Connecting IDEAs Project

 

Seattle School District and Antioch University have joined in the development of a training model for inclusive practices. Over the past two years, Antioch has placed 16 interns in public schools in Seattle. These student teachers engaged in a dual internship, working with regular education and special education teachers to address the needs of special education students included in K-8 regular classrooms. Each intern kept extensive journals of their work with students and team members and these accounts provide a true picture of inclusion, both the successes and struggles.

Workshops in using best practices in inclusion were provided for the intern and teacher teams from each school. Presenters were among the best in their field and included John Bresko, Special Services Director from ESD 189, and Steven Cohen from the University of Washington, completing his doctoral studies with an emphasis on teaching students with emotional/behavioral disorders. One of our findings was that when teacher training included intern/cooperating teacher/special education teacher teams, it was more likely that "theory would meet practice."

Lila Henderson-Leonard, special education faculty at Antioch University with the assistance of one of the grant interns, Liz Andreasen, compiled research based strategies in a Best Practices Handbook with all kinds of suggestions for accommodations for use with students with various special needs that are most likely to be included in regular classrooms. Vic Anderson, vice-principal at Madison Middle School, (one of the grant participants for both years) and Lila Henderson-Leonard are presenting the Handbook at this year's OSPI Summer Institutes. They gave each institute workshop participant a copy of the handbook, which was intended to be a practical, "hands-on" resource of the most useful and proven strategies to use with Special Needs students. The evaluations from teachers attending the first summer institute workshop in Spokane, Washington were very positive.

Ms. Henderson-Leonard and Mr. Anderson are willing to provide a workshop for interested educators based on the information in the handbook, including a copy for each teacher. In addition, the Best Practices Handbook will become a continuing component in the teacher preparation programs at Antioch University. Contact Lila Henderson-Leonard at Antioch University, Seattle for further information: lhenderson@antiochsea.edu

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