Effective Inclusive Schools: Designing Successful Schoolwide Programs

In Effective Inclusive Schools, Hehir and Katzman present their lessons learned from three in-depth case studies of highly effective inclusive public schools. The book conclusively demonstrates that schools can educate students with both mild and severe disabilities in general education classrooms by providing special education services that link with and bolster general education instructional practices. The book zeroes in on what these schools do differently to ensure all students succeed: Foster healthy working relationships among faculty and staff Enlist all school staff in a shared mission Promote a collaborative culture Strong commitment to Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Positive Behavior Supports (PBS) Robust and varied professional development activities, planned with teacher input Co-taught classrooms wherever possible Insights shared from educators in this book provide direction for anyone striving to build more inclusive and effective classrooms and schools. Hehir and Katzman examine what practices work for these exemplary schools and provide advice for readers who want to incorporate these practices themselves. They also highlight the critically important relationships among teachers to collaborate on general and special education instruction, as well as the principal and teacher leadership necessary to ensure these schools succeed.