Global inclusive education

Inclusive education has become a term commonly used by international development organizations working around the world. In order for inclusive education to become a reality, educators, families and entire communities need to gain the knowledge and skills in how to effectively implement practices that not only assure a child’s presence in an inclusive classroom but that the child is learning, has friends and feels they belong. ICI staff have collaborated with colleagues in different countries to adapt and implement inclusive approaches and strategies, such as Response to Intervention, Inclusive Service Learning, Universal Design for Learning, Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies, etc.

Response to Intervention

RTI is a school-wide framework in which school staff work together to prevent students from failing and being over-identified for special education services by providing a three-tier system of supports. Program area staff have been able to adapt with a framework for use in low-resource settings by working with teachers to adapt and implement formative assessments and small-group instructional strategies as well as foster collaborations to discuss student academic and behavioral success and challenges.

Formative Assessment

Continuous assessment of student progress is critical in monitoring not only how students are learning, but also how teachers are teaching.  ICI staff works with schools and universities around the world to develop Curriculum-Based Measures to monitor student progress efficiently and with limited resources.

Literacy

Literacy is one of the most significant predictive factors to success later in school and in adulthood. It is important to contextualize literacy instruction for the country, culture, and language.  Many strategies, however, have been shown to be effective across many different cultural contexts, including peer-assisted learning, differentiated instruction, and collaborative learning.

Inclusive service learning

Students with and without disabilities engage in hands-on learning environments that reinforce lessons in a way the classroom cannot. Many students learn better if they can apply classroom lessons to a real-life situation. This approach brings students with and without disabilities together for a purpose. Students work together to share their strengths, identify community problems and work together to find solutions.

Curriculum development

ICI staff are experienced developers of evidence-based curricula in the areas of Inclusive Service Learning and Self-Determination. They are excited to collaborate with international partners to adapt their curricula and develop new ones for specific local teaching and learning needs.