabilities, including students with severe disabilities, for all district wide decision-making processes, such as data collection, reflection, strategic planning.

Rationale Parent involvement in the education plan for students with disabilities, along with all members of a child’s education team, including general education teachers, is required by federal law (IDEA). In every step of planning, implementation, and evaluation of instructional activities, the parents have a right to be involved and the collaboration of the entire education team is the best practice. Given the requirement of parent and education team involvement, it is critical to acknowledge that the educational progress of a student with disabilities is a shared responsibility of the educators and the parents, and collaboration between the educators and parents is essential.

Know It When You See It Frequent and ongoing communication with parents facilitates the best instruction for the students. Examples of good practices include:

• Ongoing and frequent participation of all stakeholders in evaluation and planning of instructional activities and beyond.

• Sharing communication logs and participating in home visits.


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• Developing strategies for families to use in supporting students as well as soliciting strategies from families on how to best support/teach students.

• Including information about all areas of development, not just behavior.

The district encourages school personnel to find and use creative and mutually agreed-upon ways to communicate meaningfully and effectively with family members. The communication facilitates the active participation in the development of the IEP, the implementation of reaching IEP goals, and the evaluation/assessment of instructional activities. The student and/or family members can be communicated with via communication logs/journals, regular weekly or bi-weekly meetings, e-mails, blogs, discussion boards, phone conferences, or other creative communication methods, as well as at the annual IEP meeting. The student and/or family member should be contributing meaningful suggestions for accommodations/modifications, assistance for instruction and providing instructional ideas and being a part of the data collection team outside of school. These suggestions should be used and integrated into the student’s IEP goal development, the implementation/instructional programming, and the data collection/evaluation of progress (progress monitoring). To create an effective, collaborative relationship with parents, educators must focus on effective communication strategies. As a foundation for the collaborative relationship, educators should communicate:

• In a manner that is respectful and non-judgmental;

• In a way that shows the parent and all education team members are welcome in the partnership;

• In a way that acknowledges that the parents are the experts on their children;

• In a way that shows the educators truly care about the student and want to work collaboratively with the parents and each other (Rief, 2006).

• Taking time to set communication schedules. • Including home staff in the communication exchange. • Developing accommodated/modified/individualized homework.


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Communication can be verbal (including phone), written (communication logs, including email), or digital (blogs, discussion boards, digital communication journals, etc and can include report cards, checklists, behavior charts, and homework assignments.

Educators should be proactive in their communication with parents and each other, such as sending notes home communicating positive messages, making themselves accessible to parents and each other, clearly communicating expectations and procedures, welcoming parents and all education team members in the classroom, and finding ways that parents and education team members, including related service and support personnel, can contribute to the classroom that meets their comfort level and interest (Rief, 2006).

Communication should be frequent and begin early in the year. Frequent communication has many benefits including averting problematic situations, sending a message of worth to the parents, and telling students there is a connection between school and home (Karten, 2005).

Communication should be welcoming, both in words and body language, and designed to foster a sense of collaboration and shared responsibility. Teachers should take the time to explain reports and materials, send notes home to acknowledge good work, let parents and educational team members know early if students are failing or falling behind, stay calm if parents or colleagues become angry or upset, and let team members know when problems arise (McGrath, 2007).

Great Tips! Giangreco (2007) offers guidelines for education teams to use in building partnerships with parents and caregivers and can also be applied to fostering student’s involvement in their own education plan. In summary, the guidelines are:

1. Send a Clear Message of Regard and Value—the way teachers talk about students has a significant impact on the development of


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relationships with parents. Parents are more likely to be open and interested if they know their child is important and valued.

2. Put Yourself in the Shoes of the Parent and your Colleagues—teachers who attempt to understand the parents’ and their colleagues’ frame of reference are less likely to develop judgmental attitudes that could be damaging to relationships.

3. Demonstrate Genuine Interest in Parents’ Goals—through their choice of language and their interaction styles, teachers can create an atmosphere of respect and interest in the parents’ priorities for their child. The interplay of the teacher’s expertise and the parent’s information and insight can greatly enrich the outcome for students.

4. Use Everyday Language—when the education team uses terms that are unclear to parents, parents can feel excluded. Teachers should minimize the use of jargon and take leadership in making sure the discussion is in terms that the parents understand. In writing, use common words.

5. Talk with Parents and all Team Members about How they Want to Share Information—ask parents how they want to communicate and how often. Realize that this may change over time, so revisit during the year.

6. Expand your Awareness of Cultural Diversity—it is important to be sensitive to cultural issues that may affect parents’ thoughts on their role in their child’s education. Asking parents their preferences shows respect—the first step in teaming with families.

7. See Individuals—challenge stereotypes—focus on productive actions such as staff development that focuses on the diversity in families, promotion of disability awareness information-sharing sessions, and offering examples that contradict stereotypes expressed by others.

8. Create Effective Forums for Planning and Problem Solving—some teams hold meetings on an ongoing basis, not just annually for the IEP review. These meeting include sharing successful strategies, discussing progress, and planning for the next school year. While time is always a challenge, the benefit of such meetings can be significant, including a greater ability to be responsive to students as they encounter obstacles.


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9. Support Full Membership for All Students—as students get older, the parents’ efforts for inclusive education for their child become much more difficult. Teachers can support changing systems for inclusive teaching by supporting staff development efforts that build expertise with diversity, challenging plans that refer students to a more restrictive setting, or join community organizations that have goals related to building inclusive schools.

10. Persevere in Building Partnerships with Parents—a collaborative relationship with parents does not automatically happen. Education teams should not give up too quickly and dismiss parents who do not attend meetings. Building partnerships takes commitment and vision over the long term, with teams extending themselves and doing what needs to be done. Always be welcoming, attempting to make parents as comfortable as possible. Express sincere interest in their role in the student’s education.

Review the Department of Education Technical Assistance Paper: The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA): http://info.fldoe.org/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-5441/dps-2009-103.pdf. Have a work group study the paper and lead a discussion about interactions with parents. Hannel (2007, p. 118) offers the following advice for working with parents, which can also be applied to working with colleagues and other members of the educational team:

Recognize that a family’s cultural and religious values and traditions may play a significant part in the parents’ and colleague’s perspective.

Remember that parents often see a different side of their child compared to the one teachers see at school. Always talk to them about how things are at home and their personal concerns about the student.

Anxiety is a normal and healthy reaction to a problem. It stimulates action and problem solving. Work with anxious parents to deal with the problems they perceive.

Do not dismiss parents’ anxieties as unfounded because you think the problem is minor. Respect parental concerns, and do all you can to address them.




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Parents will be particularly anxious if they do not know or understand the full picture. Provide as much information as you can and help to interpret it, so that parents have an accurate picture of the situation and what is being done to work with the problem.

Parents have a lot of information about their child. Ask parents to discuss their child and to help you see things through the eyes of the student and family.

Sometimes, parents have had unfortunate experiences in previous encounters with professionals. You do not have to judge or defend your colleagues, but you do need to understand the issues that the parents are dealing with.

Other times, parents have had very positive experiences with professionals. Knowing what has worked well in the past is an important part of future planning.

Remember that there may be a family history that colors the parents’ reactions to difficulties with learning.

Do not take parental concern or questioning as a personal attack on your professional skills.

Let parents know you hear and understand their perspective.

Do not make the parents feel they are to blame for the student’s difficulties.

Make sure the parents have the support they need to understand and support their child. Provide extra counseling, discussion and practical help to ease tensions, if they exist.

Talk to parents about their thoughts concerning their child’s future, to understand their hopes and fears.

Work with parents to find out about positive avenues that may be available in the future for the student. These may be quite different from what the teacher assumes.

Share with parents the positives as well as the negatives about the student.


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The more involved the parent and student are in their educational activities, the more likely communication and collaboration will be effective. Rief (2006, p. 162) provides tips on increasing parent participation:

Provide incentives to increase attendance.

Make video recordings of school events for lending libraries, so parents can view if they were unable to attend.

Have student-led exhibitions of different kinds, such as samples of favorite work.

Organize a “Shadow Your Student” half-day.

Host volunteer appreciation celebrations of various kinds.

Encourage parents to participate based on their interests, gleaned through a Parent Interest Form.

Help your school offer parenting classes.

Establish a parent center in the building, for networking, browsing resources, and working on projects for the school.

Encourage an up-to-date school Web site that students are a part of building so parents can access information about school activities.


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V.2: Services and Models of Support

V.2. District-level personnel facilitate and monitor the use of a variety of appropriate assessment instruments for all students with disabilities, (including all students with severe disabilities), to gather accurate and objective data across multiple settings that are used to determine services and models of support within general education and natural contexts.

Rationale Assessments provide information about the strengths and weaknesses of each student and the class as a whole. Retesting in the middle of the year allows the teacher to determine if the interventions put in place at the beginning of the year are effective. If a student’s progress is not satisfactory, the team needs to look for different approaches for the second half of the year. Final assessments can provide information for placement and planning for the next year (McGrath, 2007).

Florida is a national leader in creating student assessment systems and in measuring the academic progress of students with special needs. Currently, all students whose IEPs do not indicate they are intellectually impaired must take the appropriate statewide tests, typically the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) at grades 3-10, and the Florida’s End-of-Course Assessments that are being phased in. Students who are exempt from taking the FCAT are required to take the Florida Alternative Assessment (see http://www.fldoe.org/asp/altassessment.asp). Districts are also required to assess all students for benchmark testing and other assessments used in statewide determination of student progress.



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Know It When You See It Indicator 5 in Access to Education provides a discussion of the statewide and district assessments. Additionally, frequent assessments should be conducted to ensure that the student is learning what is being taught. Demonstrations of the skills and knowledge through teacher-made or textbook quizzes and unit tests are very effective means for ensuring that students are learning. The Response to Intervention initiative sponsored by the FDOE contains many resources for developing and administering a variety of assessments for students.

Examples of good practices in assessment include:

• Parents and students are part of assessment process. • In-class assessments include informal as well as formal

assessment. • Assessment is authentic, given in the natural context and learner-

centered. • Person –centered planning (Circle of Friends, PATH, etc) is used. • Multiple sources across multiple contexts are used to get authentic

picture of student(s). • Instruction and individual student strengths/capabilities drive

assessment methods. • Assessment results are used as an instrument/tool to assist the

teacher in planning for instructional methods, pace and delivery. Portfolios can serve as an effective method for documenting and displaying the successes of students. Portfolios should include:

• Work samples to showcase a student’s abilities in selected areas i.e. math, writing, social studies, reading

• Work samples at each developmental level of a student’s growth i.e. to showcase a student’s writing you would include writing samples of each stage of the writing process and at different points in time.

• It is mandatory that portfolios have a clear set of inclusion/exclusion criteria based on a collaboratively determined purpose.

• Different types of portfolios, according to Ryan (1994) include:


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o Collection Portfolios- a collection of student’s work for each subject area or project- based learning unit

o Showcase of Display portfolio- “best example” from collection portfolio with student reflections and personal items showcasing achievement, i.e. teacher portfolios are an example of this

o Assessment Portfolio- work samples, anecdotal notes, conference and meeting reports, observations, IEP progress monitoring data.

Great Tips! These websites provide valuable information on assessments for students with disabilities:

http://www.fldoe.org/ese/fcatasd.asp and http://info.fldoe.org/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-5831/dps-2010-92.pdf.

Districts may also have limits on the types of accommodations and modifications that are allowed for different district assessments. Consult your district testing coordinator for directions and assistance. Other resources include:

FCAT: http://fcat.fldoe.org/fcat/ End-of-Course Examinations: http://fcat.fldoe.org/eoc/

Related Indicators II.5. Participation in state and district assessments.




http://fcat.fldoe.org/fcat/

http://fcat.fldoe.org/eoc/


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III.3. Outcome and achievement measures for all students with severe disabilities are used for district improvement planning. III.4. Aggregated and disaggregated scores on assessments required for a standard diploma are used for district improvement planning.


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V.3: Instructional Strategies

V.3. District-level personnel provide an assortment of data collection tools (e.g., student interest inventory, family inventory, behavioral checklist) so that instructional and behavioral data can be collected for students with disabilities, (including students with severe disabilities), within naturally occurring activities in general education and natural contexts to identify the effectiveness of instructional strategies. District-level personnel provide training for and monitor the use of these tools by all special and general education personnel.

Rationale Instructional and behavioral data are taken throughout the year in the student’s general education environment as well as in other natural environments such as lunch, recess, in the hallway, or waiting for the buses. These data are collected during naturally occurring activities. The team then analyzes the data together, regularly, as a part of their collaborative lesson planning processes.

Know It When You See It A teacher’s recording a student’s comprehension of a novel through the student’s successful iterations of the costumes that accurately represent the two main characters of the novel in the group-developed play and deciding to use a play for the next social studies/literature integrated unit.


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When schools are in the process of moving to a school-wide approach to inclusion, the roles of the general education teacher and the special education teacher are necessarily re-configured. Unless there is an inclusion coordinator, the special education teacher is faced with managing a diverse set of educational placements. Ideally, one person should serve as an inclusion facilitator, perhaps a special education teacher, and a different special education teacher should handle the self-contained classrooms.

In an inclusive school-wide approach, the student with disabilities receiving instruction in a general education classroom is one of the general educator’s students, not a visitor. This teacher will consider the student in lesson planning and schedule time to meet with the inclusion facilitator.

For the special education teacher or related-service provider, the approaches also change in terms of focus—which supports does the student need in order to fully participate in general education—and where are the services delivered. As described by Jorgensen (2006, p. 188), “communication skills can be supported within reading groups or on the playground. Gross motor skills can be supported as students move from class to class or participate in physical education. Fine motor skills can be supported as students use computers, participate in art activities, or complete vocational tasks.” In an inclusive model, support services might occur in longer blocks of time with less frequency. In general, the idea is to plan to ensure support is purposeful, discreet, and faded out when it is no longer needed.

Great Tips! Giangreco (2007, 123) provides guidelines for a school-wide universal design for learning (UDL). In summary, the guidelines are:

1. Recognize Each Learner’s Strengths and Needs—The way each student learns is highly individual. UDL responds to individual


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needs and strengths by providing appropriate scaffolds, supports, options, and choices. The availability of digital text makes such differentiation more possible today than previously.

2. Understand How the Learning Brain Works—UDL correlates the three elements of learning (recognition of information to be learned, strategies to process, and engagement with the task) with the neural networks established by brain research (recognition, strategic, and affective networks). Therefore, UDL principles include providing varied methods of presentation, multiple pathways for reaching goals, and multiple options for engagement.

3. Understand How UDL and Assistive Technology Fit Together—Technology should be implemented in ways that support learning goals. Some supports will improve access to information, while others support participation in the general curriculum.

4. Differentiate the Means of Presentation—Using the wide variety of multi-media tools now available, teachers can more easily provide diverse pathways to learning. Teachers might present multiple examples of a concept, give extra attention to background knowledge those students possess and provide links to background material for support, and generally differentiate the presentation to reach more learners.

5. Offer Students Multiple Pathways to Learning—Ideally, learners should be supported in taking different approaches to achieve common goals. Teachers may present students with different models of skilled performance (showing the essential features while bringing individual creativity to the task), offering lots of practice with supports and scaffolds that are gradually withdrawn, and providing multiple avenues for expression (an online concept map vs. a written essay, for example).

6. Engage Learners in Multiple Ways—Providing appropriate levels of challenge and support is the key to engaging students. Provide basic access support (such as larger fonts for students with low vision), provide supports in learning strategies (such as writing strategy support), and provide students with choices in content, tools, and learning context.

7. Use Ongoing Assessment to Improve Instruction—Ongoing assessment is a way to help teachers adjust their instruction to meet individual needs and to help students learn to self-regulate


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and manage their own learning processes. Digital, interactive technologies make ongoing assessment easier to provide.

8. Provide Flexible Supports for Literacy—Multiple supports and avenues for success can re-energize and re-engage discouraged students. Many new technologies offer content with varied scaffold and supports, such as text-to-speech and read-aloud functions, animated characters that act as mentors, providing feedback on responses, and on-line work logs.

9. Develop New Literacies Using Technology—New technologies, e.g., instant messaging, on-line chat rooms, cell phones, multimedia blogs, music/video downloads, picture swapping, offer teachers new opportunities to reach all learners, but also require a broader understanding of literacy. Now students must develop skills to gather facts from diverse sources, analyze and synthesize this information, evaluate sources for credibility, form points of view and plans of action, and express themselves using different media.

10. Listen to Students and Learn from Them—Ask students questions during the course of a lesson, conduct interviews with individual students, and solicit student ideas through multiple venues to gather valuable data about student progress.

Causton, (2009, Teaching Exceptional Children), provides an excellent discussion on how to “fade” adult support in general education classrooms to avoid:

• Unnecessary dependence on adults

• Interference with peer interactions

• Interference with creativity

• Interference with teacher contact and instruction


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V.4: School-wide Behavior Plan Models

V.4. A district-level team (e.g., general and special educators, parents, administrators) identifies research-based, school wide behavior plan models. District-level personnel facilitate school-based decision-making teams’ (e.g., general and special educators, parents, administrators) selection from the identified models. District-level personnel facilitate and monitor the implementation of the selected models within and across schools.

Rationale When all educators and staff in a school are using the same methods or system for encouraging positive behaviors, students benefit by “knowing the rules” and what to expect from good behavior as well as the consequences of not adhering to the rules. These benefits are true for all students, including, and sometimes especially, students with disabilities. The district’s lead and support in ensuring that all schools use a structured system is beneficial to the schools and the whole system.

Know It When You See It The Positive Behavior Support (PBS) system is widely used in Florida and supported by the FDOE as a research-based system with strong evidence of effectiveness. Positive behavior supports emphasizes the use of collaborative teaming and problem-solving processes that are designed to prevent and remediate behavior problems, without resorting to aversive


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behavior management practices. Positive behavior supports require a team approach and a pro-active system of management (Causton, 2009).

According to Rief (2006), the best way to avoid students misbehaving out of boredom or frustration is through positive instructional practices, such as:

• Providing engaging, meaningful learning activities;

• Plan well for lessons; lag time is when behavior problems often arise; provide independent work that is developmentally appropriate and within the students’ capability;

• Use effective and inclusive questioning techniques;

• Use differentiated instructional practices, and make accommodations for different learning styles.

For students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), it is especially important that the expectations placed on the student do not exceed what is reasonable for them at their current level of understanding and abilities (deBoer, 2009, p.219)

Giangreco (2007) provides guidelines for creating positive behavior supports. In summary, the guidelines are:

1. Create a Student-Centered Team—A team approach to a student with difficult behaviors is likely to be more effective than the teacher going it alone. A team of individuals that know the student, possibly including a classmate, can brainstorm ways to prevent problems, teach new skills, and respond in supportive ways.

2. Establish Common Educational Goals—The team must identify positive behaviors to teach instead of focusing on the negative behaviors. The team should develop a common language for positive behavioral changes and make a commitment to support the student through difficult times.

3. Understand the Impact of Your Interaction Style—Teachers should develop an understanding of their style of interaction when presented with difficult behaviors and the impact that style may have on the student. Rather than overprotective, mechanistic, or authoritarian, the style should be one of respect, relationship, and solidarity.


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4. Identify the Message behind the Behavior—Students communicate through their misbehavior for various purposes: to get attention, to escape or avoid, getting something, to play, to self-regulate. If the team can identify the purpose of the behavior, they are in a position to select alternative positive skills that can be taught to replace the behavior.

5. Help the Student Feel a Sense of Control—The teacher can help the student feel a sense of control in a variety of ways, including posting a schedule, establish clear routines and transitions, teach turn-taking skills, provide choice-making opportunities, and combine materials of interest with activities of least interest.

6. Share Information with the Student’s Classmates—With parental involvement, the teacher may develop information to share with classmates regarding a student with difficult behaviors. Other students may be more supportive when they understand the behavior better and have the opportunity to problem-solve.

7. Focus on Prevention—The key to prevention is prediction. If the teacher knows when a challenging behavior is likely to occur, the teacher may alter the physical environment, adapt the instructional environment, and/or change the social environment.

8. Teach New Skills—Teachers may be able to prevent problems by teaching new skills, such a teaching a student to tap a classmate on the shoulder instead of grabbing the student for attention.

9. Respond in Positive and Supportive Ways—A positive behavior support plan emphasizes prevention rather than reacting once a behavior has occurred. If a problem behavior occurs that the teacher cannot prevent, the teacher needs to guide the student in using positive behavior. For example, the teacher may provide choices, move materials so the child can continue working, state when a break is due, or provide positive feedback and encouragement.

10. Evaluate Your Teaching and Your Interactions—Careful observation and evaluation provide information regarding how effective the positive behavior support plan is. Videotaping is one effective form of evaluation of the interaction style of the teacher, the purpose of the student’s behavior, and new skills that need to be addressed. Requesting that other team members observe is a similar strategy.


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Great Tips!

o IRIS center – provides a module on the crisis continuum and implementation of PBS

o PBS website provides an overview of positive behavioral support and howto guides. http://flpbs.fmhi.usf.edu/

o Beattie (2006, pg 111-131) provides an illustration of how to use behavior management in the classroom, including use of observations and interviews to plan interventions, and evaluating how well activities work to manage and motivate.

Additional resources include:

Response to Intervention and Positive Behavior Support: http://flpbs.fmhi.usf.edu/

Brothers from Different Mothers or Sisters from Different Misters? Presents an analysis of the relationship between RtI and Positive Behavior Support data systems. http://flpbs.fmhi.usf.edu/FLPBS%20and%20RtI%20article.pdf

Project 10 at the University of South Florida supports positive behavior systems.

http://flpbs.fmhi.usf.edu/


http://flpbs.fmhi.usf.edu/FLPBS%20and%20RtI%20article.pdf


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V.5: Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBAs)

V.5. A key person who has experience and expertise in functional behavioral assessments/supports is identified at the district level and provides ongoing training and technical assistance to all school-level personnel on the initiation of Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBAs) and the implementation of Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs) to facilitate instruction and meaningful participation across all general education and natural contexts. District-level personnel monitor the initiation, implementation and effectiveness of FBAs and BIPs.

Rationale With one person designated as the “go to” person for FBAs and supports, the district and school staff have a more direct and immediate response to questions. This person can then accumulate the knowledge and resources needed to facilitate effective implementation of FBAs and BIPs in all schools. The process works best if consistent monitoring is conducted to ensure the quality and timeliness of the assessments and plans.

Know It When You See It According to the FDOE technical paper on Functional Behavioral Assessment, “assessment of behavior is not a new phenomenon but is based on long-standing principles of effective problem solving. Although the methods are relatively new to many educators, research supports the


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use of these strategies to provide a better understanding of student behavior in educational settings and to determine the factors leading to students’ behavioral difficulties. Used largely with students identified for special education services, functional behavioral assessments and behavioral intervention plans can play a major role in explaining and redirecting the academic and social behaviors of all students and in preventing the escalation of problem behaviors.” A technical assistance paper describes the times and situations in which a Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) must be conducted and the implementation of Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs) to facilitate instruction and meaningful participation across all general education and natural contexts.

Great Tips! Some resources for FBAs and BIPs are:

• Technical Assistance Paper FY 1999-3: Functional Behavioral Assessment and Behavioral Intervention Plans. http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/tap99-3.pdf

• Response to Intervention: http://www.florida-rti.org/

• SEDNET: http://www.sednetfl.info/

http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/tap99-3.pdf




http://www.sednetfl.info/


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V.6: Assistive Technology

V.6. A key person who has experience with and expertise in assistive technology is identified at the district level and provides ongoing training and technical assistance on the use of assistive technology to facilitate instruction and meaningful participation across all general education and natural contexts. Such training and technical assistance is provided to special and general education instructional and support personnel and family members at all schools. District-level personnel facilitate the acquisition and maintenance of, and monitor the appropriate use of, assistive technology.

Rationale Assistive technology (AT) is used to assist individuals with disabilities to adapt and function in classrooms and schools. The term applies to assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices that help students with disabilities to overcome or circumvent the disability. The use of AT supports and encourages greater independence of the individual as well as increased functioning and learning both in and out of school. Students, schools, and the district benefit when the district promotes and encourages the use of assistive technology. Universal design is the use of technology in classrooms that benefits all students, including students with disabilities. For example, if a student needs hearing augmentation, using an augmentation system in the classroom is beneficial for ALL students so the student does not continually have to ask the teacher or their peers what was just said.


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Know It When You See It Assistive technology (AT) can be defined as any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities. (29 U.S.C. Sec 2202(2)). Many examples of AT are commonly used in schools, and the use of technology with universal design for all students is becoming more prevalent. Speech recognition can make it easier to translate oral words into text and written words back into speech. People with some types of learning disabilities like dyslexia or dysgraphia are using spell-check programs for writing and text-to-speech (TTS) software for reading. The visual capabilities of white boards greatly increase the multi-sensory delivery of instruction that assists all learners in a classroom, and “clickers” allow a teacher to see the responses of students without embarrassing the individual students who may not have answered correctly, thus providing greater individualized and immediate remediation.

Florida supports CAST, an educational research & development organization that works to expand learning opportunities for all individuals through Universal Design for Learning (http://www.cast.org/). The Florida Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology (FAAST) provides extensive support and information about assistive technology.

Great Tips! Some websites that can help in the area of assistive technology include:

CAST. http://www.cast.org/ Florida Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speech_recognition

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_disabilities

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyslexia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dysgraphia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Text-to-speech

http://www.cast.org/



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Family Guide to Assistive Technology. http://www.pluk.org/AT1.html

http://www.faast.org/ http://standards.gov/standards_gov/assistiveTechnology.cfm

http://www.pluk.org/AT1.html



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V.7: Report Cards

V.7. All students with disabilities, (including all students with severe disabilities), are given the same report cards as their same age peers without disabilities, which are modified or amended for each student to address progress toward both general education content and IEP goals. Report cards for students with and without disabilities are provided at the same time and in the same manner.

Rationale It is important to the student and the parents for the student to receive a report card just as their peers receive one. These cards provide the parents and the students with critical information on how well the student is progressing academically and socially.

Know It When You See It The card should be delivered in the same format and at the same time as all other students in the same grade and school receive their cards. They should also include progress related to the general education content for the class in which the student is learning (usually Florida State Common Core Standards) and progress on the goals specified for the student in the IEP. Note that the next standard addresses the formulation of grades that appear on the report cards.


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Great Tips! In addition to the grades that may be derived from a variety of teacher, district, and state assessment systems, many report cards provide space to make comments on the student’s progress. Here are some statements that may reflect positively on the student’s success in school:

• Student is working hard and showing eagerness to learn new skills. • Student is strengthening her skills in __. (Subject is usually not the

subject where the student receives modified work) • Student is kind to others and makes friends easily. • Student is working well with peers. • Student is learning to listen carefully to directions. • Student is learning to share with others. • Student always takes pride in a job well done. • Student is an eager classroom helper. • Student is eager to participate in classroom activities. • This subject has been modified according to student ability (or

according to IEP). For a student with an IEP, it is important in generating the report card comments to keep from indicating that the student is doing well in an area in which the instruction or standard has been modified. While the student may actually be performing well in the modified program, the work is not at grade level, and comments may result in an inaccurate picture of the student’s relative success. Additional resources include:

Grading Policies for Students with Disabilities. Technical Assistance Paper number: FY 2006-11, Florida Department of Education, April, 2006. http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/y2006-11.pdf

ED Response to Report Card & Transcript Questions. California, July 26, 2006. http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/se/lr/degrdrptclarif.asp



http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/se/lr/degrdrptclarif.asp


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V.8: Grades

V.8. Grades received by students with disabilities, (including students with severe disabilities), are consistent with those received by students without disabilities but are determined based on their progress toward both general education content (with accommodations and/or modifications) and IEP goals. Those grades are given equal consideration and carry the same weight toward recognition through honors and awards, except those honors and awards based solely on the completion of general education requirements (e.g., class standing for scholarships, college admission).

Rationale According to Guskey (2002), grading is best understood as a shorthand method of communicating complicated information about student learning and progress. They represent a teacher’s overall judgment at one point in time of the adequacy of the student’s achievement. In Florida, student grades represent the student’s achievement in relation to the standards established by the Florida Department of Education and the curriculum the school district has approved to meet those standards.

Know It When You See It The FDOE has published a document to guide administrators in determining the best approaches to grading for students with disabilities. (http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/y2006-11.pdf). It states that “Teachers gather grading information for two distinct reasons: to make



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instructional decisions (formative assessment) and to communicate a summary of the student’s achievement (summative assessment).

• Formative measures which involve ongoing assessment and grading feedback for the purpose of instructional decision-making are vital to teaching and learning. Teachers must assess the learning of their students frequently in order to evaluate the effectiveness of instruction and plan for future instruction. This function is separate from the communication function served by report card grades.

• Summative measures are essential to report card grading, which primarily addresses the communication purpose of grading. Educators use report card grades to share information with parents and students and to call attention to the needs of struggling students. Report card grades also have a role in promotion and retention decisions and may be used to identify students for evaluation for special programs and services.

Parents use report card grades to obtain information about the achievement of their child and to determine whether their child needs additional help in school (Guskey, 1996). They also use grades to compare their child to other students and may use grades to determine whether to give rewards for effort or achievement.

Students use grades to evaluate their own performance and set goals for future learning (Guskey, 1996). They also use grades to compare themselves to other students. High grades may serve as a student’s entry ticket for honor rolls, clubs, and universities and may be motivating for some students. However, low grades appear neither to motivate students to greater effort nor lead to improved performance; instead they may actually decrease engagement, motivation, and performance (Guskey, 1996; Hargis, 2003).

Given that grades are a significant, and sometimes sole, method of communication about student achievement, it is vital that they reflect valid and meaningful information for the teacher, student, and parent. In the last five years, the Department of Education has changed significantly the student assessment system that serves as a basis for student grades in many school districts. The increased inclusion of students in the administration, scoring, and use of data from the FCAT


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and End-Of-Course examinations complicates the grading systems for students in exceptional education programs.

Great Tips! Check out the documents online at the Department of Education on assessments and grading. A good resource is: Grading Policies for Students with Disabilities. Technical Assistance Paper number: FY 2006-11, Florida Department of Education, April, 2006. http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/y2006-11.pdf



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V.9: Transition Planning

V.9. District-level personnel facilitate transition planning for students with disabilities, (including students with severe disabilities), by establishing interagency agreements (e.g., participation expectations) and collaborating with community agencies (e.g., strategies and incentives for increased participation). District-level personnel actively solicit agency and community participation in the transition planning process.

Rationale Transition planning is essential for ensuring that each student with a disability successfully enters post-secondary education or an appropriate post-school living setting in which he or she can thrive. Federal law requires that “The IEP must include … for each student with a disability beginning at age 16 (or younger, if determined appropriate by the IEP team), a statement of needed transition services for the student, including, if appropriate, a statement of the interagency responsibilities or any needed linkages.” (possibly change this to Florida rules since it begins at 14). (34 CFR 300.347(b)(2). Districts are key in establishing the procedures and systems to ensure quality transition planning.

Know It When You See It Transition services are a coordinated set of activities for a student with a disability that

• are designed within an outcome-oriented process to


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• promote movement from school to post-school activities, including: o post-secondary education, o vocational training, o integrated employment (including supported employment), o continuing and adult education, o adult services, o independent living, or o community participation

The services should be based on the student’s individual needs and should consider the preferences and interests of the students. Areas of services include:

• instruction • related services • community experiences • employment • other post-school adult living objectives • acquisition of daily living skills and functional vocational

evaluation, if appropriate. Special education may be provided as part of transition services if it is provided as specially designed instruction or related services.

Great Tips! Additional resources include:

Families and Advocates Partnership for Education (FAPE). www.fape.org

National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities ((NICHCY). www.nichcy.org

Technical Assistance Alliance for Parent Center PACER Center. www.taalliance.org

Transition Planning for Students with Disabilities: a Guide for Families. http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/Transition.pdf

http://www.fape.org/

http://www.nichcy.org/

http://www.taalliance.org/

http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/Transition.pdf


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V.10: Articulation

V.10. District-level personnel establish procedures for articulation (e.g., the timely transmission of accurate and objective academic, social, and behavioral performance data; educational goals and objectives; medical information; strategies proven to facilitate student success; student strengths and interests; and family preferences) for students with disabilities, (including students with severe disabilities). District-level personnel proactively facilitate and monitor the smooth articulation of all students with disabilities, (including all students with severe disabilities), from grade to grade or school to school in order to facilitate instruction and meaningful participation across all general education and natural contexts.

Rationale When students with disabilities, especially students with significant disabilities, move from one educational setting or level to another, such as moving from one grade level to another, or moving from middle school to high school, it is critical that all of the parties, both current and new, participate in the planning for the next setting. . Planning for the changes ensures that the student knows what to expect and that the receiving educator teams can begin immediately with effective instructional and behavioral strategies that will keep the student learning effectively and safely. District staff ensure that procedures and systems are in place and used effectively to facilitate a quality transition for all students, including students with disabilities.


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Know It When You See It Time to plan is a critical component of transition. Districts can establish a method to prepare all IEPs at the same time for students who are all transitioning from one school to another at the same time to facilitate an effective transition. Having the current teachers go to the receiving school to do the IEPs allows the current and new education teams to plan more carefully for the changes that will occur. Joint review of the data on IEP successes allows teachers to share in detail the accomplishments of the student and the methods that were most successful.

Great Tips! Some suggestions that may help are to:

Generate a transition plan that both current and receiving teams can use in the shift to the new setting.

Consider setting up audio and/or video conferences between school teams to facilitate transition planning.


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Summary Every person in our schools and districts can make a difference in the lives of students with disabilities. Using the BPIE indicators as a guide to best practices, all educators can help each and every student achieve their maximum potential.


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http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/recordDetails.jsp?searchtype=advanced&pageSize=10&ERICExtSearch_Operator_2=and&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=Mastropieri&ERICExtSearch_EDEJSearch=elecBoth&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_2=kw&ERICExtSearch_Operator_1=and&eric_displayStartCount=1&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_1=au&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=au&ERICExtSearch_PubDate_From=2010&ERICExtSearch_PubDate_To=2010&ERICExtSearch_SearchCount=1&_pageLabel=RecordDetails&objectId=0900019b80439315&accno=EJ904253&_nfls=false

http://www.selfdeterminationak.org/resources_for_teachers.html

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http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/simpleSearch.jsp?_pageLabel=ERICSearchResult&_urlType=action&newSearch=true&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=au&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=%22Tomlinson+Carol+Ann%22

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http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/recordDetails.jsp?searchtype=advanced&pageSize=10&ERICExtSearch_Operator_2=and&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=Tomlinson&ERICExtSearch_EDEJSearch=elecBoth&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_2=kw&ERICExtSearch_Operator_1=and&eric_displayStartCount=1&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_1=au&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=au&ERICExtSearch_PubDate_From=1999&ERICExtSearch_PubDate_To=1999&ERICExtSearch_SearchCount=1&_pageLabel=RecordDetails&objectId=0900019b800c94d4&accno=ED429944&_nfls=false

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Appendix A

BPIE Sections and Indicators Short Titles

VALUES AND DISTRICT CLIMATE (4 Indicators)

1. District mission statement reflects a philosophy that all students can learn

2. Proactive, collaborative education system 3. Person-first language, respect, and confidentiality 4. Articulate and model values consistent with best practices

for inclusive education

ACCESS TO GENERAL EDUCATION (8 Indicators) 1. Neighborhood schools or schools of choice and general

education contexts 2. Students with disabilities on every campus proportionate to

national incidence rates 3. Scheduling process ensures assignment of all students with

disabilities to general education contexts prior to the assignment of students without disabilities

4. Instructional goals for all students based on the state standards

5. Participation in state and district assessments 6. Facilities are fully accessible; emergency/ evacuation plans 7. Participation across district and school activities and services 8. Students are transported to the same activities, on the same

bus, at the same time and location

POLICIES AND SUPPORT - Leadership (6 Indicators) 1. Key person with experience and expertise in inclusion 2. District leaders knowledgeable about inclusion 3. Implementation of strategies to support collaboration 4. Allocation of special education units and resources 5. Advocate for assignment to neighborhood schools or schools

of choice 6. District-wide process to determine appropriate assessments


144

POLICIES AND SUPPORT - Program Development and

Evaluation (8 Indicators) 1. District improvement plan addresses best practices for

inclusive education 2. A district team evaluates progress toward best practices for

inclusive education 3. Outcome and achievement measures for all students with

severe disabilities are used for district improvement planning

4. Aggregated and disaggregated scores on assessments required for a standard diploma are used for district improvement planning

5. Hiring procedures ensure applicant has knowledge of, experience with, and willingness to implement best practices for inclusive education

6. Collaborative, job embedded professional development 7. Administrators participate in collaborative professional

development 8. District personnel advocates for and supports school-wide

approaches to facilitate positive, interdependent relationships among all students

INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT AND PEDAGOGY (10 Indicators) 1. Family members are actively involved in district-wide

decision making processes 2. Variety of appropriate assessment instruments for all

students used to determine services and models of support 3. Assortment of data collection tools used to identify the

effectiveness of instructional strategies 4. Decision-making process to identify research-based school-

wide behavior plan models 5. Key person with experience and expertise in FBA and BIP 6. Key person with experience and expertise in assistive

technology 7. Same report cards as students without disabilities; modified

to show progress in general education 8. Grading policies are consistent with those for students

without disabilities 9. District personnel facilitate transition planning including

agency and community participation


145

10. Procedures for articulation from grade to grade or school to school facilitate instruction.

Documents

Universal Education Administrator's Guide - Florida Developmental