Instruction, Inclusive Practices

Decades of research clearly demonstrate the benefits of inclusive education, where students with disabilities (SWDs) are taught alongside their nondisabled peers. Nearly 50 years of evidence show that the most effective way to educate children with disabilities is by maintaining high expectations and ensuring access to the general education curriculum within general education classrooms. Studies consistently show that the more time students spend in inclusive settings, the more positive their educational outcomes—benefiting both students with and without disabilities.

 

The documented benefits of inclusive education include:

• Higher rate of academic performance
• More satisfying and diverse friendships
• Higher student engagement
• Improved communication
• Less disruptive behaviors
• Peer role models for academics, social, and behavior skills
• Greater access to general education curriculum
• Increased inclusion in postsecondary life
• More successful postsecondary outcomes

Schools plan inclusive practices for students with disabilities (SWDs) by facilitating access to grade-level content to meet their academic and socio-emotional needs in the least restrictive environment possible. They design master schedules that promote student support, including providing opportunities for teachers to collaborate and co-plan for the academic, behavioral, and social needs of all students.  They conduct ongoing and annual data-driven progress monitoring with participation of all stakeholders to continue to improve.

 

Inclusive practices work best when general education and special education teachers regularly co-plan instructional strategies to ensure access to rigorous content. Some of the most successful of these instructional strategies are Universal Design for Learning, Mastery Learning and Grading, and English Language Development strategies for emergent bilingual students. Through greater collaboration of all our educators and educational support staff, we can achieve greater equity and access for all LAUSD learners.

 

The goal is for all students to be educated in the least restrictive environment as determined by the IEP team, with equitable access to the grade-level instruction, support services, and enrichment activities that promote their short-term and long-term outcomes. The means of getting there are flexible. IEP teams are tasked with determining what supports and services are needed for each student. Common supports include general education classes co-taught by a special educator and a general educator; learning center instruction and/or accommodations.