The research is clear: Including students with disabilities in general education classrooms is the most effective way for all students to learn. If you are working toward greater inclusivity in your school or system, this book from educators and inclusion experts Julie Causton, Kate MacLeod, Kristie Pretti-Frontczak, Jenna Mancini Rufo, and Paul Gordon is an invaluable guide for you and your leadership team. Chock-full of research, resources, and seasoned advice, The Way to Inclusion walks you step-by-step through the inclusivity change process, from envisioning your path to reimagining the roles of existing staff and everything in between. The book outlines seven clearly defined milestones tied to an Action Plan that will help you stay the course with so vital an initiative. In addition to milestones and leadership questions, you'll find: Instructions for conducting an equity review of your system with a focus on special education. Guidance for creating and analyzing service-delivery maps, including before-and-after examples from systems that have successfully shifted to greater inclusivity. Classroom observation and staff survey tools. First-person accounts from educators who have undergone the change process. Best practices for developing an inclusivity-focused vision statement. Downloadable forms and templates to help you move forward with implementation. There is no excuse for segregating our students with disabilities from the rest of the student body. This indispensable guide will help you make certain that all students in your system not only learn but also thrive in the least restrictive environment possible.

Challenging behavior is one of the most significant issues educators face. Though it may seem radical to use words like love, compassion, and heart when we talk about behavior and discipline, the compassionate and heartfelt words, actions, and strategies teachers employ in the classroom directly shape who students are-and who they will become. But how can teaching from the heart translate into effective supports and practices for students who exhibit challenging behavior? In From Behaving to Belonging, Julie Causton and Kate MacLeod detail how teachers can shift from a ""behavior management"" mindset (that punishes students for ""bad"" behavior or rewards students for ""good"" or ""compliant"" behavior) to an approach that supports all students-even the most challenging ones-with kindness, creativity, acceptance, and love. Causton and MacLeod's approach: Focuses on students' strengths, gifts, and talents. Ignites students' creativity and sense of self-worth. Ensures that students' social, emotional, and academic needs are met. Prompts teachers to rethink challenging behavior and how they support their students. Helps teachers identify barriers to student success in the cultural, social, and environmental landscape. Inspires teachers to reconnect with their core values and beliefs about students and teaching. We need to transform our classrooms into places of love. To that end, this book represents a paradigm shift from a punitive mindset to a strengths-based, loving approach and encourages the radical act of creating more inclusive and caring schools.

This unique collection of chapters takes the reader on a tour to explore innovative preservice and inservice teacher education practices from many regions of the United States, Canada and the world. Each of the chapters offers an authentic, documentary account of successful initiatives that break the traditional mold of teacher education. Section I presents unique preservice teacher preparation programs and initiatives. These chapters offer compelling ideas to readers who seek change in the higher education model of teacher training. Section II features inservice education for both the novice and veteran teacher. The chapters included in this section of the book offer stories of innovation as professional development initiatives. Each of the programs describes the setting or context in which the innovation takes place and focuses on the role of teachers and students. Chapters in Section III highlight the benefits of collaborative teacher education practices. Through the lens of community and with the tools of cooperation and support, innovative practices are described for the improvement of student learning. Section IV offers less commonly presented diverse, global perspectives on teacher education. The sharing of ideas through global examples highlight the similarities in educational practices and common goals across the world.

This unique collection of chapters takes the reader on a tour to explore innovative preservice and inservice teacher education practices from many regions of the United States, Canada and the world. Each of the chapters offers an authentic, documentary account of successful initiatives that break the traditional mold of teacher education. Section I presents unique preservice teacher preparation programs and initiatives. These chapters offer compelling ideas to readers who seek change in the higher education model of teacher training. Section II features inservice education for both the novice and veteran teacher. The chapters included in this section of the book offer stories of innovation as professional development initiatives. Each of the programs describes the setting or context in which the innovation takes place and focuses on the role of teachers and students. Chapters in Section III highlight the benefits of collaborative teacher education practices. Through the lens of community and with the tools of cooperation and support, innovative practices are described for the improvement of student learning. Section IV offers less commonly presented diverse, global perspectives on teacher education. The sharing of ideas through global examples highlight the similarities in educational practices and common goals across the world.

As schools reopen their doors and students return to the classroom, what will the “new normal” of special education look like? The pandemic exposed educational inequities and areas of urgent need—and now, schools have a unique opportunity to press pause and reimagine their practices. This book helps K–12 school leaders and educators take the lessons of the COVID-19 era and turn them into action: by closely examining what worked during distance learning, letting go of practices that keep some students struggling, and planning new routines and environments that meet the needs of every learner. A visionary call to action from inclusion experts Jenna Mancini Rufo and Julie Causton, Reimagining Special Education guides readers in creating more equitable schools and services, through practical strategies teachers can use right away and thought-provoking, big-picture questions for administrators to tackle. Readers will explore how inclusive educational practices can address each student’s unique needs as schools reopen and bridge learning gaps for students who struggle. Throughout the book, vignettes and anecdotes spark lightbulb moments for educators and show what recommended practices look like in real classrooms. Essential reading for administrators, classroom teachers, and other education professionals, this is the forward-thinking guide every school needs to reimagine the possibilities for special education, support authentic inclusion, and help learners with and without disabilities thrive in a changing world. DISCOVER HOW TO: Re-story students by focusing on their gifts and strengths rather than their deficits Redesign instruction and assessment to be more flexible and better meet students’ unique needs Restructure intervention frameworks to move away from sorting and labeling students and toward a flexible model that provides access to all Revitalize co-teaching with tools and strategies for serving students with and without disabilities Realign service delivery through inclusion facilitation and consultative supports Rethink equity by creating a culture of belonging, dismantling exclusionary programs, and tackling individual and institutional biases

What does a great paraprofessional need to know and do? You'll find real-world answers from two experts in the second edition of this bestselling guidebook. Passionate inclusion advocates Julie Causton and Kate MacLeod bring you a supremely practical guide to surviving and thriving as an integral part of your school's inclusive team. You'll get immediately applicable strategies for mastering every facet of your complex role: collaborating with other team members, selecting accommodations and modifications, facilitating peer connections, fading your support, and much more. And you'll find a treasure trove of tools-including activities, learning checks, reproducible templates, FAQs, and short to-do lists-to help you reflect on your practice and strengthen your daily work. An essential hands-on guide for new and seasoned paraprofessionals-and a must-have for the educators and other professionals who support them-this empowering book takes the guesswork out of this critical classroom role so you can help students with disabilities reach their full potential. WHAT'S NEW: New chapter on Respectful Support for Developing Student Independence More on key topics such as collaboration, presuming competence, and supporting social and academic success for students with diverse abilities New and updated research, practices, digital tools, resources, examples, quiz questions, and reflection activities throughout the book Package of online materials, including printable activities, forms, and worksheets