Quality Teacher & Education Act
Impact & Innovation Awards 2013
INNOVATIVE PRACTICE
Rationale /
Priority (250
words)
When SFUSD called for increased "inclusive practice" in service delivery models for students with
disabilities, Sherman staff members looked with fresh eyes at the historically accepted yet out of date
service options for our students with disabilities. Previously, Sherman had four special day classes
(SDCs), providing separate, rigid learning opportunities for students whose needs fell within the broad
umbrella of "speech and language disability." Forty-eight students with disabilities learned within these
classrooms, learning in an almost entirely separate social and academic sphere from the rest of the
student body. Our special education (SpEd) staff consisted of four SDC teachers, eight
paraprofessionals, and an RSP teacher who served students in general education with an "RSP"
designation.
We recognized that teaching our students with disabilities in these rigid settings did not meet the
district imperative for inclusiveness, federal requirements for providing students with the "least
restrictive learning environment (LRE)," or even our commitment as educators to ensure that all of our
students receive the highest quality education.
Strategies
that were
Implemented
(250 words)
SFUSD did not provide a roadmap for improving inclusive practices. In order to make the necessary
changes, we had to build a new model from the ground up. Instead of making minor adjustments, as
many schools did, we chose to completely overhaul our special education program. We built a program
that provides a flexible model of service delivery: services provided and IEPs change as student needs
change. Designing and implementing this model required creative thinking, ongoing collaboration
among staff and administration, and truly responsive teaching.
In order to provide the full range of inclusive opportunities we had to enact fundamental changes. The first cruc
when we moved past established programs we found that half of our students with disabilities should receive se
Our SpEd team came together in a series of collaborative meetings to restructure our model. We used student I
parents to determine the LRE for every individual student. Instead of fitting SpEd services into existing schedule
schedule and class lists based upon student need. We established a flexible special education staffing model, wh
constantly re-evaluated again based on ever-changing student need.
Sherman's teaching staff pushed themselves to grow professionally and to take on these flexible roles. For many
teaching between general education and special education colleagues. These teachers share all aspects of teach
behavior management. Other SpEd teachers provide a range of services across the day-- from push-in support f
The entire Sherman community was engaged to implement this model. The SpEd team provided
trainings for the entire staff on the need for and the methodology of inclusive practices. School-wide
best practices were collaboratively established for differentiation and behavior, with teams engaging in
ongoing learning. Teacher teams provided informational sessions for families to explain changes and
answer questions.
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Quality Teacher & Education Act
Impact & Innovation Awards 2013
Implementation factors:
# people:
- entire staff had to be
on board
- leadership team of
Special Educators
- of 61 students with
disabilities, now 37
learn with support full
time
in
general
education.
Demonstrated
Application &
Measurable
Outcomes
(400 words)
# hours:
(program design/redesign)
- 5 hrs at the end of each
school year
- 3 hrs at the beginning of
each school year
(ongoing evaluation)
- 1 hr monthly special
education team meetings
- 15 mins collaboration time
at montly staff meetings
- ongoing training and
collaboration between
teachers
Cost
estimate:
Cost
neutral
Other(s):
- investment & mindset: for
this model to work, the entire
community has to be
invested in its success.
Teachers need to be willing
to learn and collaborate and
be supported to do so.
This model redesign was targeted at improving our service delivery model for our students with
disabilities, who make up approximately 15% of Sherman's student body. However, it had a profound
impact upon the learning of all of our students and the teaching of all of our staff members. Previously
most of our students with disabilities learned and played in entirely separate social and academic
settings. Today many of these boundaries have been erased. Over 60% of our students with identified
disabilities now learn full time in general education classrooms with support from special education
teachers and paraprofessionals. Students who receive most instruction in special day classes attend
enrichments with general education peers.
The most powerful demonstration of the impact of this model can be seen in our data. The 2012-2013
roster of special education students at Sherman has shown dramatic growth in test scores from 2011
to 2013, in both English Language Arts and Math. The percentage of students with IEPs who scored
proficient on the CST increased from 8% in 2011 to 25% in 2013 in ELA. The growth was even more
dramatic in the CST in Math, where the percent of students with IEPS who scored proficient increased
from 25% in 2011 to 71% in 2013. Dramatic growth was seen as well for students who took the
California Modified Assessment (CMA). Between 2012 and 2013, student proficiency on the CMA
increased from 20% to 36% in English Language Arts, and 67% to 79% in Math. These enormous
academic gains for our students can only be attributed to our overhaul of our service delivery model.
The impact of inclusion can clearly be seen as well on the Sherman play yards. Students with disabilities
who were previously stigmatized and ostracized now play with friends from the entire student body.
Students with disabilities attend all field trips and school assemblies. It is no longer possible for an
observer to look out at the yard, or into a classroom, and identify which students have an IEP.
Additionally, it clear that our flexible and responsive teaching model has had an impact on the learning
of the entire school. General education teachers are applying improved strategies for differentiation in
their classrooms even if no students with disabilities are present. Collaboration between colleagues is
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Quality Teacher & Education Act
Impact & Innovation Awards 2013
reaching an even more advanced level, resulting in increased success for all of our students.
Sharing Best
Practice (250
words)
Every SFUSD school has been mandated to implement "inclusive practices," and the district has been
working hard to provide a model that works. Federal special education law and SFUSD mandate
inclusive practice, however providing real, supported opportunities for inclusion can be a struggle. Our
model, grounded in innovation, flexibility and responsive teaching, has been enormously successful
and we believe it can be successful at other school sites.
The first step in shifting practice at Sherman was shifting mindsets. We believe that this can happen if
other school sites see our inclusion model functioning at Sherman and encounter our data. Sherman is
more than willing to share this practice: whether with staff from other school sites attending visiting
days or special education teams coming to meet and collaborate with our special education team.
Sherman can share the materials it has designed around inclusion and collaborative, reflexive teaching.
We believe in our model of service delivery as a step that is both actionable and just. It is possible to
implement at other schools if the time for collaboration and planning is provided and if the community
can get on board. In implementing our model, we believe that Sherman has taken an enormous step
towards ensuring a quality and just education for all of our students, particularly students with
disabilities.
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