Look at the school district’s history and strategic plan for inclusion.
To ease the transition to fully inclusive classrooms, the 147,500-student Hillsborough County, Fla., district takes about three days during the summer break to train general and special education teachers together.
Donnie Evans, the assistant superintendent for supportive services, offers the following advice on training teachers to work together to make the transition to a fully inclusive environment:
- Review literature and research on inclusion to understand the context and history of the movement;
- Review research on instructional strategies and interventions for disabled students;
- Discuss collaborative relationships, including the interpersonal aspects of co-teaching;
- Talk about implementation issues, including the mechanics of planning;
- Make plans to evaluate and collect information on both the teachers’ and disabled students’ performances; and
- Look at the school district’s history and strategic plan for inclusion.
