State, District and School Administrators

Students with disabilities show greater outcomes when they access and make progress in the general education curriculum alongside their general education peers. Research supports the same findings for students with significant cognitive disabilities.Yet, forty-five years after the Education for All Handicapped Children passed and having research that supports improved outcomes for students with disabilities, inclusive systems are not the norm. Rather, segregated systems persist for students with significant cognitive disabilities. 

Inclusive districts and schools require leadership that has a vision that is inclusive of all students, including those with significant cognitive disabilities, and systematically develops and nurtures the system to be sustainable. Alignment across all levels of the system from state education agencies to district administration to school administration builds coherency and momentum to make the changes that lead to positive outcomes for all students. 

Materials for Education Administrators

This section contains information and resources for state, district and school administrators related to the inclusion of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities.

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  This Is Who We Are and What We Do: A Case Study of Two Districts Exemplifying Inclusivity

  This study investigated districts that are positive outliers, that is, districts that have implemented inclusive education in a particularly robust and effective way. Two questions guided the research: (1) What are the experiences and viewpoints of district personnel and community members in exemplary districts? (2) How do district personnel and community members in exemplar districts perceive the community’s influence on inclusive education for students with significant cognitive disabilities? Interviews in two exemplar districts revealed that implementing an inclusive model of education for students with significant cognitive disabilities is not only feasible but results in positive outcomes for all students. Further, strong system-level practices and policies made an inclusive approach successful, but the specific policies and practices differed somewhat across districts as these were grounded in the particular district context. The particularity of context points to another key finding: that attentiveness to the community–in particular, enacting an inclusive model with community buy-in–proved essential in each district’s experience.

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  Paraeducator's Roles in Supporting Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities in PreK-12 Settings

  This study involved efforts to elicit the perspectives of paraeducators who were enrolled in an online professional development course at one university. Using the Council for Exceptional Children standards for paraeducators, this study sought to identify the extent to which CEC-defined practices were in use. The study administered a researcher-designed survey to gather data, followed by interviews with selected survey respondent. This study appears to demonstrate the value of training and experience as ways to promote paraeducators’s development of practices that align with CEC standard. The training received by these paraeducators, judging from the interview data, however, was not systematic. Additional research into the effectiveness of training in cultivating mastery of the practices specified in the CEC standards seems needed. In fact, given the relatively small body of related studies and the large numbers of practicing paraeducators, the need for such research seems urgent.

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  All Means All…Maybe: MTSS Policy and Practice Across States in the United States

  MTSS has been implemented in school districts across the United States to counteract entrenched policies that resulted in the exclusion of students with disabilities and other learning challenges from general education curricula and classrooms. The MTSS framework, in theory, offers individualized support to all students. This needs-based approach makes MTSS potentially useful for all students, including students with complex needs or with moderate or severe disabilities. Almost no evidence speaks to the extent to which (or ways in which) SEAs are encouraging the use of MTSS to address the needs of students with moderate-to-severe disabilities or to increase the extent to which these students are included in general education classrooms. This study attempted to fill this gap.

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  Inclusive Education Roadmap (IER)

  The Inclusive Education Roadmap (IER) is a series of tools, guidance, and processes to be used by state, district, and school teams to build an inclusive system of education. The IER unpacks the complexities of how to create, expand, and sustain inclusive education systems.

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  Video #1: Including Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities in PBIS Tier 1

  This series of short videos present the primary components of school-wide PBIS and shares strategies for making each component accessible to all learners, including students with significant cognitive disabilities.

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  Video #2 Including Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities in PBIS Tier 1: Leadership and Team Data

  This series of short videos present the primary components of school-wide PBIS and shares strategies for making each component accessible to all learners, including students with significant cognitive disabilities.

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  Video #3: Including Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities in PBIS Tier 1: School-wide Expectations

  This series of short videos present the primary components of school-wide PBIS and shares strategies for making each component accessible to all learners, including students with significant cognitive disabilities.

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  Video #4: Including Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities in PBIS Tier 1: Creating Inclusive Acknowledgement Systems

  This series of short videos present the primary components of school-wide PBIS and shares strategies for making each component accessible to all learners, including students with significant cognitive disabilities.

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  Video #5: Including Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities in PBIS Tier 1: A Classroom Intervention

  This series of short videos present the primary components of school-wide PBIS and shares strategies for making each component accessible to all learners, including students with significant cognitive disabilities.

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  Video #6: Including Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities in PBIS Tier 1: School-wide Expectations - A Teacher Example

  This series of short videos present the primary components of school-wide PBIS and shares strategies for making each component accessible to all learners, including students with significant cognitive disabilities.

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  Video #7: Including Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities in PBIS Tier 1: A Classroom Intervention - Teacher Example

  This series of short videos present the primary components of school-wide PBIS and shares strategies for making each component accessible to all learners, including students with significant cognitive disabilities.

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  TIP #27: Including ALL Students in Schoolwide Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports

  This TIP provides examples of ways teachers and PBIS teams can plan for accessible PBIS instruction across all tiers that includes students with significant cognitive disabilities.

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  A Literature Review of School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports for Students with Extensive Support Needs (TIES Center Report #106)

  This report presents the findings of a literature review to summarize the current literature on School-wide Positive BehavioralInterventions and Supports (PBIS). This multi-tiered framework offers a continuum of supports to address the behavioral needs of all students within a school. Research indicates that PBIS effectively promotes positive student outcomes and improves school climate and culture. However, little is known about the involvement of students with extensive support needs (ESN) and the effectiveness of PBIS for these students. Students with ESN include students with significant cognitive disabilities. This report also presents implications for practice and future research initiatives.

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  TIES Center Report 105: Separate School Placement Trends by Category and Age for Students with Extensive Support Needs

  Separate School Placement Trends by Category and Age for Students with Extensive Support Needs (TIES Center Report #105)

  The purpose of this report is to examine the trends across the country over the past decade related to the placement of students with extensive support needs (ESN) in separate schools. For this report, state-level data from federally reported sources for students with ESN were analyzed, specifically, students identified with the disabilities of autism, intellectual disability, multiple disabilities, and deaf-blindness, to determine changes over time in the number of students served in separate settings as well as any variances that may have occurred by age and location (state). The current study confirmed that there has not been a significant change in the overall placement for students with ESN since 2012 even though academic expectations have become more rigorous over time.

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  Providing Access to School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities (TIES Center Brief #10)

  Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports  (PBIS) is an evidence-based approach used to promote inclusive environments and prevent and decrease challenging behavior for all students. However, many students with significant cognitive disabilities, especially those served in self-contained special education settings, do not always receive access to all three tiers of PBIS. This Brief presents ways to design PBIS systems that are accessible to all students. It describes the importance of including all students in PBIS structures and gives practical strategies to help schools achieve this goal. It ends with the story of a student who benefited from full access to his school’s PBIS system.

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  TIP #23 Supporting the Communication Needs of Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC) Users who are also English Learners

  This TIP highlights strategies to assist teams supporting multilingual Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC) users

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  Reconsidering LRE: Students with the Most Significant Cognitive Disabilities and the Persistence of Separate Schools

  This report serves as a guide for local school districts and state education agencies to consider whether the present level of educational inclusion of their students with the most significant disabilities is fully consistent with what the law requires, and most importantly, is ultimately in the best interest of the students they serve.

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  Debunking Myths about Inclusive Education for Students with the Most Significant Cognitive Disabilities (TIES Center Brief #8)

  There are many myths about including students with the most significant cognitive disabilities in general education classrooms. This Brief debunks six of them. 

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  The Power of Peers: Peer Engagement Implementation Guides

  We invited leading experts to share their expertise on implementing these nine educational interventions to promote meaningful engagement and relationships among students with and without disabilities. They created short, practical implementation guides based on their extensive experience working with local schools.

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  Systems Improvement for All Students, Including Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities

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  Creating Communities of Belonging for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities

  Everyone wants to be valued and have a sense of belonging in their community.  The need for valued belonging is true for students in a school community as well.  Although belonging is equally important for all students, students with significant cognitive disabilities are less likely to experience a deep sense of belonging.

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  PI #1: Planning for Students Transitioning Back to School - Three Important Components

  As teams manage various scenarios for when and how-to students will return to schools, proactive thinking about what needs to be considered to successfully transition students back to school is of utmost importance. This article will  facilitate this transition for school teams, students, and their families.

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  Pivot to In-Person Instruction: An Overview Framework

  The TIES Distance Learning Series provides multiple strategies for supporting students with significant cognitive disabilities during distance and hybrid learning. The Pivot to In-Person Instruction Series applies the same principles, as most students are returning to in-person instruction. However, we expect that some schools will need to pivot between the various instruction models given the changing nature of the COVID-19 virus.

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  DL #30: An Example of UDL and Online Collaboration

  What does it look like has always been one of the biggest questions about including students with significant cognitive disabilities. This post is one example of how a middle school in Carroll County, MD moved their UDL lesson planning process online as a result of COVID. It includes the process and examples of the actual work. 

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  DL #29: Collaboration in the Trenches: Lessons Learned about Inclusive Technology During COVID

  In this DL post, the specific collaborative activities to support continued use of assistive and educational technology during distance learning are explored. Lessons for teachers and leaders from the work in Loudoun County, Virginia are listed.

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  DL #28: Not letting LRE slide: Ensuring inclusive education during COVID

  During COVID, how can teams prioritize the least restrictive environment and inclusive education? How do we assure that we are teaching students with significant cognitive disabilities in the least restrictive environment possible during distance learning and as we return to various in-person delivery models? Considering three questions at key decision points regarding instructional models can raise the awareness of the impact of a team’s decision on a student. 

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  TIP #14: Academic Standards for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities in Inclusive Classrooms: Same Content Standards, Alternate Achievement Standards

  The purpose of this brief is to clarify what academic content standards and alternate achievement standards are, how they are different, and how they contribute to inclusive education.

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  TIP #15: Turn and Talk in the Inclusive Classroom

  In this TIPS Brief, we show how to remove barriers to allow students with significant cognitive disabilities (SCD) to engage in Turn and Talk activities during instruction in general education classes through the UDL framework and examples from an inclusive classroom.

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  TIP #16: Making Inferences in the Inclusive Classroom

  In this TIPS, we give suggestions for teachers on how to teach inferencing skills to all learners in an inclusive classroom.  The examples presented are reflective of a collaborative process required to plan the use of inferencing strategies in inclusive classrooms through a Universal Design for Learning framework.

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  DL #23: Pivoting Between Paraprofessional Support in Inclusive Schools and Distance Learning

  Paraprofessionals are central to the success of educating students with disabilities in general education contexts, especially students with significant cognitive disabilities. Distance learning is pushing the field to consider how paraprofessionals can fulfill their roles in new and creative ways, particularly with the use of technology. Apply the Learning Components framework to clarify paraprofessional roles and how they can be carried out whether instruction is in-school or during distance learning. 

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  TIES Distance Learning #22: Grading Considerations for Inclusive Classrooms in an Online Environment

  Grading students with significant cognitive disabilities through distance learning requires carefulthought into what grades really mean and how to quantify student learning in a way that isenriching for all students.

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  Tip #10: The Use of Graphic Organizers in Inclusive Classrooms for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities

  Classroom teachers have used graphic organizers for years to help students gather, sift through, organize, and share information.

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  TIES Distance Learning #15: Data Collection and Distance Learning

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  TIES Distance Learning #17: Planning for Instruction both at School and Distance Learning: The 5C Process

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  TIP #9: Special Education High Leverage Practices for Instruction in Inclusive Settings

  The purpose of this TIP is to  show how a set of high-leverage practices developed for special education can be applied to instruction of students with significant cognitive disabilities in inclusive classrooms.

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  TIES Distance Learning #3: Effective Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) Within the Distance Learning Environment: What in the world does that look like?

  TIES Distance Learning #3: Effective Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) Within the Distance Learning Environment: What in the world does that look like?

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  TIP #7: Homework in the Inclusive Classroom

  This TIP provides information and recommendations for collaborative educational teams on how to make homework successful for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities in inclusive classrooms. 

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  Developing IEPs that Support Inclusive Education for Students with the Most Significant Cognitive Disabilities (TIES Center Brief #3)

  This Parent Brief focuses on developing Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) that support inclusive education for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities.

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  MTSS for All: Including Students with the Most Significant Cognitive Disabilities

  The purpose of this Brief is to provide suggestions for ways in which the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) can include students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. 

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  TIP #6: Using the Least Dangerous Assumption in Educational Decisions

  The least dangerous assumption holds that in the absence of conclusive data, educational decisions ought to be based on assumptions that, if incorrect, will have the least dangerous effect on the student outcomes and learning. This multi-media TIP outlines ways to make sound educational decisions for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. This TIP also includes an example, as well as implementation strategies and learning activities.

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  TIP #2: Using Collaborative Teams to Support Students with Significant Communication Needs in Inclusive Classrooms

  This TIP outlines how to employ collaborative teams to support students with significant communication needs in inclusive classrooms. Collaborative teams will require additional planning for general and special education teachers as well as related service providers.

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  Communication Competence in the Inclusive Setting-A Review of the Literature (TIES Center Report #103)

  This report presents findings from a literature review that was conducted to identify evidenced-based approaches to supporting the development of communicative competence for K-8 students in inclusive educational settings. Specifically, the review examined whether communication programming employing augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is being successfully used in inclusive elementary and middle school settings, and what elements of the communication program are most likely to affect students’ communicative competence.

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  Using Systems Change Efforts to Implement and Sustain Inclusive Education Practices in General Education Settings for Students with the Most Significant Cognitive Disabilities-A Review of the Literature (Report #102)

  This report presents the findings from a literature review that examined how systems change efforts can guide initiatives to increase and sustain the placement of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities in inclusive general education settings, as well as increase and sustain opportunities for these students to learn core academic standards-based curriculum through the implementation of inclusive education practices. The report concludes with the identification of several components associated with effective and sustainable systemic change efforts related to the implementation of inclusive practices.

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  Taking the Alternate Assessment Does NOT Mean Education in a Separate Setting! (TIES Center Brief #2)

  This brief discusses the characteristics of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, least restrictive environment, legal provisions, and next steps for parents.

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  Impact: Feature Issue on Inclusive Education for K-8 Students with the Most Significant Cognitive Disabilities

  This Letter From the Editors introduces the special issue of Impact.

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  A Family’s Journey of Inclusion | Impact | Winter 2018/19 Volume 31, Number 2

  A parent describes how her son was included in his private school setting, how the school and family worked together, and the impact it’s had on her son and the school-wide community. In a companion piece, “I Have Great Friends,” her son describes his experiences.

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  Achievement for All: Henderson K-12 Inclusion School | Impact | Winter 2018/19 Volume 31, Number 2

  The principal of Henderson K-12 Inclusion School explains how Henderson’s school culture, specialized and individualized instruction, and collaboration and problem solving contribute to an inclusive environment that benefits students with and without disabilities.

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  Cottonwood-Oak Creek School District: Inclusive Practices and Lessons Learned | Impact | Winter 2018/19 Volume 31, Number 2

  The former Director of Student Support Services for Cottonwood-Oak Creek District (Arizona) shares seven lessons learned in making inclusive practices work with a focus on the school district level.

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  Creating Inclusive Schools: What Does the Research Say? | Impact | Winter 2018/19 Volume 31, Number 2

  Review of the research on inclusion, presenting the essential practices that create inclusive schools as well the benefits of inclusive education.

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  Does All Really Mean All? | Impact | Winter 2018/19 Volume 31, Number 2

  Provides a set of inclusive education indicators that define authentic inclusive education, describes the morning routine of a student in an inclusive setting, and illustrates that all students can be included in general education settings.