Inclusion Strategies

Inclusion Strategies

Gifted, Creative, and Talented:

Strategies for making adaptations for students who are gifted, creative, and talented

Strategy

Description and/ or Example

Implement acceleration or enrichment programs

Students' learning may be enriched and accelerated; and, students may participate in advanced-level coursework at their local schools. Instruction is differentiated to provide all students appropriate pacing and support necessary for advanced-level learning.

Adapt instructional materials

Students may also attend special programs such as centers for the highly gifted, magnet programs, or specialized programs, based on their interest and talent.

Adapt instructional and evaluation procedures

The effectiveness of gifted and talented programs is not easy to determine for many reasons. Difficulty in finding appropriate control groups, as well as in controlling extraneous variables, poses many threats to internal validity. Ceiling effects constitute another problem. In addition, some criteria (e.g., problem solving, creativity) for evaluating the effectiveness of gifted programs are not as amenable to reliable measurement as those typically used in general education. Because of these difficulties, there is a lack of high-quality research on the effectiveness of various gifted and talented programs. More systematic, methodic (instead of piecemeal) program evaluation is sorely needed.

Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds:

Strategies for making adaptations for students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds

Strategy

Description and/ or Example

Create a culturally responsive environment

Culturally responsive pedagogy is a student-centered approach to teaching in whichstudents' unique cultural strengths are identified and nurtured to promote student achievement anda sense of well-being about the student's cultural and place in the world. Culturally responsive pedagogy is divided into three functional dimensions: the institutional dimension, the personaldimension, and the instructional dimension.

Adapt instruction

The instructional dimension refers to practices and challenges associated with implementingculturally responsive in the classroom. Given the close interrelationship between instructor andinstruction, this chapter will focus on issues relevant to both the personal and instructionaldimensions of culturally responsive pedagogy and how they can serve to improve the classroomexperience for all students.

Students at Risk:

Strategies for making adaptations for student with special at-risk factors

Strategy

Description and/or Example

Provide for additional supports

Today, schools are encouraging the development of thinking skills in remedial programs. They also are embracing schoolwide restructuring programs and heterogenous grouping as alternatives to pull-out programs. Many of these new programs and practices have proven themselves in the classroom. Schools also are exploring new ways to involve parents and families in their children's education. Research indicates that parent involvement makes an enormous impact on students' attitudes, attendance, and academic achievement. This Pathways issue illustrates what schools are doing to successfully teach and support at-risk students.

Adapt instruction

Schools, teachers, and instruction foster resiliency in children by building on students' strengths. (Resiliency is the ability to adapt and succeed despite risk and adversity.)

Administrators provide leadership in managing change to improve learning for all students. (Refer to the Critical Issue "Leading and Managing Change and Improvement.")

Administrators and teachers are committed to continued professional development to improve teaching and learning for all students.

Teachers believe all students can succeed. They communicate this belief to their students.

Chapter 8: Promoting Inclusion with Classroom Peers

Mastropieri & Scruggs, 2010, p. 177-197

Peer- Supported Social Acceptance:

Strategies for promoting social acceptance

Strategy

Description and/or ...