How Do We Make Adolescent

Inclusion Work?

What are the values, skills, and knowledge necessary for success in inclusive adolescent settings?

Peter L. Kozik New York Higher Education Support Center

The Process of Appreciative Inquiry:

Discover: through paired interviews, understand the participants’ positive core.

Dream: in small groups, prioritize what’s working currently.

Design: in small groups develop a vision of the whole through possibility statements based on priorities.

Deliver: locate and acknowledge individuals to carry out the potential future.

Think Tank Process and Participants

An opening panel of 11 school district professionals and 1 parent

Appreciative Inquiry with the panel, plus teacher educators from 14 institutions 3 technical assistance network providers 2 parent advocacy group representatives 2 NYSED policymakers 1 transition site coordinator.

Outcomes:

Decide: What? “In order for inclusive adolescent education to be

successful, teachers should demonstrate (2) values, (2) skills, and (2) knowledge.”

Decide: How? What do teacher preparation programs/inclusive

adolescent settings need to look like, sound like, feel like, and be like to best prepare, recruit, and educate teachers with these values, skills, and knowledge? (Plan)

What will I do in the next month, 3 months, 6 months to ensure and support these teachers? (Commit)

Values

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

1

Social Justice/Fairness

Passion

Courage to Change

Life-long Learning

Appreciation of Diversity

All Pupils Can Meet Expectations

Working Outside the "Box"

Parent Involvement

Student Directed Learning

High Expectations

Respect

Trust

Research Based Practice

Skills

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

1

Listening/Communication

Collaboration

Differentiating Instruction/Assessment

Flexibility/Adapatability

Empowerment

Adapting assessments, instruction, curriculum

Develop parental connections

Reflective Planning for Change

Organization

Knows strategies: advocacy/self directed

Implementation

Transition Planning

Knowledge

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

1

Adolescent Development/Learning Styles

Useful research data

Diversity

The System: School, Community, Resources

Power of Relationships

Teaching Students Differently

Strategies for connection

Transition Planning

Perspectives through Critical Lenses

Change Process: Risk Taking for StudentAchievement

Content Knowledge/Literacy

Design: How can we create the future?

1) In order for inclusive adolescent education to be successful, teachers should demonstrate the values of social justice, fairness, and an appreciation of diversity, the skills of differentiated instruction and assessment, and the ability to communicate effectively with students, parents, and other teachers, and possess the knowledge of research validated practice and adolescent development.

Design: How can we create the future?

2) In order for inclusive adolescent education to be successful, teachers should demonstrate the values of the courage to change and lifelong learning, the skills of listening and communication and empowerment, and the knowledge of the power of relationships and how to teach differently.

Design: How can we create the future?

3) In order for inclusive adolescent education to be successful, teachers should demonstrate the values of the courage to change and an appreciation of diversity, the skills of communication and collaboration, and the knowledge of diversity in a broad sense and the useful knowledge of research based practice.

Design: How can we create the future?

4) In order for inclusive adolescent education to be successful, teachers should demonstrate the values of social justice and for parental involvement, have skills in collaboration and differentiated instruction and curriculum, and knowledge of research based practice and knowledge of “the system.”

Deliver: Where do we go from here?

What do teacher preparation programs/inclusive adolescent settings need to look like, sound like, feel like, and be like to best prepare, recruit, and educate teachers with these values, skills, and knowledge?

What will I do in the next month, 3 months, 6 months to ensure and support these teachers?

Plan

Differentiated instruction, all methods across all courses: adjuncts = profs

Certification of a liberal arts major—integrated studies

Prepare students for the culture of the building With students, dry runs for what CHANGE will be

like. Teach collaboration. Recognize successful building cultures. Post secondary models of inclusive teaching. High quality field work, connected to courses and

the real world. Match with the values, skills, and knowledge that

we’ve identified across the board. Help teachers see what their own success would

look like.

Plan

o Teach students to take the long view with IDing and supporting their diverse learning needs.

Support my own risk taking and recognize my successes.

Recognize, celebrate success and encourage growth.

Listen to parents about what they know about their student and share what we’re learning.

Help students belong and assure their growth. Keep close track of progress. Do what works.

Commit

Create a structured, focused inclusive field experience

Share practice and resources throughout my school.

Work for social justice and fairness. Model what students need in their

classrooms and bring the world in often—students with disabilities and parents.

Go to the Inclusion Conference.

Commit

Develop “power standards;” change “inclusion” to “a strategy.”

Create mini-version of the Think Tank for faculty at my school.

Pressure to support and align with special ed.

Use my district’s current tools that we’ve worked hard to build to increase our capacity (APPR, PDP, etc.) and use THESE to promote inclusive education.