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News & Announcements

Virginia Inclusive Action Planning Guide Tutorial Now Available   

Virginia Inclusive Action Planning Guide Tutorial - The module with the action planning tool was developed to reflect evidence-based inclusive practices and is intended to be conducted through a team process to guide a review of current practices regarding inclusive education.

Overview

According to Regulations Governing Special Education Programs for Children with Disabilities in Virginia, Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) means that to the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities, including children in public or private institutions or other care facilities, are educated with children who are not disabled, and that special classes, separate schooling or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs only when the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily. (34 CFR 300.114 through 34 CFR 300.120)

Class Size Information

K-12 Inclusive Practices Guide

The K-12 Inclusive Practices Guide is an informational resource to support school divisions and parents looking to improve outcomes for students with disabilities by meeting their needs to the maximum extent possible in general education setting.

The Virginia Inclusive Planning Guide Tutorial 

Virginia Inclusive Action Planning Guide Tutorial - This module was developed as a tutorial to support the legislative requirement that each local school division complete the VDOE self-assessment and action planning instrument addressing inclusion practices. The module provides an overview of the planning guide and the quality indicators for inclusive schools. A copy of the planning guide and a certificate of completion can be downloaded from the module. 

Inclusive Practices Partnership Project

The Inclusive Practices Partnership Project was established in order to “recognize outstanding schools and/or educators who have developed programs that have been designed to ensure students with disabilities, especially those with more significant academic and behavior needs, have access to inclusive education with their peers in general education settings.”

Inclusive Practices for Preschool Programs

Preschool refers to the time before a child is old enough to go to kindergarten or elementary school.  In Virginia, preschoolers who are eligible for special education and related services are entitled to placement in the least restrictive environment (LRE) alongside their peers without disabilities with supplementary aids and services.  Inclusion in early childhood programs is supported through years of research and reinforced by a strong legal foundation and can set a trajectory for inclusion across the life course. 

The resources available in public school systems and communities vary; thus, localities may offer inclusive early childhood services in programs administered by public schools, Head Start, or community-based entities (e.g., community-based preschool or child care).  Preschoolers with IEPs may attend and receive their special education services within any of these early childhood programs provided they are of high quality.  For information on inclusive practices in early childhood, please visit the  VDOE Early Childhood Inclusive Practices webpage.

The projects depicted below demonstrate inclusion of preschoolers in a variety of contexts. Links may require a sign-in to TTAC Online. This is a free service through funding from the Virginia Department of Education.

Videos

  • Inclusion: What it takes to Educate ALL Children Together - Early Childhood Inclusion in Augusta County Public Schools
  • Early Childhood in Giles County Public Schools
  • Tykes on Trikes Video - Tikes on Trikes is an inclusive preschool program provided by Montgomery County Public Schools Preschool that demonstrates the collaboration of the preschool team that includes the special education teacher, parents, paraprofessionals, and related service providers.
  • Wesley Preschool Partnership Video - Colonial Heights Public Schools has a unique partnership with Wesley Preschool, a local preschool and daycare program that offers an inclusive preschool opportunity to students who qualify for Early Childhood Special Education services.
  • Preschool Power Play Video - Harrisonburg City Schools share their push-in inclusion model for transitioning three- year- old students with disabilities into the regular preschool classroom environment.
  • Expect Success - The New London Academy in Bedford County shares tips on how to Expect Success when creating a successful inclusion preschool classroom.

Inclusive Practices for K-12 Students

Best practice in inclusive education requires access to and implementation of three major components: academic inclusion, social inclusion, physical inclusion.  The following inclusive practice partnership projects provide examples of inclusive practices in all aspects of the k-12 school community.

Videos

Welcome Home - John Gandy Elementary in Hanover County provides the viewers with a collection of videos that share the process of creating an inclusive school environment.

Friends Forever Video - Friends Forever (FF) is a mentoring program for elementary students at Westbriar Elementary in Fairfax. The program teaches empathy and inclusion while also developing students as leaders and role models.

Learn-Create-Share Video - Goochland Elementary co-teaching team shares an instructional process using flexible grouping technique that encourages inclusive practices in the general education classroom.

Pocahontas Elementary Inclusive Practices Video - Powhatan County teachers provide a glimpse into the day in their Inclusive classroom.

Math Inclusive Practices Video - Tabb High School in York County share their Inclusive Math Practices for Algebra 1 and Geometry.

The Active Learning Academy Video - Staunton River Middle in Bedford County has designed a program in which students participate in a blended learning environment that focuses on engagement and individualized student pace.

Southampton County High School team share their journey of addressing the needs of a student with a vision impairment in a two part video

Webpages & Blogs

  • Raiders Fitness for All: Atlee High School in Hanover, Virginia designed and implemented a fully inclusive PE collaborative class to instruct ALL students in the areas of health, fitness, and physical activities.  A web page and blog have been developed which will house future resources for teacher use. 

Excellence in Co-Teaching Initiative

Chalk It Up to Experience! Tips from Real Co-Teachers of Virginia (August 2020) is a resource created by demonstration site teams to celebrate the first five years of the Excellence in Co-Teaching Initiative. Teams share practical advice for effective co-teaching and practices they consider critical to establishing a strong collaborative co-teaching relationship. This document serves as an instructional resource for co-teaching teams and administrators to inform their co-teaching practices. The resource guide can be found on ttaconline with other co-teaching resources. Contact your regional TTAC to schedule a visit to a demonstration site or to arrange for distance mentoring or professional development in your school or division.

Excellence in Co-Teaching Online Resources

Resources for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities

  • TIES Center provides resources to support the movement of students with significant cognitive disabilities from less inclusive to more inclusive environments so each and every student is valued and fully supported as active and engaged participants in their school. Resources focus on time on general education, instructional effectiveness, engagement, and support. 
  • IRISCenter - Inclusion of Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities: Supports in the General Education Classroom is a module, developed in collaboration with the TIES Center, that describes the benefits of including students with significant cognitive disabilities in general education classrooms. It also offers information on how teachers can plan for and teach these students in inclusive classrooms.

More on Inclusion in Virginia