Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network Climate and Culture

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Max’s Family Experience – Activity Everyone Introduction of Max and his family Small Groups Sit with your group members Silently read either Perspective 1 or 2 Highlight/underline word, phrase, or sentence that relates to: –Communication skills and its impact on the environment of the school, families and how students are accepted and educated Discuss in your group Report Out Each group will share a brief summary (2 minutes or less) of your section and one highlight from your small group discussion

Engaging Parents: Resources Indicator 8, Parent Engagement Modules –Located on the PaTTAN website at: 20Engagement/page/Enhancing_Parent_Engagement_The_Indicat or_8_Training_Module_Series.html

School Climate and Culture  All students are welcomed  All students are seen as contributing members of the school community  Teachers’ roles are flexible  Relationships are collaborative  Schedules and practices promote collaborative planning and effective instruction  Positive behavioral support is utilized throughout the school

School Climate and Culture YouTube Video: Inclusion is Belonging

Create a Climate of Belonging A welcoming school community is:  Inviting and welcoming  Accessible  Respectful  Accepting

Create a Climate of Belonging  Create a warm and welcoming school climate  Foster community building within each classroom  Reach out to marginalized families  Incorporate social responsibility into the curriculum  Use proactive and process approaches to discipline G. Theoharis, 2009

Indicators of an Inclusive School Climate Effective Instruction incorporating multiple means of representation, multiple means of engagement, and multiple means of expression Teachers using active engagement strategies, identify/teach skills to access/participate/progress in a general education curriculum, coordinate/plan services outside a general education classroom to maximize learning Systematic and individualized approach to identification of supports and services to students with disabilities in general education classrooms utilizing Supplementary Aids and Services (SaS) 9

How do we make this happen?  Model “People First” Language  Presume Competence  Prevent Dependence and Learned Helplessness  Teach all Students about Disabilities and Practice Ability Awareness Reference PaTTAN Publication

People First Language Incorrect The autistic girl The IEP students The deaf/hearing impaired classroom The wheelchair kid Correct The girl with autism The students with special needs The classroom with students who are deaf or hard of hearing The student who uses a wheelchair

12 Presume Competence Viewing students through the lens of a disability label may increase the likelihood of misjudging capabilities and barring some students from opportunities to learn what other students their age are learning (Jorgensen, McSheehan & Sonnenmeier, 2007)

Presume Competence Viewing students through the lens of abilities will increase the likelihood of nurturing individual talents and providing all students the opportunities to learn what other students their age are learning in the general education classroom. (adapted from Jorgensen, McSheehan & Sonnenmeier, 2007) 13

Strategies for Presuming Competence

Prevent Dependence and Helplessness Train staff in promotion of independence –Teachers –Paraeducators –Related Service Providers If a student has a paraeducator assigned to him/her for even a portion of the day: –A fading plan should be in place –Measurable annual goal regarding independence should be included in the student’s IEP

Teach All Students About Disabilities Practice Ability/Disability Awareness 1.Do activities that show how students are alike and different 2.Teach students how to interact with people with disabilities 3.Talk about disabilities in general (overview) 4.Teach what it is like to have different disabilities through hands on activities 5.Celebrate the abilities of people with disabilities

Including Samuel (Trailer) - Activity

“When inclusive education is fully embraced, we abandon the idea that children have to become ‘normal’ in order to contribute to the world. … We begin to look beyond typical ways of becoming valued members of the community, and in doing so, begin to realize the achievable goal of providing all children with an authentic sense of belonging.” - Norman Kunc The School Administrator (Number 2 Volume 70) Isn’t This What It’s All About?