Samples and summary of faculty scholarly activities - St. John Fisher ...

administrators think sensitively and strategically about inclusion, so many powerful practices
can be developed and applied.
When Billy's teacher began teaching at DeWitt Road Elementary School, she only knew a
couple of people at the school and she was not aware of school procedures or philosophy.
Instinctively, Billy's teacher felt that she had to meet with the principal. She wanted to find out
what the principal's philosophy was and how inclusive practices played out in this school.
I have been the teacher in the Dewitt Road District Based classroom for four years. Several steps
are taken prior to my students walking into a general education classroom. At the start of my first year
at Dewitt Road, the principal and I met to formulate the steps for successful inclusion opportunities. An
inclusive opportunity is successful when the student with autism, the general education teacher and the
general education students all benefit from the experience.
-Stephanie Scism
Billy's teacher's instinct to meet and plan with the principal is an effective strategy in
any school implementing inclusive practices and programs. Before school starts, whenever
possible, special education teachers should initiate a meeting with the building principal to
discuss their assigned students, highlighting student strengths and identifying opportunities for
inclusion. At the meeting, special education teachers should be prepared with the academic
levels, strengths/interests and characteristics of students being included in the general
education setting. Prior to the meeting thought should be given to grade levels and settings
(i.e. core subjects, art, music) for students. Also, teacher should be prepared to discuss the
students' goals in the inclusion settings as well as specific support that paraprofessionals or
teacher assistants will provide to support students in these settings.
The initiative of the principal is important, too. Most general education teachers are
open to working with any student when they are given information in advance and included in
the process. Early collaboration with general education teachers helps with plans for inclusive
practices in the classroom and provides a forum for "what ifs" or potential concerns that can be
problem-solved upfront. Discussion should include class size enrollment, potential for
heterogeneous grouping, classroom resources and materials and instructional strategies that
encourage success for all students.
Once potential settings have been decided, special education teachers and general
education teachers should meet to discuss students with special needs and agreed upon goals.
This is the time where Billy's teacher sets up a means of correspondence to regularly
communicate with the general education teacher about student progress and any concerns. A
simple form or progress journal can be used or, if any common planning is available, a regular
74