ALL STUDENTS ALL SCHOOLS INITIATIVE:

Division of Special Education, in collaboration with the Florida Inclusion Network, would like to extend the opportunity for your school to participate in the development or expansion of inclusive practices on your school campus.  This office is committed to this initiative by providing staff development, resources, and on-going technical assistance.  This is an opportunity for your school develop a plan and meet the needs of the diverse learners within the general education classroom.  Your staff will be assisted in the development and implementation of a plan uniquely designed to meet your school's needs in supporting all students, with and without disabilities, in the general education classroom.

For additional information, please contact Ms. Deidre Marshall via e-mail or at 305-754-4081.  

BUILDING A COMMON UNDERSTANDING

The following are introductory tools and resources to assist your school in developing an awareness of inclusive practices.

What is inclusion?

 Click here to access Inclusion 101 resources for use in professional development.

WHERE DOES A SCHOOL BEGIN?

The following are guiding questions and suggestions to assist your school in the
development of inclusive practices.

Where do you begin taking responsible steps towards INCLUSIVE EDUCATION:

• Survey staff and assess needs
• Have planning meeting with representative from Florida Inclusion Network or Division of Special Education.
• Visit schools with established Inclusionary models 
• Establish steering committee (Committee should consist of school leaders such as: general education, exceptional education teachers, counselors, parents and administrators)
• Build awareness among faculty and staff
• Request School Team Training
• Determine Student Needs
• Establish Inclusionary Models based on student needs
            ■Continuum of Services / Models of Support / PDF
            ■Description of Models of Support  and Definitions / Coming Soon
• Identify Collaborative Teaching Needs
• Provide Collaborative Teaching Training to teaching teams
• Provide on-going staff development for all teachers to assist ALL students in ACCESSING the General Curriculum

 How will you build an Inclusive school climate?

• EESAC committee awareness

• SPEP goals

• School mission statement and dissemination

• Practice People First language as a non-negotiable
   

  o         People First Language  - ... use PEOPLE FIRST LANGUAGE. A commentary by Kathie Snow ... People First Language describes what a person HAS, not what a person IS! People ...
  www.disabilityisnatural.com/peoplefirstlanguage.htm

  o        People First Language, Services for Students with Disabilities ( ...  - ... People First Language, Student Affairs > SSD > People First Language, The word disability refers to the functional limitations one ...
  www.northwestern.edu/disability/people.html

  o        SD Council on DD - People First Language by Kathy Snow  - People First Language A commentary by Kathie Snow. The ... People First Language describes what a person HAS, not what a person IS! People ...
  www.state.sd.us/dhs/ddc/kathysnow.htm  
   

• Commitment by example

  How will you build awareness?

• Gain current information by attending grade level meetings

• Faculty Overviews

• Question and Answer – informal conversations

• Resources

• Be creative and publicize your initiative
   v Name your initiative. Example: "Inclusionitis, Catch It" (Ben Sheppard Elementary, 2001).
   v Develop a school logo.
   v Create  a brochure.

• Study Groups

• F.A.T. City video
  v     Frustration, Anxiety and Tension  / FAT City Video

  o       Rick Lavoie
  http://www.ricklavoie.com/gateindex.html
  Mr. Lowe is probably best known for his videos "How Difficult Can This Be?: The F.A.T. City Workshop" and "Last One Picked, First One Picked On: The Social Implications of Learning Disabilities". These award-winning films have brought Rick's sensitive and compelling message to countless thousands throughout the world.

How will you improve student relations?

• Assure that the location of ESE classrooms are in close physical proximity to the general education classrooms, as well as grade appropriate

• Peer support program

• Extra curricular activities

• Sensitivity training

• Provide training in “classbuilding” activities

 How will you support effective instructional practices?

• Provide professional development opportunities

• Cooperative learning training

• Ask about Differentiated Instruction training provided by Florida Inclusion Network

• Attend CRISS training / Sponsored through the Division of Language Arts

• Schedule common planning between general education and exceptional education teachers

• Visit the Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resource System - South (FDLRS)  Web site

 How will you expand MODELS OF SUPPORT?

• Visit other school models 

• Begin preliminary identification of students

• Attend Collaborative Teaching Training

Weekly Briefings and other Important Documents:

Inclusive Education Implementation Action Plan Template (PDF format)

Weekly Briefing #5367 Procedures to Document Inclusion Models of Support on Individual Education Plans (IEPs)

Weekly Briefing #2701 Grading Students With Disabilities

Weekly Briefing #567  Inclusion Assistance Using Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic (RFB&D) Digital Books as a Reading Accommodation / January 30, 2004