Creating Great Public Schools for All

Using Universal Design for Learning and Inclusive Practices

September 16, 2009

Table number: 14

Discussion Facilitator: Phyllis Schwatrz, Teacher of Visually Impaired, NEA/IDEA Cadre

Insert name, title, phone, and email address of person who is serving as table discussion facilitator

Scribe: David E. Emenheiser, Special Education Doctoral Candidate, The GeorgeWashingtonUniversity

Insert name, title & organization.

Reporter:Nicole Condon, Special Education Teacher, DC Public Schools

Insert name, title & organization.

Additional Table Team Participants: Please record name and title reported by all additional participants at your table.

Name / Title / Organization
Karen Paavola / Dir Test Development / Data Recognition Corp
A. DeQ. Mason / Special Ed. Specialist / District of Columbia PS
Latrice Rogers / Instructional Specialist / MontgomeryCountyPS (Maryland)
Jennifer Gaum / Speech/Language Path.
Ricki Sabia / Assoc. Dir. Of Public Policy / National Down Syndrome Society
Merri Jo Pape / Transition Coor / ACPS
Philip Piety / Information Scientist / NationalCenter for Technology Innovation

The framework for the following questions about the use of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and inclusive education practices to transform practice and create great, inclusive public schools for all students are derived from NEA’s Hierarchy of Choices model (adapted from Daniel Kim’s work) and concepts from State Implementation & Scaling Up of Evidence-based Practices (SISEP) (Fixen, et al., 2009).

Facilitated Team Discussion Question #1

Please record key words and phrases as the team responds to this exercise.

  1. Who are we?
  1. Each team member should individually identify no more than three (3) core values that relate to inclusive practices and write them down.
  2. Each team member shares his/her list with the rest of the team. The rest of the team may ask questions to clarify meaning and help refine the list as values and not aspirations.* However, the team should not engage in debate about what others value.
  3. The team should discuss which values are commonly held among team members at the table.
  4. Through consensus (defined as at least 2/3rds of the team members accepting and agreeing), the team should identify no more than eight (8) common core values related to inclusive practices.
  5. The Scribe should list the final, commonly-accepted core values in the space below.
RUNNING LIST OF ALL VALUES: Teaching all students about inclusion; Collective goals are more important than individual achievement; Flexibility; Commitment to families, children, teachers to have support and tools; Drive and wherewithal to make the stand for inclusion; Ongoing embedded staff development; Post-secondary preparation programs must focus on good teaching rather than gem v. spec ed.; Viability; Differentiation; Acceptance; Respect of differences, stakeholders; Participation academic and social; High expectation; Expectations for competence; Acceptance and respect for the individual; Respect for individual and community, not just for folks with disabilities; Equity – giving the individual what they need; Motivation; Responsibility; Eliminating special education; Focusing on mastery; Celebrating difference & diversity; Acceptance within and outside classroom; Recognition of the differing needs within grades and ages; Multisensory approaches.
  1. Respect
  2. Individualization
  3. Viability
  4. Equity
  5. Flexibility
  6. Acceptance
  7. Ongoing education for all about inclusion
  8. Expectations
[*Core values are ideals, not aspirations. They are authentic statements of beliefs that are valued as critically important. Typically, they are expressed as qualities or descriptive actions rather than things or nouns. For example, integrity, being a pioneer, respect for individuals, fairness, and striving for excellence can be core values. “Inclusive schools” is an aspiration while “encouraging inclusivity” is a value.]

Facilitated Team Discussion Question #2

Please record key words and phrases as the team responds to this question.

  1. Given what we have just heard and seen in the film Including Samueland our identified core values, why do we care about Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Inclusive Practices? What is our core joint purpose or mission?
Transformation of educational systems which become inclusive giving teachers, students, parents, and community what they need to ensure that students can function as productive and contributing members of our global society in which students have shared values of equity and they value themselves as learners.

Facilitated Team Discussion Question #3

Please record key words and phrases as the team responds to this question.

  1. Think about two environments or situations – one that is inclusive and one that is not. What accounts for the difference?
NON-INCLUSIVE: Classes are not seamless, and are compartmentalized; Non cooperative; “These kids don’t belong in my class” Attitude; How teacher role is viewed.
INCLUSIVE: Thinking outside the box; Teachers, related services, whole team working together; Ownership all school and community working toward success for all students in the community; Allocation of resources is conducive to learning; Differences among regions; No fear of failure.

Facilitated Team Discussion Question #4

Please record key words and phrases as the team responds to this question.

  1. What challenges/barriers make it difficult to use UDL and inclusive practices for all students? How can we address them to minimize or eliminate their impact?

Barrier(s) / Solution(s)
Misunderstanding of what UDL and inclusion mean in a practical sense / Put all students naturally spread throughout the classes; Mastery oriented not deficit
Postsecondary education is not progressive; Teacher training programs are not modeling the UDL practices / Add UDL courses to curriculum
Teacher threatened and fearful by inclusion
Master schedule – not enough planning time / Schedule students with the special needs first
Gen ed teachers need tom define for self what hinders / Change mentality of best teachers; Growth model of achievement or value-added assessment of teaching effectiveness
Instructional materials – alternate formats / Requiring publishers to provide UDL designed materials
Ask teachers what they want/need
Research is not decisive in showing what makes good teaching effective

Facilitated Team Discussion Question #5

Please record key words and phrases as the team responds to this question.

  1. What opportunities and supports can we capitalize on to make it easier to use UDL and inclusive practices for all students? Who needs to be engaged in seizing these opportunities and developing the supports?

Opportunities/Supports / Who/What stakeholder(s)?
ARRA – guidance lists UDL / States & district level, Board of Education, Teachers, Community logistics, Students
Teachers and Administrators enter the field wanting to have an impact, but don’t get off the ground / Same
Recognition &N reward for successful inclusive/UDL / Same
Tools & Job-embedded professional development & time to collaborate in using the tools / Same
Risk-taking, non-punitive. High-Stakes positive / Same
Restructure the school systems

Facilitated Team Discussion Question #6

Please record key words and phrases as the team responds to this question.

  1. Given what you know about UDL and inclusive practices, what do you see as a vision for the future? Determine a vision statement (one sentence) that represents a vision that is acceptable to the team (using consensus – described earlier).

Vision Statement(s)
Support the transformation of educational systems to become inclusive giving teachers, students, parents, and community what they need to ensure that students can function as productive and contributing members of our global society in which students have shared values of equity and they value themselves as learners.

Facilitated Team Discussion Question #7

Please record key words and phrases as the team responds to this question.

  1. Each team member should determine what commitment(s) he/she will make toward encouraging the use of UDL and inclusive practices within his/her “sphere of influence.” This sphere of influence could be within the classroom, school, district, community, state, or national level. Considering existing policies, structures, roles, supports, and funding within each team member’s sphere of influence, what strategies can each team member employ (what commitments can each team member make) ?

Keep in mind that a‘lack of resources is no excuse for a lack of rigor’ (Collins, 2009).

Strategy/What will you commit to do?
(Number each strategy) / Team member(s) / Sphere of influence
1) Curriculum being revised with UDL guidelines in mind / General Educators / District-wide
2) Spread the word / All of us / All levels
3) Building partnerships and melding UDL within general education / Spec Educators / Districts
4) Higher education and teacher preparation programs / Teacher Preparers / Higher ed
5) Encouraging states to use assessments based on UDL principles / All of us / State-level
6) Research of implementation of IEPs and their implementation / Philip & David / Higher Ed & (Intern)National Think tanks
7)
8)
9)
10)

Begin a new sheet for each strategy. If more than 5 steps are necessary in this action plan, continue on another page and renumber beginning with “6” on the lowest step. In the strategy box to the left insert the strategy number from the previous page or key words from the strategy statement. There are ten planning pages.

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This document will be downloaded into the Creating Great Public Schools Wiki. You can use the Wiki to edit it and report on your progress.

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Table Team Recording Document