Visions, Practices, and Measures: International Experiences on Achieving High Quality Inclusion...

Visions, Practices, and Measures: International Experiences on Achieving High Quality Inclusion

Camille Catlett, John Forster, & Elena Soukakou

Agenda

Building the Framework: Establishing a Vision for High Quality Inclusion

Quantifying What’s Really Important: Using the Inclusive Classroom Profile to Measure Quality Inclusion

Achieving the Vision: Evidence-Based Practices That Support Inclusion

Early Childhood Inclusion:

A Joint Position Statement of

DEC and NAEYC

Defining Inclusion

Definition

Early childhood inclusion embodies the values, policies, and practices that support the right of every infant and young child and his or her family, regardless of ability, to participate in a broad range of activities and contexts as full members of families, communities, and society.

… desired results of inclusion

The desired results of inclusive experiences for children with and without disabilities and their families include a sense of belonging and membership, positive social relationships and friendships, development and learning to reach their full

potential.

… three defining features of inclusion

ACCESS PARTICIPATION SUPPORTS

Visions, Practices and Measures: International experiences on achieving high quality inclusion

John Forster CEO Noah’s Ark IncMelbourne, Australia

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Case study: Developing a joint statement on inclusion between professional sectors in Australia

Developing a shared vision: What relationships will make your work in inclusion more successful?

copyright Noah's Ark Inc 2012

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Overview

Vision and RelationshipsAustralian contextDevelopment of Statement

Reflectionscopyright Noah's Ark Inc 2012

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How important is shared vision?

Connections in learning experiences

Connections in work experiences

Importance of relationships to inclusion


11

What makes inclusion work?

Positive attitudes and beliefs

Flexible programsGood professional supportAccess to resources


12

Why are shared vision and strong relationships

important?

Short term: maximises existing capacityLong term: builds skills and knowledge creates rationale for greater

investment supports from communities and

cultures positive policies and budgets


13

Australian ContextGovernment: 6 States and 2

mainland territoriesLandmass: five per cent of worldPopulation: almost 23 million States / Territories: responsible

for health and educationAustralian Government:

responsible for Child Carecopyright Noah's Ark Inc 2012

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Australia: The Good NewsEarly Childhood Education and

Care ReformsNational Quality FrameworkUniversal 4 year old program of

15 hoursNational Disability StrategyNational Disability Insurance

Schemecopyright Noah's Ark Inc 2012

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Australia: The Reality Check

Vastly different experiences Lack of Bill of RightsLack of professional

developmentPoor rating by OECDResources inconsistent/ limitedLack of data


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Brief Cultural Comparison USA AUSTRALIAFounders: Pilgrims Founders: Convicts

Purpose: Self-improvement

Purpose: Avoid getting caught

Better oneself Stick with your mates

Measures of performance

Don’t let boss know

Individual celebration Tall poppy syndromecopyright Noah's Ark Inc 2012

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Shared Vision: Joint Statement on Inclusion

USA AUSTRALIA

DEC ECIAEarly Childhood Intervention Australia

NAEYC ECAEarly Childhood Australiacopyright Noah's Ark Inc 2012

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Shared Vision: ProcessListening sessions (7)Expert panels (2)National survey (1403)Drafting Team (2+2)Consultation to branches (15)

Final Draftingcopyright Noah's Ark Inc 2012

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Joint Statement StructurePosition StatementUnderlying beliefs: Rights, Principles, Ethics

Rationale: Why do we need a statement?

Actions: Professional bodies, services, institutions


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Joint Statement: ActionsAttitudesWorkforceCollaborationLack of cross sector

understandingQuality of early childhood

servicescopyright Noah's Ark Inc 2012

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Joint Statement: RightsECA ECIA

Rights of the child • Convention on the Rights of Persons with a Disability

• Statements on Inclusion in mainstream education


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Joint Statement: Principles

ECA ECIA

Best interests of childSocial InclusionDiversityEquity

Importance of familiesHigh Expectations for every childEvidence-based practice


27

Joint Statement: RationaleChildren’s services and institutional care

Segregated EI servicesHuman Rights and accessOutcomes for every young child


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Position StatementOur position is that children with

a disability have the same rights as all children and additional rights because of their disability. They share with all children the right to be valued as individuals and as contributing members of families, communities and society.


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Position StatementEvery child is entitled to access

and participate in ECEC programs which recognise them as active agents in their own lives and learning, respond to them as individuals, respect their families as partners and engage with their diverse backgrounds and cultures.


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Position StatementThis means that ECEC services

and support professionals must be resourced and supported to the level required to fully include children with a disability and to achieve high quality outcomes for all children.


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Reflections: Developing relationships

Process needs patience:Telling the storiesAgreeing the principles/values

Agreeing the position


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Reflections: Sector relationships

Shared expertise vital for:Professional development

Individualized programs

Positive attitudesUtilisation of resources


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Reflections: Future action

How do we ensure that the shared ECA and ECIA vision becomes a reality?


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Reflections: Your reflections

Shared Vision: What relationships will make your work in inclusion more successful?


+

Elena SoukakouFPG Consultant

Research Fellow, Oxford University

Quantifying What’s

Really Important: Using the

Inclusive Classroom Profile (ICP) to Measure the Quality of Inclusion

+How Do We know If We Are Practicing High Quality Inclusion?

+ 37

How Do States Address Special Needs with QRIS?

Several states with statewide QRIS have included standards for the care of children with special needs but there is no standard approach

(NPDCI, 2008; NCCIC, 2010)

+Grassroots Perspectives on QRIS & Inclusion

Survey of child care directors (n=48) in 8 states about benefits and challenges of participating in QRIS indicated concern about this issue

(Schulman, Matthews, Blank, & Ewen, 2012)

Childcare directors discussed “the importance notonly of standards appropriate for children withspecial needs, but also of assessors with knowledge in special education who couldrecognize appropriate practices for children withspecial needs”

(Schulman, Matthews, Blank, & Ewen, 2012, p.27)

+Young children with disabilities can experience low quality in classes that are otherwise rated as being of high qualityWolery, et al., 2000

+Need for ‘Inclusion-Specific’ Quality Indicators

To assess new knowledge on evidence-based inclusive practices

For in-depth assessment of inclusive practices

To assess differentiated implementation for accommodating individual needs

+Moving Beyond Global Quality The Inclusive Classroom Profile (ICP)

Designed to complement existing classroom quality measures & standards

Focus on inclusive practices that support the individual needs of children with disabilities

+The Inclusive Classroom

Profile(ICP)

Structured Observation

1-7 point Rating Scale

12 Inclusive Practices

+How Can the ICP Be Used?

As a research tool, to gather information about inclusive practices.

As one component of QRIS

As a basis for PD to support quality improvement efforts.

1. Adaptation of Space and Materials

2. Adult Involvement In Peer Interactions

3. Adult Guidance Of Children’s Play

4. Conflict Resolution

5. Membership

6. Relationships between Adults and Children

7. Support for Communication

8. Adaptation of Group Activities

9. Transitions between Activities

10. Feedback

11. Family-Professional Partnerships

12. Monitoring Children’s Learning

3. Adults’ guidance of children’s play (O)

1

Inadequate

2 3

Minimal

4 5

Good

6 7

Excellent

1.1 No free time set aside in the daily schedule for children to play. (O) 1.2 Children are not allowed to choose play topic, activities, playmates, or explore toys of their choice during free-play and center time. (O) 1.3 Adults make no attempts to become involved in children’s play and activities (e.g., adults are too preoccupied with classroom management and preparing for upcoming routines and ignore children’s play). (O)

3.1 Children have some opportunities to decide on play topic, activities, playmates, and explore toys that they like during free-play and center time. (O) 3.2 The classroom environment is set up to promote social play and activities (e.g., classroom set up includes pretend play corner; adults provide social toys and props). (O) 3.3 Adults monitor children’s involvement in play and, when needed, help them become involved (e.g., adult helps child wondering around to join a play area; adult suggests activities to a child; adult redirects child from self-stimulatory behaviors to more purposeful play). (O)

5.1 Adults show enjoyment when engaging with children in free-play and various activities of their choice. (O) 5.2 Adults actively encourage social play and activities using strategies such as initiating social games and activities (e.g., adult initiates dancing game during free-play time); suggesting to children various social activities in which they can engage (e.g., at the beginning of center time, adults remind children of various social games they can engage in); or inviting children to join social activities. (O) 5.3 Adults scaffold children’s individual or social play and activities using strategies such as: a) prompting/asking questions about their play; b) modeling (e.g., adult models for child how to use materials symbolically); c) involving peers to help children engage in play and; d) using visual supports (e.g., adult works with child in block area using a visual model of a block tower and provides the necessary physical assistance to help child build his tower). (O)

7.1 Adults’ availability, enjoyment and involvement enable most children to sustain their play and activities of their choice (individual and/or social). (O) 7.2 Adults consistently scaffold children’s play and activities (individual and/or social) relative to each child’s developmental level. (Consider recommended scaffolding practices listed in 5.4). (O)

+Who Is Being Observed?

Children with identified disabilities in the context of classroom activities and social interactions with adults and peers

Teachers, co-teachers, specialists

+Administration

Observation

Teacher interview

Document review

+Adult Guidance of Children’s Play

+Pilot Studies on the ICP

1st pilot study in the UK showed promising results on reliability & validity (Soukakou, 2012)

2nd pilot study in the US replicates findings in collaboration with:

NC Department of Instruction,Exceptional Children

+Research Questions

Did assessors learn to use the ICP as intended to be used?

What is the evidence for reliability and validity of the ICP?

Did assessors find the ICP useful for rating quality within QRIS?

+Sample

51 inclusive classrooms in one state

Public Pre-K (5), Head Start (13), Developmental Day programs (13), Other child care centers (20)

150 children with disabilities

+Procedures

51 ICP assessments

50 ECERS-R assessments

Assessor Survey for gathering data on ICP functionality

+Key findings

Assessors established adequate reliability proficiency upon training.

Evidence for construct validity.

Differences in quality of inclusion across types of programs.

Assessors found the ICP easy to use and useful for integration with QRIS.

+Next Steps

Assessment tool developing effective training approaches for users

Professional development tool developing professional development materials

Shifting Paradigms

Know & •be able to do

Evidence

•Evidence-based practices

Research Synthesis Points on Inclusion and on Quality Inclusive

Practices

Evidence-Based Practices that Support Inclusion handouts

Putting Access, Participation, and Supports into Action

Questions? Comments?

Visions, Practices, and Measures: International Experiences on Achieving High Quality Inclusion...

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