In many ways, UDL and an inclusive classroom model are like siblings who may look quite different, but have very similar DNA. In the past — and still now in many schools across the country — students with autism or other disabilities were placed in self-contained classrooms. Now and then, they might be pulled and included in a mainstream classroom activity, but for the most part, they were separated. Oftentimes, this can be isolating. Less inclusion, less opportunity. Less inclusion, less growth.
“Working from the philosophy that including as many students as possible in mainstream classrooms no matter how they learn is a strong educational stance,” says Dr. Dettmer. “Just putting a student with autism in a mainstream classroom isn’t what full inclusion is about. It’s putting students with different needs with other kids and making sure they have the right supports. I think that’s the big key. We continually talk about what does this student or that student need to be successful? And it’s not just kids with autism, it’s all kids.”
Around 2014, the Indiana state legislature decided that teachers were no longer going to get tenure; instead, there would be a different evaluation system for all public educators. “Since BCSC was already committed to and succeeding with UDL, we partnered with Indiana University’s Center on Education and Lifelong Learning to develop a rubric that we could utilize based on our core values,” explains Ms. Laswell. “And out of that came a teacher evaluation system that is based 50 percent on UDL. So, that was the first line of support when it came to really supporting an inclusive learning environment, coupled with our deep belief in the importance of the least restrictive environment for all kiddos.”
Watch Ms. Laswell talk about the many layers of professional development and support around the UDL and full inclusivity models at BCSC.
Special Education Director Jessica Vogel who started as a teacher in 1999 remembers the transition to an inclusive model. She remembers students with mild intellectual disabilities being pulled out of their self-contained classrooms here and there, but not fully being a part of those mainstream classrooms. “It’s funny, I do remember our transitioning to a more fully inclusive classroom model, but it seemed that, on many levels, we had always been trying to push the kids with autism and other disabilities into the mainstream classroom … not just to be in the classroom, but to be there for meaningful instruction. I do remember there being pushback from some gen ed classroom teachers but also from the special ed teachers who liked working with ‘their kids’ in their own classrooms. It was definitely a shift for all of us.”
Watch Mr. Hudelson talk about what inclusion means to him as a classroom teacher and why having all types of learners in the classroom benefits all students.
“What did you do?” That was the question posed to Dr. Dettmer by a teacher in another school district. “Through word of mouth, we have lots of students from outside our district who may come to us because they’ve heard that we have more of an inclusion atmosphere, which is great. I have had students come from a self-contained room and grow tremendously within BCSC. I had one student like that who had made huge strides, and then for whatever reason, moved back to the state her family had come from. Once she was ensconced in her old school, the teacher there called and said, ‘I am shocked at how much she’s grown. What did you do?’ Again, full inclusion. While she was at BCSC, she was with peers her own age … and her communication skills grew, her academic skills grew, her social skills grew, and so that — right there — is proof that full inclusion works.”
Getting buy-in
Change can be tough. Especially for gen ed teachers and other faculty who may have been teaching successfully for many years, being told to change — to step outside their zone of comfort — is not always welcome. The very suggestion of change can feel like having to wear a scratchy, old, unwanted sweater.
“What made a significant difference in the transition to moving kids into more of an inclusive, general ed setting depended in large part on the willingness of each BCSC school’s administration to support the district’s commitment to inclusivity. Maybe that was as simple as standing up at a faculty meeting and saying, ‘This is what we’re doing and this is why it’s important,’” explains Ms. Vogel. “I think starting with the why and helping people truly understand the why makes the hard work more doable. People really are willing to put in that extra work if they understand why it’s important and why it benefits not just the students with autism or students with other disabilities, but all students. So, I think that that piece with the administrators is very important. But, looking back, there was also a vocal and enthusiastic group of special education teachers, autism coordinators, behavior coordinators, and gen ed teachers who believed vehemently in the inclusivity model and wanted BCSC not to just adopt it, but live it. When they showed the research-based benefits and how it could help all students thrive, more teachers became interested in trying to make it work in their own classrooms.”
Watch Ms. Vogel talk about why starting with the “why” of adopting an inclusive model was key to getting buy-in with educators.
During his teacher training, Mr. Hudelson received little focus on special education, and had never heard of UDL until he started teaching at BCSC. Listen as he talks about the challenges and rewards of incorporating UDL and full inclusion as a new teacher into his classroom and the steps he took — with school support — to succeed.