BEST PRACTICES FOR INCLUSIVE EDUCATION BASED ON PERCEPTIONS OF STAKEHOLDERS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Purpose. This study aimed to explore the best practices for inclusive education perceived by teachers, support staff, administrators, and parents. It was designed to identify: (a) training, (b) resources, (c) frameworks, (d) instructional practices, (e) classroom strategies, and (f) administrator attributes that support inclusive education. Methodology. This qualitative case study research design study used a semi-structured interview protocol to explore the best practices of twenty participants. Five participants from each group were selected. Through a qualitative case study, the researcher wanted to explore the participants\u27 experiences through rich dialogue. Findings. Through this study, nine best practices were deemed best among the four groups: (a) training on instructional practices, (b) training on special education, (c) training on inclusion, (d) training on models of inclusion, (e) planning time, (f) peer modeling as an instructional practice, (g) expectations, (h) administrators advocate for inclusion, and (i) supportive administrators. Conclusion. Inclusive education is the practice of welcoming, valuing, empowering, and supporting all students as a whole child in shared environments and experiences. The best practices discovered in this study provide insight into training, resources, instructional practices, classroom community, and leadership attributes to support inclusive education. However, these practices should not be limited to just educators. When it comes to inclusive education, it\u27s about the team behind the child. It\u27s teamwork and collaboration between teachers, support staff, administrators, and parents to ensure all students are adequately prepared to be functional members of society. Recommendations. School districts should assess and monitor the implementation process of inclusive education to incorporate necessary components to ensure success for students, staff, families, and administrators. Further research could examine the correlation between frameworks and which is most successful with inclusive education. Adding to the body of research on this significant group will provide a greater understanding of their unique experiences. The data this study adds to the understanding of inclusive education best practices, and the support required to promote student success will further the progression of inclusivity

Leading from the Front of the Classroom: A Roadmap to Teacher Leadership that Works

The paper provides school districts with concrete strategies for maximizing the potential of highly effective teachers to influence their colleagues, shift school culture and advance teaching, learning, and student achievement. The good news is that school districts across America increasingly are investing in the development of new career pathways for their best teachers as a reward and retention strategy. Unfortunately, they often do so without regard for the impact they want these teachers to have or how this can reinforce and strengthen other reforms. As a result, these initiatives have yet to stem attrition or improve achievement in any consistent or widespread fashion

Schools Can't Wait: Accelerating the Redesign of University Principal Preparation Programs

Reviews recent efforts by 22 universities to provide higher quality training programs for school leaders. Includes examples of effective redesign practices and outlines an action plan for implementing successful educational leadership initiatives

Using an Open Software System (Sakai) to Develop Student Portfolios

E-portfolios are digital collections of artifacts that represent the achievements and reflections of individuals. They offer a unique view into student learning and allow educators and external accreditors to assess student progress towards established standards as well as reviewing their program’s performance in supporting that progress. Students benefit from assembling their e-portfolios through the process of reviewing their own work with a critical eye, choosing pieces of their work that best represent their abilities, and reflecting on the transformative nature of their University experience, both in class and through extra-curricular, service learning, internships and international activities. An e-portfolio provides a holistic view of a student’s personal growth and abilities that will serve them well in their career search or graduate school application. The challenge for an institution is to provide this learning and assessment resource in an accessible and affordable vehicle that is manageable for both faculty and students. Roger Williams University has crafted a strategy to utilize the Sakai open source course management system with its integrated e-portfolio tool set and a linked website to provide both e-portfolios and program assessment. This strategy will also be employed to propose a virtual accreditation of a professional program that will serve as a model throughout the University and the broader higher education community

Teacher design teams as a strategy for professional development : the role of the facilitator

The goal of the current study was to explore the role and importance of the facilitator in Teacher Design Teams. The study took place in the context of a pre-service teacher education institution in Belgium, where teacher design teams were set up to facilitate the professional development of teacher educators. The findings from focus group discussions with team members and semi-structured interviews with facilitators confirm that the perceived importance of a facilitator depends on several factors, such as team characteristics and the design phase. Moreover, we found that a facilitator can fulfil three roles in a dynamic way: 1) providing logistic support, 2) scaffolding the design process and 3) monitoring the design process. The discussion centers on how these results can be used to support facilitators for successful Teacher Design Teams

Taking Stock of Common Core Math Implementation: Supporting Teachers to Shift Instruction: Insights from the Math in Common 2015 Baseline Survey of Teachers and Administrators

In spring 2015, WestEd administered surveys to understand the perspectives on Common Core State Standards-Mathematics (CCSS-M) implementation of teachers and administrators in eight California school districts participating in the Math in Common (MiC) initiative. From this survey effort, we were able to learn from over 1,000 respondents about some of the initial successes and challenges facing California educators attempting to put in place and support new -- and what some consider revolutionary -- ideas in U.S. mathematics education

A Phenomenological Narrative Study: Elementary Charter Principals\u27 Role as an Instructional Leader

The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (NAPCS) (2013) defined charter schools on the company website as independent public schools allowed freedom to be more innovative, while being held accountable for improved student achievement (p. l ). Although there might be differences in their structures depending on state charter school laws and agreement between their authorizers, charter schools have been shown to have more flexibility in their educational programs and management styles in comparison with traditional public schools

Preparing School Leaders for a Changing World: Lessons From Exemplary Leadership Development Programs

Presents eight case studies of effective school leadership training programs and provides the key characteristics of high-quality training to help states and districts address long-standing weaknesses in the way principals are prepared for their jobs

E-Learning for Teachers and Trainers : Innovative Practices, Skills and Competences

Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.Final Published versio

Distributed Learning System Design: A New Approach and an Agenda for Future Research

This article presents a theoretical framework designed to guide distributed learning design, with the goal of enhancing the effectiveness of distributed learning systems. The authors begin with a review of the extant research on distributed learning design, and themes embedded in this literature are extracted and discussed to identify critical gaps that should be addressed by future work in this area. A conceptual framework that integrates instructional objectives, targeted competencies, instructional design considerations, and technological features is then developed to address the most pressing gaps in current research and practice. The rationale and logic underlying this framework is explicated. The framework is designed to help guide trainers and instructional designers through critical stages of the distributed learning system design process. In addition, it is intended to help researchers identify critical issues that should serve as the focus of future research efforts. Recommendations and future research directions are presented and discussed