Thursday, November 24, 2016

Inclusion Increases Test Scores in CA Charter Schools

Title: 7 elements of successful special education programs
Source/Author/Date: http://www.eschoolnews.com/2016/11/22/successful-special-education/. Laura Devaney, Director of News. November 22, 2016. Retrieved November 24, 2016.
Key Points:
  • 10 California charter schools studied the impact of their special education philosophy, “Meeting the Needs of Every Student Through Inclusion”.
  • They focus on inclusion, using data, creating a community where students feel accepted, and forming family and community partnerships.
  • This results in higher performance than other schools in ELA and math.
  • Staff-driven professional development to meet the needs of each school individually.
  • 88 percent of charter students with disabilities are being served in general education classes for more than 80 percent of their school day, compared to 53 percent of students with disabilities statewide.”
Relevance: With the pendulum swinging toward inclusion, it behooves us to pay attention to what other schools are doing already that works. As we journey toward a more inclusive model in the Salem-Keizer district, there will be no need to reinvent the wheel.
Audience: Educators, Parents, Administrators, Policymakers

2 comments:

  1. I agree, as we move towards ore and more inclusive practices in our schools,we would be wise to look at schools and distritcs that are blazing a trail in this reletivelynew rea of education. Looking at what has worked and what has not will help us avoid our own learning curve. This article highlights the importance of understanding best practices in inclusive education and the benefits that inclusion creates for our specialeducation AND general education students. Thnaks for sharing!

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  2. Inclusion is something we are doing at my host school in Forest Grove. Students stay in the classroom all day and have designated bilingual partners that are based on scores (high kids with a mid kid, mid kid and a low kid). Each table group has one high student, two middle students, and one low student, all designed to help each other out. The test scores in this school have increased since inclusion has started and it ensures that those students are not missing core instruction time. There are aides that come in and provide additional help during instruction and teachers do small group conceptual refinement to help those students who need a little more instruction. I believe inclusion is the way to go, as it continues to prove its effectiveness.

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