CHAPTER 3

MAKING THE SCHOOLS INCLUSIVE

Competencies
This chapter aims for you to develop the following competencies:

• the ability to respond effectively to educational needs of students

with additional needs; and
• The ability to create safe, inclusive, and culturally responsive
learning environments for students with additional needs.
 This chapter shall provide insights and practical tips on cultivating
inclusive habits and implementing such practices in the classroom effectively

• Diversity is the new “normal”.

• Inclusive practices must be dynamic and
collaborative.
• To be truly inclusive, educators must
always check for the presence,
participation, and achievement of their
learners.
• Differentiation plays an important role in
the success of inclusive education
Creating Inclusive cultures practices.
Three dimensions of the Index for Inclusion
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- This dimension creates a secure, accepting, collaborating, and

stimulating community, in which everyone is valued as the
foundation for the highest achievements of all
- It develops shared inclusive values that are conveyed to all new
staff, students, governors, and parents/carers.
- The principles and values, in inclusive school cultures, guide
decisions about policies and moment to moment practice in
classrooms, so that school development becomes a continuous
process.
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- This dimension makes sure the inclusion permeates all

school plans.
- Policies encourage the participation of students and staff
from the moment they join the school.
- All policies involve clear strategies for change.
- All forms of support are developed according to inclusive
principles and are brought together within a single
framework.
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- This dimension develops school practices which reflect the

inclusive cultures and policies of the school.
- Lessons are made responsive to student diversity.
- Students are encouraged to be actively involved in all aspects
of their education.
- Staff identify material resources and resources within each
other.
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Inclusion is as much the responsibility of society a it is the
responsibility of schools.
- Gender The Right–based approach to
discrimination educational programming “ insist
- Globalization that no right can exist without a
- International corresponding governmental
migration obligation”
UNESCO (2017)
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1. What stakeholders can do..

Stakeholders – those who are “invested in the welfare and

success of a school and its students.
- Teachers
- Administration
- School staff/officials/others
- Directly and indirectly involve in Education
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1. What Stakeholders can do.

- Set the parameters for inclusion – The government has identified key
people and professions, and highlighted important factors leading to the
success of inclusive education.
- Build key people – The government recognizes the need for teach3r
training both in the special needs education and general education levels.
- Identify and eradicate barriers -
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Common Barriers to Inclusion

• Attitudes, values systems, misconceptions, and societal norms
– can lead to prejudices and/or actual resistance to implement
inclusive practices. (UNESCO 2005)
• Physical barriers – the lack of building, facility, transportation,
or road accessibility are types of physical barriers that can
literally affect one’s mobility.
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Common Barriers to Inclusion

• Curriculum – rigid “one size fits all” type of curriculum that
does not allow room for individual differences can
significantly stunt owns learning and opportunity for growth.
• Lack of teacher training and low teacher efficacy – whether
training in teaching strategies, using curriculum framework,
or behavior and classoom management, lack of training as
well as low confidence in one’s own skills can directly affect
how inclusive practices are implemented.
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Common Barriers to Inclusion

• Poor language and communication – language barriers may also

directly have implication on how well inclusive practices are
implemented.
• Lack of funding – enough funding can allow for training more
teachers as well as coming up with more appropriate programs,
instructional materials, or facilities; lack of funds can be limiting
and debilitating to schools.
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Common Barriers to Inclusion

• Lack of policies – policies have the ability to unify beliefs and

mobilize resources; unfortunately, lack of it can become a
convenient justification for inaction.
• Organization of educational systems – centralized systems may
have some type of detachment in terms of implementing polcies
and seeing the reality of how such policies are affecting learners.
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Common Barriers to Inclusion

• Too much focus on performance-based stndards – schools have

also reportedly refused inclusion because of fear that the
presence of learners with additional needs will pull down their
rankings in standardized tests.
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Special Education Inclusion Mainstreaming
Learners Students who ae not part All same-aged Selected learners are
of the classroom peers/learners are in one included in a general
class regardless of ability. education class based on
their readiness instead of
their age.
Curriculum Strengths-based General education Learner may have
And needs-based curriculum access to both general
Individualized curriculum education curriculum and
a more individualized
curriculum.
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Special Education
Assessment and Mostly strengths-based but is
Evaluation sometimes is also
standards-based
Learning Placement All services happen inside the
and Delivery of special education classroom but
Services other services such as
therapeutic intervention may be
integrated into this setting or
delivered separately.
Evolving Inclusive
practices
Inclusion Mainstreaming
Norms-referenced Both norm-referenced
and strengths-based
All services happen Receives services in
inside the general both the general
education classroom. education classroom
and outside through
the use of resource
rooms and
therapeutic programs.
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Special Education Inclusion Mainstreaming

Philosophy Learner-centered: Rights-based: All Preparatory and
Some learners have learners have a right to Integrative: Learners
very specific needs that access quality are given access to
may not be education that is general education but
appropriately available to others. will need to catch up on
addressed in a general skills first.
education classroom
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The following is a list of other possible steps that educators can take to
facilitate the much-needed societal shift and inform policy:

• Involve other sectors of society – For an inclusive set-up to truly be successful, active
involvement of the community must be ensured. For instance, those in the business,
commercial, security, and religious sectors must also be given representation in trainings.
The idea is for everyone – to become more sensitive and aware of the PWD population.
The more aware a community is, the more it will be able to help.
• Collaborate – Each member of the inclusive education team would have their own
strengths and weaknesses, and these have to be used wisely to benefit the child with
additional needs. True collaboration would guarantee an inclusive program that would
cover as many areas as possible.
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The following is the list of other possible steps that educators can take to facilitate
the much-needed societal shift and inform policy:

• Recognize the shift in roles of the teacher – With the shift to inclusive education,
the role of special education (SPED) teachers suddenly seems to be reduced to only
“as needed”.

SPED teachers role – no longer becomes that of an implementer but that of a

consultative nature instead.
– their trainings, their insights, and their skills as supposed prime mover in the
inclusive education framework – must neither be diminished nor disregarded.
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The following is the list of other possible steps that educators can take to facilitate
the much-needed societal shift and inform policy:

• Include transitions in planning – An abrupt systemic change that is not well-

planned or that disregards practices – whether existing or implied – may hinder
the shift to inclusion and cause resentment form all stakeholders. Instead,
current practices have to be respected and honored so as to facilitate a gradual
shift to inclusive education.
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The term “evolving” assumes that we already have strategies in place

which we just have to revisit for possible tweaking. It suggests advancement
and positive growth, which means we can look at these existing strategies
and adjust according to the needs of our students along the way.

Two effective Evidence-based inclusive practices that can

be used in the classroom are :
Universal Design for Differentiated
Learning Instruction
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Universal Design for Learning
Universal designs refer to structures that were made in such a way that they can be
used by all with a wide range of needs.

• UDL refers to the design of instructional materials and activities to make the content
information accessible to all children.
• It is best used in a general education classroom where learners are different.
• In UDL, teacher are supposed to present information and materials in many different
ways, taking into consideration that some students may have not fully absorbed the
lesson the first time it was presented.
• UDL ensures that all students learn genuinely.
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Universal Design for Learning
There are three elements to UDL:
Multiple means of This concept is meant to ensure that all
representation students are able to access and
understand learning materials.
Multiple means of The teachers, allow students to express what
action and expression they learned in various ways.
Multiple means of The teachers uses different techniques to
engagement reinforce learning at the students 'optimal levels.
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Universal Design for Learning
UDL Principles
1. Equitable Use – Inclusive practices are designed to be useful, appealing,
and safe for all students, families, an professionals to use,.
2. Flexible Use – Inclusive practices are designed to accommodate the
individual preferences, abilities, and needs of all students, families, and
professionals.
3. Simple and Intuitive Use – Inclusive practices are designed to be easy for
all to use and understand.
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Universal Design for Learning
UDL Principles
4. Perceptible and Information – Inclusive practices are designed so they
communicate valuable information to all through various formats.
5. Tolerance for Error – Inclusive practices ae designed to minimize errors
and unintended consequences by providing safeguards and warnings to assist
to all in using them safely.
6. Low Physical Effort – Inclusive practices are designed to be used
comfortably and efficiently without much effort from all.
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Universal Design for Learning
UDL Principles
7. Size and Space for Approach and Use – Inclusive practices are
designed for use by all, regardless of their mobility, physicality, or way of
communication.
8. Community of Learners – Inclusive practices are designed to promote
social interaction and communication for all.
9. Inclusive Environment – Inclusive practices are designed to foster
acceptance and a sense of belongingness for all.
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2. Differentiated Instruction
- Is a teacher’s response to students’ varying needs, interests, and learning
styles.
- It refers to a systematic approach to planning curriculum and instruction for
academically diverse learners.
- It is a way of thinking about the classroom with the dual goals of honouring
each student’s learning needs and maximizing student’s learning capacity.
- When teachers differentiate instruction, they use a variety of teaching and
learning strategies that are necessary to meet the diverse needs of
students in any class.
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2. Differentiated Instruction
Why Differentiate instruction?
• All learners are unique and have varying interests, talents, strengths, as well
as needs.
• It helps ensure that learners are engaged in respectful tasks and provide
divese means of learning that reflect their strengths and address their needs
simultaneously.
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2. Differentiated Instruction
How is Instruction
Differentiated
Elements of the curriculum that
can be differentiated:
• Content
• process
• Product
• Learning environment
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practices
As an overview, differentiation is achieved
by providing materials and tasks:
a. At varied levels of difficulty;
b. With varying levels of instructional
support:
c. By using multiple grouping arrangement;
d. That involve student choice; and
e. Use varied evaluation strategies.
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2. Differentiated Instruction
As teachers,
• You must know your curriculum.
• Your are suggested to revisit or identify which are non-negotiable and
negotiable learning objectives and tasks.
• You are expected to know your students’ interests, readiness level
• You may create a class profile to provide an overview of the class’s
characteristics and needs.
• You have to identify and plan what and how to differentiate your material.
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Content Process Product Learning

Environment

What is taught? How is it taught? How is it How is the

What is How is it assessed? classroom
learned? learned? How is learning arranged?
demonstrated?
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How is the Classroom Managed During Differentiated?
1. Explain to the students the reason for differentiation. Make sure
this is understood by all.
2. Use “anchor activities” which students can automatically work
on when completing assigned tasks to maintain a productive
work environment and maximize instructional time.
3. Assign roles during small-group activities/instruction to ensure
accountability and a positive learning environment.
4. Implement routines for collaborative work.
End of Chapter 3.....

Reference:
Foundations of Special and Inclusive
Education - REX