When diversity is the norm: Inclusive practices in action
In a world of increasing diversity, how do schools respond to the challenge of meeting the individual needs of students to deliver personalised, relevant and meaningful learning?
Why value diversity?
The increasing diversity in contemporary society poses considerable challenges for schools and school systems in meeting the needs of all students. Catholic Education in the Diocese of Parramatta approaches this diversity within the context of our Catholic worldview, central to which is an appreciation of the sacredness and dignity of the human person. Honouring the diversity of all people is, therefore, a key principle of learning and teaching in the diocese.
The range of needs across the whole student population, including those young people with learning difficulties, disabilities or complex personal, social or emotional needs increasingly means that diversity is now the norm for schooling in today’s world. All students have specific learning needs that must be met.
When we see student need in terms of diversity, we avoid the possible stereotyping and lowered expectations that can come from an approach that labels students as above or below a set norm or average. Labelling tends to identify difficulties or differences in learning in terms of deficiencies or impairments. By contrast, a diversity model focuses on the student’s strengths and what he or she can achieve.
Our diocesan system of schools responds to the challenge of meeting the diverse needs of students by placing the students at the centre of learning and teaching. The underpinning principle is to focus support at both the school and broader system levels where it makes the most difference to student learning. Since the quality of the teaching is the critical factor in how well students learn, support is located as closely as possible to the learning space. Therefore the quality of the relationship between the student and teacher is crucial. These relationships are strengthened when teachers work and learn together about how best to meet the needs of their students.
Catering for diversity through inclusive practice
Inclusive practices, based on the principles of quality and equity, respond to diversity through an invitation to participate in learning together. They are not additional to existing practices, but are a way of working to increase the participation of all students and all adults within an inclusive school community.
Inclusion is not the same as integration or mainstreaming. Integration is the process of placing students with additional needs into regular schools and classrooms, with supports introduced to assist the student to fit into existing school structures and programs. By contrast, inclusion emphasises how schools respond flexibly to the individual needs of every student.
St Margaret Mary’s Primary, Merrylands is a school in which the individual needs of every student are met within an inclusive framework. Principal Carmel Agius explains that the learning needs of all students are met by flexibly providing the resources necessary to support their individual learning.
'This means the students with additional needs learn alongside their peers with appropriate supports provided by their classroom teacher, learning support teacher(s), peers and other adults working in the learning spaces,' said Carmel. 'Similarly, students who are academically gifted are provided with opportunities to extend their learning within the learning spaces.'
At the heart of inclusive practice: Student-centred planning
A diversity model does not distinguish between students on the basis of disability or non-disability, instead regarding all students as individual learners with their own strengths, competencies and identities. Catering for diversity means taking a strengths-based approach to each student that builds upon what learners know and what they believe about themselves as learners.
Student-centred planning is about classroom teachers personalising the learning for students, including those students with specific additional needs. This work is complex and is best done when teachers collaborate with each other, with specialist teachers within the learning support team, and with school leaders to plan how their students’ needs can be met. Central to this team approach is collaboration with teachers and leaders working and learning together on real and often complex issues of learning and teaching both within, and beyond, the learning space.
At St Columba’s High School, Springwood the learning support coordinator works with teachers to build their capacity to respond to the diverse needs of student. The learning support committee, which consists of representatives from different areas of the school, looks at the different learning needs across the curriculum. Principal Delma Horan said collaboration is the key when responding to diversity.
'We believe that all students can learn and that the gifts and talents of the individual learner should be recognised, as well as the areas that need support and development,' said Delma. 'We can do this by working together to both know our students' learning needs and by employing specific strategies that are best able to make the difference for the learning,' she said.
'The teacher assesses where the student is at now and where they need to be. By working with the student, the teacher identifies ways to close the gap,' said Delma. 'We are a learning community that is the richer for the diversity of its learners.'
How does it work in practice?
All good teaching begins by knowing the learner. Teachers begin building a picture of each learner with an assessment of the students learning needs. The learning issue could be academic, social, behavioural or emotional.
Essential Contribution of Families:
The knowledge, wisdom and experience of families are essential components of student-centred planning. Parents know their own children better than anyone else and this 'expert knowledge' needs to be respected and drawn upon throughout the planning process.
Step One: Problem solving with a colleague
When a teacher identifies that (s)he needs to know more about how or what to teach so that a student can take the next step, the teacher problem solves with a colleague(s) to develop and implement a teaching plan to address the identified need of the learner.
Step Two: Teacher collaborates with leadership team member
If additional support is required the teacher seeks the assistance of an appropriate leadership team member. All relevant data such as student work samples and formal assessment data is analysed. The teacher and leadership team member develop a plan together that includes a way of monitoring progress and facilitating ongoing collaboration.
Step Three: Wider collaboration with school support team
If concerns continue, a meeting of the school support team is convened led by a member of the leadership team. The team, which may include the school counsellor, as well as the learning support teacher and the classroom teacher, collaborate across their areas of expertise to support the teacher in meeting the specific needs of the student.
Step Four: School and system collaboration
The school support team may decide that the student’s needs require additional expertise from beyond the school. This may result in a request for support from specialist staff within the Catholic Education Office for further collaboration, input and planning. Key responsibility for the student’s learning needs remains, however, with the student’s regular teacher(s).
Supporting student self-discovery
The diversity model has the student-teacher relationship at its heart. Students are more engaged when learning is connected with their passions and when their learning is personalised, focused on building achievement, and on developing the talents of the child.
St Canice’s Primary, Katoomba are focusing on students’ passions and talents through an initiative called Movies for the Minds (M4M). M4M is a project where students film, edit and present movies at a festival that capture some of their learning experiences.
'Movies for the Minds really engages the students and provides freedom to create in such a way that allows personal expression for students of all ages and learning capabilities,' said principal Paul Devlin. 'The learning environment allows students to naturally discover their own interests and we have found that they really want to learn.'
Sources:
Carrington, S. (1999) Inclusion needs a different school culture. International Journal of Inclusive Education 3(3), 257-268.
CEO Parramatta, (2010) Theory of Action. Sydney: Catholic Education Office, Diocese of Parramatta.
CEO Parramatta, (2009) Statement on Learning. Sydney: Catholic Education Office, Diocese of Parramatta.
Robinson, K. and Aronica, L. (2009) The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything. New York: Viking.
Snelling, J. (2007) Including students with disabilities: A curriculum toolkit for schools and teachers. Melbourne: Royal Children’s Hospital Education Institute.
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