Inclusive Placement Opportunities for Preschoolers: A Systems Approach to Preschool Inclusive Practices

A project of the Virginia Department of Education and the Training and Technical Assistance Centers of Virginia

Inclusion • Means coordinated efforts between general and special educators to meet all or some of the student’s individualized educational program (IEP) in the general education classroom with

same-aged peers

• Refers to the process of placing children with disabilities in the same classes or programs as their typically developing peers and providing them with the necessary services and supports (Winter, 1999)

What does inclusion really mean?

• • • • • • • • • A value to support all Children who have disabilities attending preschools with “typically developing peers” Collaboration Supporting teachers Policies in place Sharing responsibility for all Facilitating friendships Teaching within the routine Natural proportions

What inclusion is NOT • Dumping students with disabilities • • • Grouping by ability level Cutting back on special education services Expecting ECE staff to teach without support • • Identifying children by their disabilities Isolating children with disabilities

Rationale for inclusion • • • • Legal Philosophical Moral, ethical and social Educational

Separateness in education can … • Generate a feeling of inferiority as to (children’s) status in the community that may affect their hearts and minds in a way unlikely ever to be undone. This sense of inferiority affects the motivation of a child to learn … (and) has tendency to retard … educational and mental development.

Chief Justice Earl Warren, Brown vs. Board of Education

Sec. 612 State Eligibility.

`(5) Least restrictive environment.- `(A) In general.-- To the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities, including children in public or private institutions or other care facilities, are educated with children who are not disabled, and special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs only when the nature or severity of the disability of a child is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.

Continuum of alternative placements: Sec. 300.130 Least restrictive environment.

(a) General. The State must have on file with the Secretary procedures that ensure that the requirements of Secs. 300.550-300.556 are met, including the provision in Sec. 300.551 requiring a continuum of alternative placements to meet the unique needs of each child with a disability.

Note related to LRE for preschoolers

• The requirements … apply to all preschool children with disabilities who are entitled to receive FAPE. Public agencies that provide preschool programs for preschoolers without disabilities must ensure that requirements are met.

Note related (cont’d.) • Public agencies that do not operate programs for preschoolers without disabilities are not required to initiate such programs solely for LRE but alternative methods are required such as (age-appropriate settings): o o o o Part-time integration (Head Start, VPI, kindergarten) Placement in private school/preschool Locating classes at elementary schools Providing services at location child presently enrolled

Moral, ethical and social rationale • • The right thing to do Acceptance of others

Educational rationale • • • • Opportunities for play and social interaction Role models Higher expectations Developmental gains

Educational rationale

• Students with disabilities make equal or greater gains in all areas of development (Wolery, 1995) • Students with disabilities in inclusive programs show improvement in cognitive, communication, social and emotional areas (Power-deFur, Bricker, & Orelove, 1997) • Quality of work from students without disabilities unaffected; may improve slightly over time in inclusive classrooms (Salisbury, Brookfield, & Odom: DEC presentation, 2004)

Positions of national organizations • Council for Exceptional Children’s Division for Early Childhood (DEC) • National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

How will inclusion benefit: • Teachers • • • Children with disabilities Children without disabilities Families of children with disabilities • • Families of children without disabilities Administrators

USDOE Performance and Accountability FY 2005 Program Performance Plan IDEA: Special Education Preschool Grants 2005 Program Goal: To help preschool children with disabilities enter school ready to succeed by assisting states in providing special education and related services.

Objective 8.1 of 1: Preschool children with disabilities will receive special education and related services that result in increased skills that enable them to succeed in school.

Indicator 8.1.1 of 3: SERVICE SETTING: The percentage of children receiving special education and related services in settings with typically developing peers

Targets and Performance Data

Percentage of children with disabilities receiving special education and related services with typically developing peers (early childhood settings and home).

Year Actual Performance Performance Targets 1999 2000 41 40 2001 2002 2003 39 40 38 39 40 2004 2005 2006 37 40 41 42

Sources and Data Quality Additional Source Information:

State-reported data under IDEA Section 618.

Frequency

: Annually.

Collection Period: Data Available:

2003 - 2004 August 2005

Limitations:

OSEP is planning to change the data collection by 2006-07 to reflect where the child spends most of his or her time, as opposed to where the child is receiving special education services.

USDOE FY 2005 Program Performance Plan, Goal 2, IDEA, Special Education Preschool Grant www.ed.gov/about/reports/annual/2005plan/edlite-idea-preschool.html

Inclusion options • • • Full inclusion Part-time inclusion Reverse inclusion

Full inclusion • Enrolling natural proportions (10-12%) of children with disabilities full time with same-age peers without disabilities in neighborhood settings

Neighborhood settings • Head Start • • • Even Start Title 1 LEA-sponsored 4-year-old programs (VPI) • • High school vocational child care Community-based preschools/child care

Full inclusion can be supported by: • Collaborative model • Consultative model

Collaborative model • Preschoolers with disabilities are enrolled full time in regular ECE programs • • 8 students with disabilities are enrolled in Head Start, VPI or child care ECSE teacher and paraprofessional co-teach with ECE teacher

Collaborative model 8 ECSE students VPI Head Start 16-20 students 2 teachers and 2 paraprofessionals

Collaborative model • 8-10 students with disabilities enrolled between 2 ECE classes • ECSE and paraprofessional are in classes full time and co-teach with ECE teacher

Collaborative model 8 ECSE students 4 ECSE students 1 ECE class 4 ECSE students 1 ECE class

Essentials of a collaborative model • ECSE and ECE teacher meet weekly to plan together • • • Related services providers meet with direct service personnel monthly Collaborative agreements exist between programs Administrative support is provided

Consultative model • ECSE students are included in ECE classes • ECSE and paraprofessional support students based on IEP needs

Consultative model 8 ECSE students 2 ECSE students Head Start class 3 ECSE students Community child care 3 ECSE students VPI class

Essentials of a consultative model • ECSE and ECE teachers meet weekly to plan/discuss students • Related service providers meet with direct service personnel monthly

Part-time inclusion • ECSE student splits time between ECE classroom and special education settings • ECSE student is enrolled in self-contained classes but joins ECE classes for resources

Essentials of part-time inclusion • • • • • ECSE and ECE staff meet on a regular basis Children with disabilities should be included with children of the same age Related service providers meet with direct service personnel monthly Administrative support is provided Developmentally appropriate practices are used

Reverse inclusion • Equal or greater numbers of children without disabilities attending ECSE classes full time • Educational programming that combines the use of effective practices in ECSE and ECE (e.g., schedule, routine-based assessment and instruction, integrated therapy)

Essentials of reverse inclusion

• • • • ECSE teacher consults on a regular basis with ECE teachers Monthly planning meetings are held with related service personnel Students without disabilities are enrolled within the class Developmentally appropriate practices related to curriculum and instruction are used

Challenges • • • • • • Administrative Curriculum/teaching Philosophical/attitudes Families Staff concerns: teachers, paraprofessionals, related service providers Logistical

Successful inclusion takes: • Changes to: o Staff roles o o o Family-school collaboration Program policies Ways children’s social relationships evolve o o o Classroom environment Discipline practices Instructional practices

References and resources • • • • Wolery and Odom: “An Administrator’s Guide to Preschool Inclusion” DEC-recommended practices Cavallaro and Haney: “Preschool Inclusion” Circle of Inclusion Web site (http://circleofinclusion.org)