Frequently Asked Questions

Question:  What kinds of help can I expect from the Inclusion staff?

Answer:  Inclusion staff can assist you in and out of the classroom.  Examples of help may include but not be limited to: IEP consultation, planning,  working with small groups, the whole group, or individuals, helping in the computer labs, going with you on field trips, adapting quizzes and tests, reading tests and quizzes to students who have this accommodation, providing assistive technology( books on tape/CD, CD players, cassette players, headphones, scanned books and short stories for Kurzweil Reader) locating online materials and web based lessons.

Question:  Will an Inclusion teacher be able to come to my class every day?

Answer:  Not at this time. The high number of Special needs students and staffing limitations preclude the   five-day-a-week commitment that is often employed by an elementary or middle school Inclusion model. But, Inclusion staff will assist you as often as possible.  Contact the Inclusion staff to work out a schedule of need and availability.

Question:  What should I do when I get an Invitation to an IEP meeting?

Answer:  Make note of the date and fill out and return the Educational Assessment to the Chairperson.  The Educational Assessment needs to be in the Chairperson's possession two days prior to the meeting date.  The best advice here is to return it as soon as you can.

Question:  What am I supposed to write on an Educational Assessment?

Answer:  Respond to each section based on what you have learned about the student from his or her classroom participation, written assignments, projects, and homework assignments.  

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Question: What am I supposed to do when I get an Educational Assessment to fill out on a student I've only had in class for two weeks or for a student who has never shown up?

Answer:  In the two week situation, respond to the best of your knowledge based on your classroom observations.  If the student hasn't produced any work samples or assignments, write that you are "unable to assess the student's capabilities at this time".  On the "no show", write "Student has never reported to class".

Question:  Does anyone really use the information on the Educational Assessment or is it just another form that gets filed away?

Answer:  The Chairperson relies heavily on this information to help formulate a profile of the student's strengths, weaknesses, learning style, and needs.  In the case of Re-evaluation meetings, the Chairperson may be meeting the student for the first time.  You know the child better than anyone else.  This document is an important part of the IEP development and it is really helpful to the person who actually writes the final draft.

Question:  I have shown up at an IEP meeting only to find a note taped to the door saying the meeting is postponed or cancelled.  Why wasn't I notified?

Answer:  Often times, a parent calls at the last minute and asks to change a meeting date due to a variety of reasons.  The parent has the legal right to request a postponement and we have to  honor this request.  Whenever we have any advance notice of a cancellation, we do everything humanly possible to let everyone know so that teachers do not waste time arranging for coverage or preparing for the meeting.

Question: What is the policy for arranging coverage for my class so I can attend a meeting?

Answer: The current policy is for each teacher to call the Main Office when coverage is needed.  Please give a few days notice to ensure that coverage will be provided.

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Question:  I am a Physical Education teacher.  Should I attend IEP meetings?

Answer:  Yes.  Your observations of the student in physically demanding situations or situations that require cooperative effort or team work may indicate areas that need further assessment.  If you are a service provider, your input is valued and necessary in order to develop a plan that places the student in the least restrictive environment.

Question:  What is the  Regular Education Teacher's role  as an IEP Team member?  

Question:  Do I have to attend IEP meetings?

Question:  Do all of the student's teachers have to attend?

Answer:  For this last set of questions, Click on the Team link to get  a detailed explanation of IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act)  expectations and legal responsibilities.  

The following material is excerpted from Inclusion and Parent Advocacy: A Resource Guide (c) 1996 Disability Resources, inc. - All Rights Reserved.

Question:  What is an IEP? 

Answer:  An Individualized Education Program (IEP), which is required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, is a plan for an education program specific to an individual. This plan is developed collaboratively by the school and the parents. The regulations require meetings between school personnel, parents, and other individuals as well as written documents.

Question:  Least Restrictive Environment- what is it?

Answer:  Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) is an essential principle of IDEA which states 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 nondisabled." The law requires that the least restrictive environment be determined on an individual basis and be based on the child's IEP. The LRE is the legal basis for inclusive programs.

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Question:  Is there a definition for Inclusion?

Answer:  Inclusion recognizes every individual's right to be treated equally, and to be accorded the same services and opportunities as everyone else. In a school setting, full inclusion involves educating all children in regular classrooms all of the time, regardless of the degree or severity of a disability. Effective inclusion programs take place in conjunction with a planned system of training and supports. Such programs usually involve the collaboration of a multidisciplinary team which includes regular and special educators (or other personnel) as well as family members and peers.

Question:  What is the difference between "Inclusion" and  "Mainstreaming"?

Answer:  Mainstreaming is an older term which may imply a more gradual, partial, or part-time process (e.g., a student who is mainstreamed may attend separate classes within a regular school, or may participate in regular gym and lunch programs only). In mainstreamed programs, students are often expected to fit in the regular class in which they want to participate, whereas in an inclusive program the classes are designed to fit all students.

Question:  How is  the term "Integration" used in relation to Inclusion and Mainstreaming?

Answer:  Integration is often used synonymously with mainstreaming to encompass efforts to move students from segregated classes into the mainstream. However, it is sometimes used to represent the ultimate objective of inclusion. 

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The following questions contain material excerpts or my adaptations of the material  from Education Week on the Web © 2003 

Question:  What is "Full Inclusion"?

Answer:  The concept of "full inclusion" calls for teaching students with disabilities in regular classrooms, rather than in special classes or pull-out sessions. Fueled by court decisions, parental demands, new research, and the success of some educators, the inclusion movement not only calls for a radical change in how disabled students are taught, it also raises questions about how best to teach all students.

Question:  What are the arguments against Inclusion?

Answer:  Some critics argue that placing a special education student in a regular classroom is likely to consume too much of an already overworked teacher's attention. Furthermore, some parents worry, the standards of curriculum* will surely be lowered by the inclusion of students with learning disabilities. And finally, those students with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder can be a disruption—if not real physical threat—to their classmates and teacher.

*Note:  All students in Massachusetts are mandated by law to participate in standards based testing (MCAS).  This interdicts any  reduction in curriculum standards.

Question:  If I have an "Inclusion kid" in my classroom, can I send him out or have him "pulled out" for special help?

Answer:  Students in fully inclusive classes are not pulled out for special help. The assistance they need comes to them in the regular classroom via the Inclusion staff.  But proponents of inclusion look beyond simply placing a special-needs student in an existing "regular" classroom. They propose no less than a total rethinking of that classroom: What if teachers and students were encouraged to use technology and other assistive devices to help all students perform better.

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"Every teacher is a change agent"...  Robert Evans

Latest Revision: June 24, 2008 

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