Institute on Inclusive Education
Dr. Kim S. Beloin - 2017
Action Planning Steps
What is the best way to use planning time?
First, decide on a: Facilitator ______Time Keeper ______Recorder ______
Second, determine which planning activity/activities make(s) sense for you or your team: (check the appropriate activity)
…your school’s practices and set priorities
. …how your school is managing change related to collaborative teaching and including students with
disabilities.
…ideas, strategies, information that you or team members gathered from various forums. Discuss the
implications for your classroom or school.
…a particular initiative (e.g., a co-teaching structure; a peer mentoring program; parents as partners; strategic scheduling; team planning process; reading/writing program; assessment system.)
…when an individual or team knows what they want to do, have determined why it is a priority and are in the position to implement and evaluate a next step.
…with another team to share information, arrange visits, coordinate a staff development opportunity…
Third, use a graphic organizer to reflect your thinking, problem solving and planning. This packet includes a graphic organizer that corresponds with each planning activity listed above.
…your classroom, school, or district’s inclusive practices and set planning priorities.
Where are we in terms of……………
· Information about unique -Information about unique - Within the first weeks of
needs is not routinely shared needs is shared with key school and as
· Information mainly emphasizes educators, but the team has needed throughout the
students’ deficits and/or is not developed a manageable year, routine strategies
written in a way that would process for sharing this. are used so that educators
make the student/family information with the larger have critical information
uncomfortable. Team. about students (e.g., math
and literacy performance,
strengths, unique concerns,
and expected
accomplishments.)
· Class assignments are made - Class assignments are made - Class assignments are made
without considering the unique with some consideration of with careful consideration of
needs that some students unique needs; it is not apparent class compositions, appropriate
present that a process is in place to staff-student matches, and the
make adjustments after type of collaboration expected
reviewing overall class between regular and special
needs, strengths & interests. education staff.
· Students are not based in - Students are based in regular - Students are based in general
regular education classes, classes, but “pull outs” are used ed. classes, with careful
rather they are assigned often, diminishing the scheduling & staff support to a
to special education students’ sense of belonging ensure a meaningful rhythm
homerooms. and causing fragmentation and flow to their day.
in the daily schedule
· There is no space available for - A resource room or breakout - A breakout space is used,
small group and 1:1 instruction space is used, but only for allowing for many different
students with disabilities student/group configurations
to receive more intensive
instruction; there is no stigma
attached to this space
· Little to no collaboration - Some collaboration between - Educator work together
between special & general special & general education (and cross-categorically,
education teachers to teachers to coordinate services as appropriate, to coordinate
coordinate services. services
· Insufficient presence of special - Sufficient presence of special - Sufficient and strategic
education support education support presence of special
education support, including
co-teaching arrangements
· Majority of instruction is - Variety of instructional methods - Rich, accommodating
delivered to whole class; used, although not always sure curriculum in place that allows
large group, lecture format that the full range of learners are for active/meaningful engagement
meaningfully engaged of a diverse group of learners
· Parallel & alternative activities - Accommodations are made, - accommodations are made
used extensively; however they are not always strategically, including individualized
accommodations are not appropriate or individualized. expectations; Students become
routinely or appropriately more accountable for own
made. learning & accommodations.
· No mechanism in place for - Mechanism in place for planning - Effective/efficient mechanism for
planning and sharing and sharing information about communicating adaptations
information about general accommodations. needed for individual students
accommodations needed for including how students with IEP’s
individual students will be graded.
· Assessments inappropriate for - Variety of assessments used to - Multiple measures are used (i.e.,
measuring student growth measure student progress portfolios, performance assessment)
and/or not used to improve to chart student progress and
instruction. Improve or change instruction.
Where are we in terms of……………
· Shared ownership by team - Shared ownership by most - Shared ownership of all students
members is not evident or is team members is evident. by all team members is evident.
limited to a few team members
· Roles and responsibilities of - Teaching arrangements are - Roles and responsibilities of all
team members not clarified clarified, but confusion about team members are clarified early
some responsibilities still exists in the year and reviewed on an
routine basis.
· Core team members meet - Core team members have - Core team members meet regularly
irregularly; most planning identified times they meet for to plan and problem solve; Extended
done “on the run” planning purposes and try to team members meet with core team
follow this schedule. when necessary.
· Inadequate communication - Effective mechanism in place for - Efficient and effective mechanism for
among team members communicating among team communicating at and between
members. meetings; Meeting time is devoted
to student-centered discussions and
curriculum planning.
· Teaching Assistants ’s are mostly - TA’s receive some support and - TA’s are well supported and function
“on their own” with little function as team members as active team members
guidance or communication.
· Minimal family involvement - Most family involvement and - Routine family involvement occurs;
and communication occurs communication relates to key Families are aware of the curriculum,
between educators & families. school events. and encouraged to participate in
multiply ways.
Where are we in terms of……………
· Limited conscious effort is - Climate of acceptance is - Specific strategies are
made to foster a climate valued & fostered. used for climate setting
of a acceptance for ALL beginning with the first few
students. days of school and
implemented on an ongoing
basis; Diversity is valued.
· Classroom atmosphere is - positive classroom climate is - The classroom climate reflects
counterproductive to meeting maintained; It is evident that the attitude that the classroom
the academic/social needs of students/staff are serious about is a place where learning occurs,
students learning for All students. and where All students…
…feel a sense of belonging
…have opportunities for success
…can work toward independence
…have opportunities to share their
strengths/talents to help others.
· Students do not get the - Students get the support they - Students consistently get the
support they need from need from staff/peers most of support they need from staff/peers.
staff/peers. the time.
· No effective behavioral - Behavioral support strategies - Effective behavioral support
support plans in place occasionally being addressed plans are in place for students with
to prevent students’ for students with challenging challenging behaviors; Plan is
challenging behaviors from behaviors. reviewed and revised as needed
negatively impacting the on a regular basis
classroom climate.
Where are we in terms of……………
· No process in place for - Process in place for evaluating - Teams regularly process how
evaluating how well our how well our team is working well they work together and
team is working. develop strategies for
improvement.
· No building-level mechanism - Effective building-level - Teams utilize established
in place for regular planning mechanism in place for building-level mechanisms for
& problem- solving regular planning and regular planning &
problem-solving. Problem-solving.
· No team planning and - Some building-level planning - There are regular opportunities
Problem-solving around and problem-solving around for team planning and problem-
Students with challenging students with challenging solving around students with
behaviors ; Crisis-planning behaviors or mental health challenge-ing behaviors or
only. needs. mental health needs.
· Very limited opportunities for - Staff development - Staff development opportunities
Staff development. opportunities made available related to inclusive education
To most staff members are well structured and
integrated into the overall
school development plan
Summarize Your Top Planning Priorities:
1.______
2.______
3.______
4. ______
…how your school or district is managing change related to collaborative teaching & including students with disabilities and other unique needs.
1. Identify the scenario which best describes the change process in your school:
Managing Complex Change
Vision + Skills + Incentives + Resources + Action Plan = CHANGE
Skills + Incentives + Resources + Action Plan = CONFUSION
Vision + Incentives + Resources + Action Plan = ANXIETY
Vision + Skills + Resources + Action Plan = GRADUAL CHANGE
Vision + Skills + Incentives + Action Plan = FRUSTRATION
Vision + Skills + Incentives + Resources = FALSE STARTS
2. List one or two actions your team will take to address school-wide or district-wide change.
3. List the resources and incentives available to you (or those that you can reasonably secure) as you move forward with your plans for a more unified and collaborative approach to educating All students including those with disabilities or other unique needs.
…ideas, strategies, and information that you or your team members gathered from various forums. Consider and discuss the implications for your classroom or school.
What ideas and strategies have I/we gathered? What are the implications for using this idea/strategy
in my classroom/our school?
…a particular initiative (e.g., a co-teaching structure; a peer mentoring program; parents as partners; strategic scheduling; team planning process; reading/writing program; portfolio system.)
Describe the Initiative:
Continue Start Stop
Review & Refine
What is it?
The Review and Refine tool is a series of questions that individuals or problem solving teams can ask as they review their current practices and procedures.
When is it best used?
Use the Review & Refine tool when you want to get clearer about factors that may be helping or hindering your practices and procedures. It also provides a means of collecting suggestions for making changes that will help you work more effectively.
How is it done?
1. Review one or more situation(s) you have identified. What did you set out to accomplish?
2. What evidence do you have to show that your procedures worked or didn’t work?
3. Based on this evidence, what do you recommend that you:
Continue, doing (because our evidence shows that it is working well):
Start, or consider doing (because other evidence suggests that it will produce better results):
Stop, or cease doing (because our evidence shows that it is not working):
The Review & Refine tool is one approach to strategic and reflective inquiry. Another set of questions that can be used in reflecting on a problem-solving process includes:
Here’s what we assumed would work:
Here’s what we learned:
Here is what we will try now:
Adapted from: Douglas S. Flemming & Barbara A. Flemming, school Strategies and Options, P.O. Box 1705, 218 Northfield Road, Lunenburg, Massachusetts 01462.
What is the Next Step? (Be specific when you describe the next step of your initiative. action or process):
Why is this Important?
Here’s how it Here’s how I/we want These are the steps Here’s who will initiate Timeline
looks now… it to look in the future… that will get me/us there… & take the lead on each step
…with other colleagues in order to share information & ideas, arrange visits, coordinate a collaborative staff development opportunity, etc.
Create a log of new professional contacts…
WHO? ( name, position, school name) WHAT expertise or idea was shared? HOW could I/we use this idea or expertise?