Inclusion Task Force – Three Year Plan (Status Update - January 5, 2016)
Year One (2014-2015)
Who
What
Steering
* Create a vision for special education and inclusion in
Committee the district based on feedback from multiple
constituencies
* Synthesize information from subcommittee work into
Special Education & Inclusion Resource Guide
PD
Leadership
Team
Data
Analysis
SubCommittee
Best
Practices
SubCommittee
Build capacity of task force members so that all have a
thorough understanding of special education
terminology, laws, and best practices. Work with the
curriculum department to embed strategies for
accommodations and modifications into professional
development.
* Analyze data related to:
- Placement of students with IEPs in either
itinerant, supplemental, or full-time support
(Least Restrictive Environment, “LRE,” data)
- Achievement and placement data disaggregated
by disability category, race/ethnicity, English
Language Learner (ELL), and socioeconomic
status
- Special education referral data
- Qualitative data on special education teacher
perceptions of current practices (already
compiled from 11/3 in-service)
- Qualitative data on perceptions of current
practices (data from 11/19 administrator
meeting)
* Identify trends in the data and share findings with the
subcommittees to guide their work
* Define “inclusion” with a set of standards and
indicators that are clearly understandable,
measurable, and can be used for planning and
evaluative purposes
* Research various models and practices that support
inclusion (differentiated instruction, co-teaching,
inclusion facilitator model, etc.) and synthesize
information for Special Education and Inclusion
Resource Guide
* Recommend a set of guiding principles for special
education and inclusion in North Penn
based on best practices research and North Penn data
* Make recommendations for how to begin embedding
inclusive practices into professional development for
2015-2016
Status
Vision completed.
Resource Guide in process.
This will be a living document
on the website that is updated
on an ongoing basis. Special
education website undergoing
overhaul to include more
information.
Role of the team evolved to
work in conjunction with
curriculum department for PD
in 2015-2016. This is currently
in progress.
Completed. See Year One
Report presentation for
synthesis of data.
Definition of inclusion
completed. Standards for
measurability still need to be
developed. Guiding principles
and recommendations for
professional development
completed. See Year One
Report. PLCs and Leadership
Academy sessions on inclusion
held for NP administrators
during Summer 2015. Topics
included: (1) Ensuring Success
for All: Tools and Tips for
Inclusive Schools, (2) Student
Grouping and Resource
Mapping – Elementary
Inclusion Task Force – Three Year Plan (Status Update - January 5, 2016)
Scheduling Tips for Inclusion,
(3) Leading Inclusive Schools:
Navigating Complex Change,
and (4) Accommodations and
Modifications.
Inclusive
School
Culture
SubCommittee
* Research best practices for developing a welcoming,
inclusive school culture and cultivating parent
partnerships
* Synthesize information on school culture and parent
partnerships for Special Education and Inclusion
Resource Guide with specific focus to…
- How to make the IEP process more easily
understandable and less intimidating
- Self-determination for students with disabilities
and how they can become more actively
involved in their education
- Actively including parents in the IEP process
* Make recommendations for action steps in Years Two
and Three for developing a welcoming and inclusive
school culture and partnering with parents
Open dialogue between parents and
staff through small groups
occurred. Small groups identified
the following: elements that are
intimidating or confusing to
parents,
barriers to parent participation,
impediments to smooth annual
transitions, from grade to grade and
level to level. Parent Resource
Guide to be developed and posted
on website for 2015-2016.
Planning for Inclusive Schools
Week began. In conjunction with
Montgomery County Down
Syndrome Interest Group, North
Penn is hosting international
speaker, Sue Buckley, on August
24th and 25th.
Program
Evaluation
SubCommittee
* Develop a register of all special education
programs/classes in the district (i.e. Autistic Support,
Life Skills, etc.) with descriptions of support provided to
analyze current frameworks
* Identify a facilitated self-assessment tool to evaluate
current special education and inclusive practices, and
work with building administrators to implement the
facilitated self-assessment tool in Spring 2015
* Develop a mechanism to garner feedback regarding
perceptions of current practices and implement the
instrument for regular education teachers, special
education assistants, parents and students.
Register of all district programs
completed and to be posted on
website. Facilitated selfassessment (FSA) tool
developed and completed in all
buildings. Regular education
teacher and assistant input
solicited through FSA.
Mechanism for garnering parent
input still needs to be
developed.
Inclusion Task Force – Three Year Plan (Status Update - January 5, 2016)
Year Two (2015-2016)
Who
Steering
Committee
What
Communicate the vision for special education and
inclusion as well as the work accomplished by the
Status Update – 1/5/2016
In progress.
Task Force in Year One to North Penn staff and
families
Data Analysis
Team
Leads:
Frances Garner,
Sara Pileggi
Shifting Roles
Team
Leads:
Megan Schoppe
(HS)
Dana Boccella
(Middle)
Chrissy Kelly
(Elementary)
Admin Lead:
Jenna Rufo
Continue data analysis related to inclusive
practices
-
Review Facilitated Self-Assessment data
and School Goal Plans to determine areas
of need and identify supports to be
provided
- Investigate possible root causes for data
analysis in Year One further
- Analyze student demographic information
related to disability, socio-economic
status, ELL, race/ethnicity, giftedness
Analyze the role of the special educator as it
currently exists and the impact this may have on
student growth and achievement. Make
recommendations moving forward.
-
-
-
-
Review research on model inclusive
schools and identify elements that
contribute to success.
Review findings from model inclusive
schools research in conjunction with: (1)
themes in FSA data developed by the Data
Analysis Team, and (2) Register of special
education programs in the district
developed in Year One. Identify the
current concerns and barriers in North
Penn.
Contact model inclusive schools outlined
in the research for information on how
their special education staff functions.
Review inclusion facilitator model and
determine feasibility, benefits, and
drawbacks.
The team reviewed the data from
last year’s work and discussed
further areas of data collection. A
survey to K-12 regular ed and 712 special ed teachers will be sent
to gather perceptual data by the
end of January. The next meeting
is 1/5/16 to review selfassessment data and school goals.
The shifting roles team divided
into three subgroups by level.
Each group reviewed research and
articles about model inclusive
schools at the onset of their
meetings.
The high school team is
formulating action steps for the
department. Meetings are being
set up with regular education
department chairs to define areas
where more support is needed as
well as what is working. The
team is investigating the use of
inclusion facilitators for content
area support in 2016-2017.
The middle school team reviewed
the FSA data and the program
evaluation list created last year
and began brainstorming ideas for
the restructure of special
education at the middle school
level.
The elementary school team
developed documents for
Collaboration, Professional
Development, and Parent/Student
Engagement focusing on what is
Inclusion Task Force – Three Year Plan (Status Update - January 5, 2016)
currently in place for each area
and what the team would like to
see in place. These documents
serve as the starting point.
The special education
administrative team has
completed student projections for
the 2016-2017 school year. The
teacher leads from each Task
Force Shifting Role group also
attended to represent their groups.
Directors, supervisors, and
principals will review the
projections completed over the
next few months to begin
tailoring plans for 2016-2017.
Communication Revamp the Special Education and Student
and Outreach
Services website so that it contains useful
Team
information for families and community. (Leads:
Tim Clarke, Cara Weinberg)
Leads:
Ruth Desiderio
Cara Weinberg
Develop a Parent Resource Guide to be posted and
updated on the Special Education website on an
ongoing basis. (Leads: Ruth Desiderio, Cara
Weinberg)
Develop an Inclusion SharePoint for staff where
resources on accommodations and modifications
for curriculum use can be posted. Link to current
ELA and Mathematics SharePoints. (Lead: Jackie
Giammarco)
The special education and student
services website has been updated
and launched. Resources for
parents are contained therein.
The Inclusion SharePoint site has
been created and launched.
The communication team is
working on an IEP meeting
follow-up survey to be sent to
parents following their child’s
IEP. This will gauge parent
satisfaction and understanding of
the process.
Leads:
Tiffany D’Amore,
Michelle Rupp
Plan and implement activities for Inclusive
Schools Week (December 7-11).
- Develop a list of activities and provide
options to individual schools.
- Plan a Home and Schools Association
presentation and determine if they will
partner with the Task Force.
The first Special EDition
newsletter of 2015-2016, “The
Myth of the Average Student,”
was created and sent to all district
staff. It is also posted on the
website.
A quilt project was completed at
the elementary level along with
announcements in the morning.
Due to capacity and time issues,
this project was not completed at
the secondary level but will be in
December 2016.
Gifted and
Advanced
Develop a multi-year action plan for successful
inclusion of our advanced and gifted learners with
The Gifted committee has
compiled a list of websites and
Determine relevant topics for Special EDition
newsletter and work with staff to obtain
resources/write articles. (Leads: Cara Weinberg)
Inclusive
Schools Week
Team
Inclusion Task Force – Three Year Plan (Status Update - January 5, 2016)
Learners Team
Lead:
Bill Bowen
Professional
Development
Team
Lead:
Sandy
Siemienski/
Jackie
Giammarco
special consideration to…
-
Flexible grouping
Cluster grouping
Acceleration
Refinement of gifted screening process
Differentiation for gifted and advanced
learners
Work in conjunction with curriculum department
to embed strategies for inclusive practices into
professional development offerings. Focus for
this year will be on accommodations and
modifications.
Develop mini PD modules on inclusion.
other resources to help with
research. The team is currently
evaluating the gifted instruction
provided at each building and is
working towards developing
models for each level and
instructional strategies. The team
has created an Edmodo page to
collaborate in addition to face-toface meetings.
Inclusion SharePoint developed.
This is a resource library where
teachers can post their
accommodations/ modifications.
Focus of professional
development segments on
accommodations/ modifications.
Four separate segments have been
developed by the PD team and are
in the process of being presented
at the building level. There is a
“point person” in each building
who supports delivery of the
presentations.
The presentation content is as
follows: 1) General Overview and
Common Language (Inclusion
and Co-Teaching,
Accommodations and
Modifications); 2) Levels of
Accommodations and
Modifications; 3) Creating
accommodations and
modifcations; 4) Using Webb’s
Depth of Knowledge and MultiLevel Questioning.
Inclusion Task Force – Three Year Plan (Status Update - January 5, 2016)
Year Three (2016-2017)
- Review progress towards goals from facilitated self-assessments and School Goals Plans
- Create goals based on Year Two student demographic data analysis related to disability, socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, giftedness
- Analyze and make recommendations for improvement of the current IEP process with particular
attention to…
o Consideration of general education with supplementary aids and services as the first
option for all students
o How students included in general education for less than 80% are included in other ways
- Begin planning and implementation of goals related to the role of special educators
- Continue professional development implementation on accommodations, modifications and
inclusive practices.
- Begin implementation of goals developed in Year Two action plan for gifted and advanced
learners.