Inclusive Schools Week News
Volume 3, No. 7, November 2007
Inclusive Schools Week™ highlights and celebrates the progress our schools have made in providing a supportive and quality education to all students, particularly those who have disabilities and those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. It also provides an important opportunity for educators, students, and parents to discuss what else needs to be done in order to ensure that their schools cont inue to improve their ability to successfully educate all children and youth. ISW News is your source for updates and information about the Week--and other resources and events related to building more welcoming and supportive schools and communities.
In this issue
- Inclusive Schools Week Update (Dec. 3-7): Share your celebration plans – win free materials!
- Ordering Information: Place your order for celebration materials by November 26
- Tip of the Month: Independent Study Projects
- Event: Celebrate Inclusive Schools Week at the annual TASH conference (Dec. 5-8)
- Inclusive Schooling Around the World: New World Health Organization Report on Students with Intellectual Disabilities
Inclusive Schools Week Update
Share your celebration plans with us – Win a Mini Celebration Sampler
The 7th Annual Inclusive Schools Week (December 3-7) is just around the corner and we already know it's going to be a big success. Thanks to all of you who agree that it's time to celebrate your hard work and commitment to creating schools that are welcoming and supportive of all children, including those with disabilities. We are eager to learn about your celebration plans. Please send us details about the activities and events that are planned in your school and community, and we will post them on http://www.inclusiveschools.org for others to read and enjoy. The first 10 people to send an email to inclusiveschools@edc.org with this information will receive a Mini Celebration Sampler, including a poster, bookmarks, penc ils, bumper stickers, bracelets, and stickers.
If you haven’t planned a celebration yet, it’s not too late! Here are some ideas that will get you started or help you enhance your plans:
*Get a copy of “Celebration Ideas: Activities and Resources for Schools, Classrooms, and Families”: The 2007 “Celebration Ideas” includes activities, lesson plans, and other resources for educators, families, students, and community leaders who are committed to embracing diversity and providing access to learning for all students. Within its pages you will find hundreds of ideas for celebrating Inclusive School Week and incorporating inclusive strategies throughout the year. “Celebration Ideas” can be downloaded from http://www.inclusiveschools.org/docs/ideas07.pdf or you can purchase a print or CD-ROM version from http://www.inclusiveschools.org/docs/2007ISWOrderFormFull.pdf.
*Read others’ journeys toward inclusion and tell us about yours: During Inclusive Schools Week, we will be highlighting schools and communities that are striving to be more welcoming and supportive of all children and youth. Would you like your school to be highlighted in our new “Inclusive Schools Journey” Web feature? A form may be downloaded from http://www.inclusiveschools.org/journeys.cfm and filled out by your principal and submitted to klayton@edc.org for consideration.
Order Your Celebration Materials Today!
Place your order by November 26 for delivery by December 3.
Posters, pencils, stickers, and our new blue and red awareness bracelets (pictured below) are sure to be a hit with teachers, students, and families. With logos like “Great things happen in inclusive schools” and “Celebrate inclusive schools,” you can keep the spirit of Inclusive Schools Week alive all year long. Visit http://www.inclusiveschools.org/resourcecenter.cfm for more information about products to help celebrate inclusive practices all year round.
Tip of the Month
Independent Study Projects
Differentiating instruction for students with varying abilities within a classroom can be challenging. This is especially true in middle and high school classrooms. Assigning independent study projects related to the course content can be an effective and fun strategy to promote mastery of content while allowing students to showcase their talents. Check out this month's tip for ideas and resources for successfully implementing independent study projects.
Event
TASH Conference held during Inclusive Schools Week!
Wondering how you might spend Inclusive Schools Week this year? Re-energize your passion for “equity, opportunity, and inclusion for all people” at the annual TASH conference in Seattle, WA on December 5-8. Inclusive Schools Week is a partner in the “2007 Breakthroughs in Inclusive Education Awards” that will be presented during the TASH conference to honor important and courageous contributions of individuals and school districts in advancing inclusive education and equitable opportunities for students K-12, particularly those with the most significant disabilities and support needs.
The TASH conference brings together an exciting combination of self-advocates, best practice researchers, direct service workers, and activists on a common agenda to a dvance high-quality, self-directed lives for people with the most significant disabilities. More than 200 sessions are offered that focus on inclusive education, effective supports for people living on the autism spectrum, community living, and effective advocacy, among many others. For the full conference program, registration, and housing information visit http://www.tash.org/2007tash/.
Inclusive Schooling Around the World
Report shows disparities on the education of persons with intellectual disabilities
The WHO, World Health Organization, introduced its new report “WHO Atlas on Global Resources for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities” (Atlas-ID) during the Second Annual International Conference on Intellectual Disabilities in Bangkok, Thailand in early November 2007. Atlas-ID provides important information on resources and services pertaining to people with intellectual disabilities around the world. The report highlights the state of resources pertaining to intellectual disabilities in 147 countries, representing 90% of the world’s population. A recent Marketwire press release highlights these details on inclusive education: “There is an ongoing coexistence of inclusive and segregated education systems worldwide: in 70.9% of countries, children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities are included in regular classes; 76.3% of countries have special classes; and 91.3% have special schools for children with ID. This in spite of the fact that since 1994 UNESCO has promoted the school inclusion approach where children and adoles cents with intellectual disabilities should attend regular school classes and activities with students without intellectual disabilities.” For more information, visit http://www.who.int/mental_health/evidence/en/.
