A Bigger Vision…

A Bigger Vision…

Paula Kluth, Ph.D.

[email protected]

“Paula Kluth”

&HCPSS2010

“The most visionary man I ever met…”

Even my vision should have been bigger

than my vision!

Where have we been?

How do we gain momentum?

What new commitments can we/will we make today?

Where have we been?

Next year? In five years? In ten years?

How do we gain (new) momentum?

Create change?

The “7 Tenets of Successful Inclusive Schools”

[jointly created by Paula Kluth & Howard County staff and administrators]

1. See Inclusion as a PROCESS

(Placement is the most extreme “adaptation”!)

• Over, under, around or through

• Find a way– or make a way!

We tried inclusion & “it” didn’t work

Spencer’s Story

Percentage of Students With IntellectualDisabilities Included in Regular Education Classrooms More Than 79% of the Time

Smith, P. 20071. Vermont 60.342. New Hampshire 42.023. Iowa 34.284. Colorado 31.205. North Dakota 26.6411. Indiana 15.9024. Delaware 9.5625. West Virginia 8.8228. New York 8.3529. Maryland 8.3030. Washington 8.2331. California 8.1432. Georgia 7.5233. Wisconsin 7.2639. Texas 4.2047. Illinois 3.9648. Rhode Island 3.2949. Virginia 3.2850. Utah 2.22

magic maple syrup?

If LRE is about a student’s profile (abilities, needs, “levels”), how can the discrepancies between the states be explained?

Percent Scoring at or Above Grade Level

Students' Current Grade Level Before inclusive reform Two years after reform

All 5th graders 55 66

5th graders with disabilities 18 43

All 6th graders 54 72

6th graders with disabilities 18 53

All 7th graders 56 78

7th graders with disabilities 29 70

All 8th graders 48 62

8th graders with disabilities 8 40

Note. These data follow the same student cohorts over three years. Data listed in the "Before inclusive reform" column reflect each student cohort's scores two years before its current grade level (for example, data from 3rd grade for students listed as currently in 5th grade). River View also made gains at each grade level from year to year (for example, comparing one 5th grade class to the next 5th grade class).

Two years later…

Math Achievement of River View Students (Theoharis & Theoharis, 2010)

…three years into a similar intervention implemented by a Wisconsin elementary school, the percent of students eligible for special education who were classified as "at or above" grade level on the state's performance measure had shot from 18 to 60.

Black students' performance on the same measure went from 33 percent to 78 percent "at or above," and 100 percent of English language learners achieved this level of performance, up from 17 percent.

(Theoharis, 2007)

2. Presume Competence (Act As If) &

Make the Least Dangerous Assumption

Belief causes the actual fact.William James

What do you believe about students? parents? colleagues? administrators? peers? employers?How do your beliefs impact practice?

She was unaware of my limitations.~Helen Keller

• poet• author• scholar• feminist• political activist• advocate• lecturer• teacher

What is possible?

Sometimes being realistic isn’t being realistic. - Norm Kunc deinstituti

onalization

access to academics

inclusive schooling ??????

self-determination

Jaime Escalante

• I cannot accept "gifted." You're going to measure IQ -- and I say no. Any student, any [person] to me is gifted. They have something they can do…

• You have to understand human relations. You have to look at the kid as a person, and you respect the kid.

In 1982, 18 of his students passed the AP calculus exam. The ETS found the scores suspect and asked the students to test again; all did well enough to have their scores reinstated.

By 1990, the math enrichment program involved over 400 students in classes ranging from beginning algebra to advanced calculus.

3. Burn the Chair!:Encourage Independence &

Avoid Toxic Support • Natural supports

• Support the classroom & student success

How do you disable a student?- Lou Brown

Other Reasons to “Burn the Chair”:

More Problems Related to Instructional Assistant

ProximityGiangreco, M., Edelman, S. Luiselli, &

MacFarland,(1997)

• Separation from Classmates• Dependence on Adults• Impact on Peer Interactions• Loss of Personal Control• Loss of Gender Identity• Interference with Instruction of

Other Students

4. Remember: “Only as Special as Necessary!”

• Remember the “3

Bears Rule” (not too much…not too little…just right)

• Resist the urge to act (observe…wait)

• Resist the urge to add

5. Question EVERYTHING!• Question language,

structures, routines, activities, norms, environment, materials

• Even things that are going well!

• How do we contribute to the teaching & learning of all?• Staff without borders

6. Practice Radical & Relentless Role

Sharing

“In my school, you can’t tell which students have

disabilities and which ones don’t!”

Is this a goal we should target?

Is there a better one?

• Do special education teachers assess students without disabilities? Develop lessons?

• Do general education teachers ever develop adaptations for learners with disabilities? Support students with significant disabilities one-on-one? Observe while colleagues teach?

• Do speech therapists ever teach whole-class lessons? Help to plan the literacy block?

• Do “special ed.” paraprofessionals ever provide enrichment support?

• Do occupational therapists advise all teachers on making the safe comfortable for all?

• What do we expect any of our students to get from an academic education (e.g., form interests, get career ideas, have fun, make friends)?

• What do we expect students with disabilities to get?

7. Provide Academic Challenge to All

Station Teaching in Reese’s Classroom

Station #1: Internet: Geology Websites

Station #2: Fossils

Station #3: Textbook Questions

Station #4: Discussion with Teacher

Station #5: Sandwich Demonstration (bread, chunky peanut butter, jelly, and raisins). The various sandwich

layers represent sedimentary rock, aggregate, magma, and sandstone.

• “They learned to calculate algebraic expressions, step by step, following the same path as their typical classmates, but at a slower rate, with some more steps and with individual teaching.”

• “The girl was able to do some mental arithmetic. Often she was more consistent and careful than her typical classmates.”- Martinez, E. (2004). Teenagers with Down syndrome study algebra in high school. Down Syndrome Information Network

Where do you want to go? What do you see for your students?