Inclusive Education

Inclusive Education is, first and foremost, an attitude, a value and a belief system. It has been defined as a shared value that promotes a single system of education dedicated to ensuring that all students are empowered to become competent and contributing citizens in an integrated, changing and diverse society. (Steve Kukic, Former Director of At-Risk and Special Services, Utah State Department of Education). Since 1992, The Office of Inclusive Education, part of New York City’s District 75, has been supporting students with significant disabilities in their Least Restrictive Environment in accordance with Public Law 94-142 (The Education of All Handicapped Children Act, 1975) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, Reauthorized 1997 and 2004).

 Our Mission
“Special Education is a Service Not a Place"

The mission of the District 75 Office of Inclusive Education is to support all students with diverse abilities and needs in the general education programs of the New York City Department of Education. The staff of the Office of Inclusive Education provide training, encourage team building, and deliver individualized assistance to students, parents, school staff, and community members.

 SERVICE DELIVERY

Inclusive education for students supported by District 75 is a method of providing special education services in the least restrictive environment (i.e. the general education classroom) and is defined as follows:

  • the student ideally attends his/her home-zoned school (the school he/she would attend if he/she were not disabled) and has the same options for school attendance as typical neighborhood peers; 
  • the student has membership in an age-appropriate general education class, and receives all the special education services and supports needed to participate and succeed within the context of general education;
  • the curriculum, activities, materials, and/or schedule are adapted and/ or modified to address the student's individual goals and objectives as specified on the IEP; 
  • the student with disabilities participates in activities and classes in numbers which reflect the natural proportions of individuals with disabilities within the community at large; and 
  • the student's classification remains the same; only the location and method of delivery of special education services change.

The inclusive programs developed by the District 75 Office of Inclusive Education serve students in kindergarten through high school in general education schools and classrooms throughout the city. Students attend the inclusive program with the support of a District 75 special education teacher (Special Education Teacher Support Service provider, aka SETSS provider) and a paraprofessional who supports all students in the class with a focus on the students from District 75. The paraprofessionals accompany dyads or triads of students to general education classes as mandated by individual IEPs. The SETSS provider adapts and modifies curriculum from general education classes in keeping with the students’ Individualized Educational Program and supervises the work of the team. Based on this model, students are supported on college campuses; we currently have non-credit bearing programs at Queens College, Pace University, Lehman College, Brooklyn College and at Medgar Evers College.

For additional information, please refer to:
http://schools.nyc.gov/Offices/District75/Parent+Services/FAQs/
http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/C7A58626-6637-42E7-AD00-70440820661D/0/ContinuumofServices.pdf
http://tash.org/
http://www.cec.sped.org/am/template.cfm?section=Home
http://www.inclusiveschools.org/
http://www.urbanschools.org/publications/consortium_inclusive.html
http://www.ascd.org/Default.aspx
http://www.wrightslaw.com

Curriculum Adaptations
FAQs
Forms and Files
Leadership
Mission
Professional Roles
Resources

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