inclusive but independent: making inclusive schooling work in the current educational context prof...
TRANSCRIPT
Inclusive but independent: making
inclusive schooling work in the current educational
context
Prof Bob Conway
School of Education, Flinders University
The key concepts
Rights of those with special needs to be
involved in meaningful ways
ACCESS PARTICIPATION
Curriculum
Relevant
Broad
Qualification outcomes
ContentTeaching/learning
activities
Student Engagemen
tActive learning
© R Conway, 2012
What’s in a term/concept?Integration of students
with special needs
Inclusion of students with special needs
Inclusive Schools
Inclusive Education
Education for all
Inclusion by proximity
© R Conway, 2012
Inclusive society??
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What is the Australian literature base?
Attitudes and beliefs of staff and leaders are well researched
Specific policies and practices in jurisdictions Inclusive practices (or not) in ECE, Prim & Sec Inclusion needs of students with specific special
needs and how best to meet them Pre- and inservice training needs of staff Models of service delivery based on funding,
philosophy and pragmatics
© R Conway, 2012
What is the Australian data?• Identified numbers are rising
• 2.6% (1996) – 3.5% (2001) – 4.8% (2009) (Dempsey, 2011)
• High variations in reported incidence• 4% to 12% depending on disability categories used• Some use “diagnosed”, others “deemed”
• Increasing enrolments in special education settings in some states/territories
• Political commitment• Voting against secondary mainstream placements by students
and parents• Special needs specific (eg. social-emotional)
• Enrolments in government schools are increasing as a percentage of total enrolments (Except WA) – does government school mean the default option for students with special needs?
© R Conway, 2012
What’s the national agenda? NDIS DEEWR activities around disability
Gonski Review issues and disability Nationally agreed definitions of disability for data collection Funding for state/territory training (MSSD) with some important guiding
principles:• Strive to support students in all setting and meet level of need• Recognise different schooling arrangements, including resourcing
Refunding of Positive Partnerships 2012-2014 Review of Disability Standards for Education (2005) Schools Disability Advisory Council
ACARA Australian Curriculum (content, assessment, not pedagogy) Is special education a cross-curriculum issue/ embedded/inclusive or pre-F? NAPLAN MySchool website and special needs data
• AITSL Inclusion aspects recognised in standards (eg: 1.3, 1.5,1.6,3.1,4.1,5.3)
© R Conway, 2012
Four key issues – outcomes to date
Nationally consistent data
Gonski Review and disability
Disability adjustment categories
Disability Standards for Education 2005 and review
© R Conway, 2012
Categories of disability under National Consistent Data
Physical
Cognitive
Sensory
Social/Emotional
DEEWR, 2012
Key Gonski Review findings
We need to lift performance:
• Australia’s standing in
international comparisons is slipping
• Student performance needs to lift, particularly for the lowest performers
• Multiple and/or concentrated disadvantage adversely affects outcomes
We need to improve funding:
• Current funding is not linked to educational outcomes
• Funding is not logical, consistent or publicly transparent
• Public funding should reflect school and student characteristics, regardless of sector
DEEWR, 2012
Development of a funding loading forstudents with disability from Gonski
There is no nationally consistent data regarding students with disability and hence no recommendations could be made on this funding.
The Review of Funding for Schooling recommended that work on collecting nationally consistent data on students with disability should be progressed as a priority – now agreed.
Significant additional and collaborative work is required to develop a funding loading for students with disability. This work is being progressed through the Strategic Policy Working Group.
It will be informed by the Ministerial Reference Group, the Australian Education, Early Childhood Development, Senior Officials Committee (AEEYSOC) (through relevant working groups) and the Australian Government Schools Disability Advisory Council.
DEEWR, 2012
Disability categories – Descriptors for adjustment
No adjustments at this time
Supplementary
Substantial
Extensive DEEWR, 2012
DEEWR, 2012
Disability Standards for Education 2005
© R Conway, 2012
Who is affected by the DSE
Early Childhood (not childcare providers)
Schools (government & registered) Post school education and training Higher Education Accrediting bodies All types of delivery
© R Conway, 2012
Standards covered in the DSE
“On the same basis” Enrolment Participation Curriculum development, accreditation
and delivery Student support services Harassment and victimisation
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DSE Participation compliance
Flexibility Alternate activities to ↑ participation Negotiate, agree and implement programs to
↑ participation Additional support to assist achievement of
learning outcomes Reasonable substitute activities for those
who can’t participate Non-classroom and extra-curricula activities
are designed to include the student
© R Conway, 2012
DSE Curriculum development, accreditation and delivery compliance Reasonable adjustment to:
Curriculum Teaching materials Assessment and certification Teaching and learning activities delivery modes including non-classroom
Assessment procedures and methodologies adapted to allow students to demonstrate knowledge skills and competencies
© R Conway, 2012
Disability Standards Review recommendations – comments by
DEEWR14 recommendations covering 5 key themes:
greater awareness
Additional clarity for some legal definitions
Access and participation, discrimination and inclusion
Contemporary education practice
Accountability, complaints and compliance processes.
DEEWR, 2012
Inclusive education in Australian schools
• Still resistance to “reasonable adjustment” based on lack of skills, resources, time
• Outcomes-driven curriculum and assessment deters focus on special needs
• Still resistance to enrolments of students with special needs without teacher aide or special needs teacher support (particularly in secondary)
• Issues of “generic” special education staff in some states/territories and whether they can meet the needs
© R Conway, 2012
Achieving effective behaviour, learning and teaching (BLT)
Curriculum issues•linking current and past learning
•how achievable is the task or materials?
•does the student identify the goal of the task and recognise its relevance and application?
Instructional issues•pacing instruction (task size)
•types and amounts of feedback
•productive learning time
•strategies such as prompting, modelling, chaining
The learning context•classroom management and organisation
•classroom climate
•communication processes
Effective learning and teaching experiences
© R Conway, 2012
We need to be realistic in our expectations of all students
© R Conway, 2012
What do we need to do to improve PL provisions in schools?
• Need for sustained PL, not one-off sessions
• Engage all staff (including school leaders) in PL that:– Increases teacher self-efficiency to differentiate L&T– Increases student academic engagement through reasonable
adjustment– Provide strategies to address behaviour issues that emerge from
lack of engagement – BLT– Encourages teachers to be collaborative in addressing their and
student needs– Supports, not blames teachers– Is evidenced-based and locally relevant
• Do we need disability-specific PL or generic?– Role of PP model and students with ASD
© R Conway, 2012
A changed model?
Integration approach
Focus on student Assessment by
specialists Diagnostic outcome Student program Placement in a program Boundaries
Inclusionary approach
Focus on classroom Examine teaching &
learning factors Strategies for teacher Adaptive and
supportive classroom programs
No boundaries
(After Porter, 1995)
Three areas still in debate
1. Principles behind inclusion
2. Evidence for the success or otherwise of inclusive practices
3. Mechanics: the technical changes needed to make inclusion happen
© R Conway, 2012
Paradigm changes
Schools are the centre of analysis – schools are inclusive or not.
Change the way things work not the way they look – both policies and practices.
Development of schools rather than including students with a disability into existing arrangements.
Can we/ should we be truly inclusive?
© R Conway, 2012
So, where to? Less emotion and resistance to meeting all students’
needs in a new Australian Curriculum Better targeted PL for schools and systems as a whole A continued range of placement options with the
option of moving into, and out of, special needs settings
A rethinking of what we mean by an inclusive school
“The challenge ahead is to appreciate that inclusion is less about disability and more about social
change, school reform and educational restructuring.”
(Roger Slee in O’Rourke, 2011)
© R Conway, 2012