Supporting Inclusive Schools

A practical guide to working with primary and secondary students who need extra attention. It outlines the principles behind diversity and inclusive policies, and discusses the range of needs teachers can expect to encounter in an inclusive classroom.

To create truly inclusive school and classroom environments, educators must be prepared to include all students--including students with intellectual disabilities, who are not always given the opportunity to be full participants in the classroom. This book provides an overview of the history of inclusion, the philosophy underlying inclusion, and the role that curriculum accommodations and modifications play in making inclusion possible. The author discusses four ways to modify curriculum for students working well below grade level: altering content, conceptual difficulty, educational goals, or instructional methods. She then provides 40 curriculum modification strategies, based on Robert Marzano's New Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, with directions for implementation and samples of student work.

In Teaching to Diversity, Dr. Jennifer Katz synthesizes the research, and 16 years experience of teaching in inclusive classrooms and schools, to provide answers to several questions: How do I make inclusion work for ALL students? What are the foundational best practices of a truly inclusive learning community? How does one create such a community? The author pulls together, in an organized way, a three-block model of universal design for learning (UDL) and suggests a step-by-step approach for implementing it. This framework includes: Block One, Social and Emotional Learning details ways to build compassionate learning communities (K-12) in which all students feel safe and valued, and develop a positive self-concept, sense of belonging, and respect for diverse others. Block Two, Inclusive Instructional Practice includes a framework for planning units from K-12, and explains instructional and management practices for teaching, assessing, grading, and reporting in UDL Classrooms. Block Three, Systems and Structures suggests strategies for creating inclusive learning communities, and explores ways in which resource teachers, student services personnel, and school administrators can support and create socially and academically inclusive schools and classrooms. The three-block model of UDL can empower educators with the knowledge, skills, and confidence required to teach diverse learners in the same classroom--including those who have previously been excluded. Ultimately, it is about creating classrooms and schools that heal by teaching to the heart, mind, and spirit of every student.

Richard A. Villa and Jacqueline S. Thousand provide an in-depth, research-based guide for ensuring that your school provides the federally guaranteed "least restrictive environment" for students no matter the severity of the challenges they face. Leading an Inclusive School: Access and Success for ALL Students offers administrators, teachers, and other educators working to promote inclusion a wealth of information about the history and research base of inclusive education in the United States, including pivotal amendments to and reauthorizations of the EHCA, landmark court cases, and the philosophical underpinnings of the movement; essential curricular and instructional practices for inclusive schools, such as heterogeneous grouping, creative problem solving, and co-teaching; powerful organizational structures such as Multitiered System of Support and Schoolwide Positive Behavior Supports to help optimize the benefits of differentiation for all students; and a conceptual framework for coordinating educational initiatives and best practices for educating all students in general education. Also included are vivid personal stories of students with disabilities that illustrate how these students flourish when they learn alongside their general education peers. Educators who are serious about committing to the success of learners at all levels of perceived physical, intellectual, communication, and social/emotional ability will find the examples, advice, and tools in this book indispensable for planning, implementing, and promoting inclusion in their schools.

Supporting Inclusive Education is a case study of a London primary school which includes a wide range of learners. It looks at: different teaching and learning styles; the effective use of learning support assistants; responding to challenging behaviour; using specialist strategies; how to research inclusive education; and what makes for a connective pedagogy. It is written for an audience of teacher-researchers in a jargon-free style. Jenny Corbett is a leading expert in the field of inclusive education; her experience in supporting individual learners in mainstream education and the way she links theory to practice make this an essential read for all involved in the area.

Providing research, anecdotes, and practical insights from leading scholars and professionals, The Role of an Education Assistant acts as a guide for navigating the complexities of the education assistant role, from collaborating with teachers and students in lesson planning to creating inclusive learning environments. This updated second edition includes expanded content across all chapters and new content highlighting diverse perspectives, Indigeneity, gender, and sexuality. In addition, there are new “Actions in the Field” segments at the end of each section which outline strategies and activities for field practice and professional development. Featuring topical scholarship, an emphatically Canadian perspective, discussion questions, and timely case studies, this is a critical text for college and university students in education studies, education assistant programs, and professionals currently working in the field. FEATURES - Guides students through the complexities of the role of an education assistant with research, anecdotes, and practical advice from scholars and professionals - Includes updated content on broadened perspectives in cultural diversity, gender, and sexuality - Includes the brand new “Actions in the Field” segments, providing students with strategies and activities for implementing what students have learned in their professional practice