Transcript Document
Goal of session: to generate ideas and plans for creating high quality inclusion First: share a challenge to preschool inclusion § 300.114 LRE requirements. (ii) Special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs only if the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily. § 300.42 Supplementary aids and services. Supplementary aids and services means aids, services, and other supports that are provided in regular education classes, other education-related settings, and in extracurricular and nonacademic settings, to enable children with disabilities to be educated with nondisabled children to the maximum extent appropriate § 300.119 Technical assistance and training activities. Each SEA must carry out activities to ensure that teachers and administrators in all public agencies— (a) Are fully informed about their responsibilities for implementing § 300.114; and (b) Are provided with technical assistance and training necessary to assist them in this effort. High quality inclusion benefits all children with and without disabilities Children with disabilities can be effectively educated in inclusive programs using specialized instruction Children with disabilities do not need to be “ready” Families of children with and without disabilities generally have positive views of inclusion Inclusion is not more expensive Successful inclusion requires intentional and effective collaboration and teaming High quality inclusive preschool = high quality early childhood program DEC/NAEYC (2009) joint position statement supports inclusion: Access Participation Supports In 27 years, the practice of providing special education and related services in regular early childhood settings to preschoolers with disabilities has increased only 5.7% and many young children with disabilities continue to be educated in separate settings. Increased only 5.7% 100.00% 75.00% 50.00% 25.00% 0.00% 1985 2012 Research is clear: it’s effective IDEA is clear: it’s preferred The profession is clear: it’s the right thing to do Rates of inclusion have not increased by enough; most children with disabilities are not being fully included. Anything about these facts surprise you ? Implications for your program? This survey focused on the following overarching research question: Are there challenges impacting the inclusion of young children with disabilities and, if so, what are the challenges and possible solutions? Preschool Inclusion is when children (age 3 – 5) with Individual Education Programs (IEP) receive their special education and related services in settings with at least 50% of peers without IEPs. 238 people responded to the survey. This included representation from 32 states and 1 territory. Roles N % School District Special Education Preschool Coordinator or Child Find Coordinator School District Special Education Director 50 21.0% 49 20.6% School District Early Childhood Administrator State Section 619/IDEA Preschool Coordinator Head Start Administrator ECSE/Sped Teacher/Consultant State Special Education Director School Principal School Psychologist 38 35 24 17 10 7 3 16.0% 14.7% 10.1% 7.1% 4.2% 2.9% 1.3% Challenge N % Attitudes & Beliefs 71 29.8% Fiscal & contracting 45 18.9% Approval of non-public school setting 37 15.5% Transportation 35 14.7% Differing Curricula 35 14.7% Personnel 27 11.3% Program Quality 25 10.5% Conflicting policies 23 9.7% Challenges and solutions have changed very little Major change = attitude and belief challenges moved from being the second highest rated category of challenges to the highest rated Challenge 1993 Rank 2014 Rank Attitudes & Beliefs 2 1 Fiscal & contracting 3 2 Approval of non-public school setting 5 3 Transportation 7 4 Differing Curricula 8 5 Personnel 1 6 Program Quality 4 7 Conflicting policies 6 8 Challenge 1993 Rank 2014 Rank Attitudes & Beliefs 2 1 Fiscal & contracting 3 2 Approval of non-public school setting 5 3 Transportation 7 4 Differing Curricula 8 5 Personnel 1 6 Program Quality 4 7 Conflicting policies 6 8 Challenge Lack of communication/collaboration N 51 % 21.1 Concerns someone will lose out Concerns related to preparedness Awareness of the benefits of inclusion 50 44 39 20.9 18.3 16.3 Turf Lack of respect Other 36 29 2 15.1 12.2 0.9 • Most identified as local, then state, then federal • 3 top categories of policy challenges: 1. Fiscal Policies (contracting; $ streams) 2. Approval of non public school programs as sites for special education and related services to be delivered to young children with IEPs 3. Transportation Policies Community programs full; no available slots Lack of resources for transportation for typical kids Lack of resources for itinerate services Solutions! 1.Collaboration 2.Building awareness and support 3.Policies and procedures 4.Resources Establish interagency inclusion team Provide shared awareness opportunities for local administrators Provide joint PD for district EC, ECSE, and community personnel Ensure support to community programs for ECSE and behavior support Build culture of collaborative problem solving Educate local administrators, families, providers Provide easy to read materials on benefits/laws for preschool inclusion Provide models of high quality inclusion for people to visit Provide opportunities for practitioners, administrators and families to explore concerns, benefits and possible solutions Arrange meetings with teachers, parents and administrators involved in successful inclusion Create MOU’s and contracts with community programs that address quality Require co-teaching (EC & ECSE) practica for certification Provide training and coaching to community programs Provide or reimburse for transportation that supports inclusion Provide itinerate special education and related services in inclusive settings Braiding funding streams (pre-k, IDEA, Title I, etc.) Collaboration (e.g. share resources, PD) Redistribution (itinerate/consultative vs. segregated) Public awareness of the benefits=$$ Literature indicates inclusive services do not cost more than segregated Help public school programs to be inclusive: • Create models, examples and incentives for local solutions: e.g. tuition based access to district EC programs for nondisabled children from community; model MOU’s with community programs • Ensure pre-k, Title I programs are inclusive Reimbursement for parents for transportation Create a state-level inclusion team for “barrier busting” that responds to local concerns State training and dissemination to districts of creative ways to provide inclusion; examples; incentives 1. Think: about topic/challenge 2. Write: one or two strategies for addressing that challenge What are the implications for you……... Report out to large group. DEC http://www.dec-sped.org/ ECTA Center http://ectacenter.org/ NPDCI http://npdci.fpg.unc.edu/