Inclusion Action Plan-Sue Hebert

INCLUSION ACTION PLAN

Description of Current Inclusion Practices:

This was my first year at Jefferson Elementary School. In my grade 1/2 classroom this past
year I have had two speech students and one LD student. I did not receive the LD student until
later in the year.
I had access to the speech students IEPs but in beginning a new year in a new school I admit
that I did not spend a lot of time going through them. The speech teacher never met with me
before the school year started to discuss how the students would be supported in my
classroom. When the speech teacher would come into my room she would often start a game
with a speech student or some activity that wasnt related to what was going on in my room at
the time. Other kids would be interested in what they were doing and then join in. It was
distracting and I didnt understand what skill they were working on or what the purpose of the
activity was. It didnt relate to what I was doing in the classroom.
When my LD student began I was given his IEP and the LD teacher gave me some times he
would be pulled each day. These times I noticed did not meet the time that was given in his IEP
but she was going to work it out, and never did. The special ed teacher pulled my LD student an
hour a day and I dont know what they worked on or if it supported what we were doing in the
classroom. I sometimes gave her things that he needed support with but not on a regular basis.
We have a morning prep time set aside for speed dating once every two weeks where
specialists who teach gym, art, phy ed, reading teachers, and special ed teachers can meet in
the multipurpose room and discuss students needs. During these morning speed dating times
there was usually several teachers I wanted to talk with and didnt end of having much time to
discuss my special ed students specific needs because it either I was talking with another
teacher or they were.
My plan is going to look at my need for more communication with the special ed teachers to
create meaningful modifications or instructional strategies to support my students, create a
plan to be prepared for the students needs before the year starts or before they come into my
class, and find opportunities to have these teachers team teach in my room and integrate what
we are teaching to enable their learning be connected throughout the day. Parents also need
ways to support students with special needs as well as all types of learners at home.

Inclusion Action Plan-Sue Hebert

SWOT Analysis for Inclusion:

Strengths Include:

District Initiative of personalized learning which allows for each student to have a
personalized learning plan.
Technology resources-students each have an ipad to use which can differentiate
instruction and allow for creativity and modification of instruction.
District adoption and implementation in 2014 of Lucy Calkins writing to allow for
student interest and personalized instruction which would be an area for team teaching.
Desire was expressed among staff to group students with similar needs in pod teams to
allow special ed teachers to concentrate in certain classes and be able to be more
available.
The school has exceeded expectations on the State report card in closing the gap for at
risk students in 2012-13.
Common intervention time set up for teachers to group students in tiered instruction
based on test scores.
Parents are cooperative in IEP meetings and communication is frequent because many
of them pick up students at the end of the day making it easier to connect.
Initiative started this year with a book study to be more culturally responsive. Teachers
will create a plan which will enable all students to be more successful and teach using
students differences as strengths.

Weaknesses include:

Student IEP time not being met.

Lack of communication between Special ed and regular ed teacher.
Lack of time to meet with special ed teachers to plan for support.
Lack of team teaching.
Lack of preparation for special ed students to enter classroom.
Parents of special ed students arent aware of resources available for them.
RTI meeting times being cut from the school day when subs were provided.
Pro ACT training only available on weekends for teachers.

Opportunities include:

Create plans to use culturally responsive ideas into teaching to use all students
differences as strengths.

Inclusion Action Plan-Sue Hebert

Focus speed dating specifically for teachers that I have special education
students in common.
Meet with special ed teachers during inservice days to go over students needs
and create a plan for including them in the classroom and find out what their
needs are.
Meet or talk with parents of special ed students before school starts to find out
their insights on their child and what needs they have.
Create a common planning time either weekly or biweekly to meet with special
ed teachers to continue to plan for students learning and inclusion, possibly in
writing.
Offer resources to parents to be connected with resources through the district
and community.
Choose topics that the special ed teachers could present to teachers that would
help them to implement inclusion in their classroom with their support.
Use the district collaboration resources to teach collaboration lessons with
students so they can work together to use communication skills for speech
students and learn from each other so LD students can be successful using
collaboration.

Threats include:

Finding time in a day that typically does not have time available to meet.
Special ed teachers lack the time to team teach due to having 20 students to 1
teacher and no aides available.
Behaviors of EBD kids take away from time available for special ed teachers to
come into the classroom or sometimes pull students for services.
Some parents may not be open to seeking out resources for their child.
After school prep time is taken by after school teaching that many regular ed and
special ed teachers have to teach such as SPARK and PASS.
Morning prep time is taken by staff meetings that are not related to inclusion.
Some teachers are not interested in team teaching.
Lack of support at recess for students to socialize.
New speech teacher this year.

List of Inclusion Stakeholders:

Classroom teacher-Sue Hebert

Speech teacher-to be determined
Special ed teacher-Heather Davis

Inclusion Action Plan-Sue Hebert

School principal-Lynn wall

All students with special needs
All parents of students with special needs
All regular education students
All regular education staff
School psychologist and guidance teacher

Goal1: Increase planning time for special ed teacher and regular ed teacher
Recommended
strategies

Current
%

Goal %

Materials needed

1.Make a plan that the

principal agrees to
have the building sub
rotate once a week for
a half day to give
teachers the
opportunity to meet
for a half hour with the
special ed teacher to
plan for instruction or
inclusion.

0%

100%
of staff
With
special
ed
Studen
ts.

Plans for a sub in each

classroom, special ed
teacher has her
students supervised.
Materials necessary
for planning.

0%

100%
Of
studen
ts will
be
discuss
ed.

IEP of student,
teacher schedule to
find appropriate times
for inclusion and time
for students to be
pulled if necessary.

2. Designate a part of
an inservice day before
school begins to meet
with the special ed
teacher to go over
needs of special ed
students and start an
initial plan for when
students will be pulled
and when the teacher
can team teach with
me.

3. Create a google
0%
document so special ed
teacher and regular ed
teacher can
communicate daily
using technology that
can be accessed
anywhere and

3 times
a week
or
more

Google document
shared between
teachers with student
weekly goals or plans.
A place for comments
and concerns.
Students share their
PLP with both
teachers.

Who will
implemen
t
Myself
Principal
Special ed
teachers

Target
date

Did it
happen

Fall
2014

After
start

Myself,
Special ed
teacher,
principal
to
designate
time.

Fall
2014

After
start

Myself
and
special ed
teacher.

Fall
2014

After
start

Inclusion Action Plan-Sue Hebert

instantly about student
needs, concerns, etc.
daily

Goal 2: Team teach collaboration and writing lessons with support from the special ed teacher
Recommended
strategies

1 Use the book

Comprehension and
Collaboration Inquiry
Circles in Action
Harvey Daniels,
National-Louis
University, Stephanie
Harvey to teach
collaboration skills.

2. Team teach Lucy

Calkins writing lessons
with special ed
teacher.

3. Understanding of
behavior expectations
through PBIS by both
teachers so classroom
runs smoothly.

Current
%

Goal %

Materials needed

Estima
te 50%
Use of
bookalone

75% of
lessons
cotaught

Comprehension and
collaboration book.
Choose skills from
book agreed upon as
valuable such as turn
and talk, small group
rules. Set schedule of
inquiry time.

3/5
days
per
week.

Lucy Calkins 1st grade

kit. Designated writing
block. Planning time.
Writing folders,
writing paper.

0%

50%

100%
of
studen
ts both
special
ed and
regular
ed.

Schoolwide
expectations learned
and practiced at the
beginning of the year
and posted and
reviewed frequently.
Understanding of
behaviors necessary to
stay in the classroom.

Who will
implemen
t
Myself
Special ed
teacher

Target
date

Did it
happen

Fall
2014

After
start

Myself,
Special ed
teacher,

Fall
2014

After
start

Fall
2014

After
start

Myself
and
special ed
teacher.
Principal
all school
assemblie
s.

Inclusion Action Plan-Sue Hebert

Goal 3: Bring more awareness to parents about: supporting their special ed child, celebrating
differences and dealing with struggling students academically and socially.
Recommended
strategies

Current
%

Goal %

Materials needed

0%

100%
Send
one
article
per
week.

Choose an article a
week or webcast
address that would
relate to supporting
children at home.
Readingrockets.org
printer

0%

100%
of
studen
ts

Give them the

information about the
parent group that is at
the district leve.

1 Use the website

readingrocket.org to
send home parents
articles related to
reading strategies
that can help LD
students. Example
title is Parent as
Advocate

2. Making parents of
special ed students
aware of parent group
at the district level.

3. Invite parents in to
share their culture,
traditions, and insights
into their child.

20% of
time

75%
More
opport
unities

Invite parents in for

students star of the
week interview, share
traditions, help with
projects, reading
tutors or listen to
readers, share a story
with the class

Who will
implemen
t
Myself

Target
date

Did it
happen

Fall
2014

After
start

Myself,
Special ed
teacher,

Fall
2014

After
start

Myself
and
parents

Fall
2014

After
start

Inclusion Action Plan-Sue Hebert

Reflection:
I am very excited to start my plan for next year. I realized all last year that I felt out of the loop with
what was going on with my special education students. In order for them to make the most progress
academically, the special education teachers and I NEED to communicate on a regular basis. Otherwise,
they are receiving disconnected experiences which results in less learning. I did have success planning
with the ELL teacher and we were able to team teach school wide vocabulary words to them in an
interactive and engaging way. All of my students benefited from this.
By team teaching researched based collaboration lessons as well as the Lucy Calkins writing series I
believe that special education students and regular education students will make positive gains.
Teaching collaboration in partners and small groups will allow students to learn with and from each
other. The big push in our district is to teach inquiry based lessons that emphasize investigation in
groups. Interaction between students is essential. Writing is another area that is often a struggle for
many students. Lucy Calkins requires students to work with a writing buddy and conferencing while
students write independently will run smoother with the support of the special education teacher. This
could be a great time for the speech therapist to team teach with me.
Having a stronger parent support system will benefit everyone. Giving parents a resource to go to
might alleviate stress at home and students may come to school with a positive attitude allowing them
to focus on their learning. If I invite them in to be part of our school community I will be more likely to
have their support when I need it.
Bibliography:
Comprehension and Collaboration, Inquiry Cirlces in Action by Harvey Daniels and Stephanie Harvey,
Heinemann Co. 2009
Lucy Calkins Writers Workshop Kit
Readingrockets.org
SWOT Analysis Worksheet. (2009). Mindtools. Retrieved March 22, 2009, from
http://www.mindtools.com/rs/SWOT.