Heading back to school is raising all sorts of issues – Will our children be safe? How can we maximize our facility? What will happen if groups must quarantine? And amidst all of this, schools must develop systems and structures to recover from last year’s shutdowns. And we thought we had a lot on our plates last year!
If you’re anything like us, we’re feeling like we’ve been training for a marathon. We’ve completed the long practice run, our bodies ache, but we’re drawing energy from hope (and a little adrenaline). Now the race is here
Our race, funded by a grant from the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), is to support three schools in an 18-month learning and improvement community focused on building stronger, more intentional structures for collaboration and support of diverse learners during COVID-19 recovery.
This approach provides a complete roadmap for schools and districts to improve how they serve students with disabilities. With ABC’s support, schools use a holistic, research-based approach to continuous improvement – resulting in authentically inclusive school communities and teams that work together to meet the unique needs of all learners.
Leaders will transform the way instructional accommodations, supports, and interventions are delivered at their schools to the end of being more accessible, inclusive, and engaging for all learners, and for diverse learners in particular.
Through asynchronous learning, facilitated discussion, and coaching, participating schools will:
Complete a special education needs assessment and develop a customized improvement plan;
Determine educator training needs that align with schoolwide goals;
Collaborate with like-minded leaders to share plans, challenges, and wins; and
Implement new recovery procedures that meet the needs of all students, with the most diverse learners at the forefront.
By the end of the 2022 school year, we’ll achieve the following recovery-related outcomes:
More inclusive and engaging instruction led by classroom teachers who are knowledgeable about how disability impacts learning;
Schoolwide processes that facilitate an intentional approach to educational collaboration, planning, and service delivery; and
Staff, students, and families who feel more belonging and trust in the school community as a result of these improved practices.
These are some big bets – and we’re looking forward to seeing them pay off. This is the equity moment for the education sector. It’s time to try something new, and we’re confident our partners will rise to the occasion.