BEM Inclusion Policy
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Benjamin E. Mays IB World School
Primary Years Programme
Inclusion Policy
Benjamin E. Mays IB World School is a globally minded school that provides students with both a worldwide perspective and a strong connection to the local communities in which we live.
Philosophy
At Benjamin E. Mays IB World School, we believe that all learners have unique needs to consider when assisting students to meet or exceed their full academic and social potential. Our staff utilizes multiple approaches and support systems that address the individual needs and learning styles of our students. Instruction is provided through a variety of models including consultative, collaborative and inclusive, pull-out resource services as well as self-contained setting for our Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) students and specialized services and programs.
In addition to our instructional staff, there are a variety of related services provided to students at our school. These include physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language therapy, behavior support, school social workers, school counselor, autism consultant, school psychologist and mental health professionals.
Families are viewed as partners in education at Benjamin E. Mays. They are actively involved in progress monitoring and developing goals for their child’s learning. As a team, we readily conference with parents to provide opportunities to brainstorm ideas, discuss and plan interventions, and provide information and support for the family, as needed.
Purpose
- To maintain open access to the Primary Years Program for all students
- To validate and enhance the efforts of our learning community to meet the educational needs of all students
- To define the roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder (staff, students, and families)
- To define the structures and systems needed to support all students
Beliefs
- Students have right to education and recognize that individuals have unique learning needs
- Students must be taught using materials that are culturally responsive
- Teachers must design units based on individual students strengths and learning styles.
- Curriculum must be aligned to SPPS standards and IB philosophy and allow for acceleration, enrichment, and remediation.
- The learning environment must encourage and nurture inquiry, flexibility, and critical and creative thinking skills.
Practice
At Benjamin E. Mays IB World School, all students receive instruction that enables them to succeed within the range of their approaches to learning, abilities and interests. Differentiation is utilized as the process of identifying, with each learner, the most effective strategies for achieving agreed goals. Flexible grouping within and among classrooms, tiered lessons, use of pre-assessments and formative assessments to discover students' strengths and areas of focus for targeted instruction, open-ended learning engagements, and provision of materials (such as leveled reading materials, enrichment packets, choice menus, and online reading/math programs) designed to address students' level of readiness are some examples.
Responsibility
At the heart of the work of every successful program is a continuous cycle of planning, teaching, and assessing which takes account of the wide range of abilities, aptitudes, and interests of children. In order to insure that all students have equal access to the curriculum and are successful, we recognize the need to be purposeful in our planning and instruction for students with special needs.
The School will:
- provide training for personnel to successfully implement intervention and support students needs
- raise staff awareness of the needs to differentiate and to work effectively to provide regular training, coaching, and staff development
- ensure staff compliance with state and federal requirements
- provide time for co-teaching collaboration and planning
The Special Education Team will:
- follow state and federal laws governing special education
- comply with the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) that has been written by the school team and parent(s)
- work collaboratively as a team to support students with special needs
The Teacher will:
- comply with SPPS, state and federal assessment requirements
- participate in provided trainings
- regularly provide formal and informal assessments
- provide differentiation to meet learner needs in their classroom
- implement appropriate interventions
- regularly progress monitor student growth
- refer students who are not making adequate progress to the Student Assistant Team (SAT)
- actively participate in differentiation for all students as well as Positive Behavioral Intervention Support (PBIS) for students
- maintain accurate records of student progress
Special Education Services
Students who qualify for special education services receive daily or weekly support from the school special education resource staff. Student's’ academic deficits are addressed with research-based curriculum in reading, math and writing using a pull-out and/or push-in model. The majority of Benjamin E. Mays’ students receiving special education support have a specific learning disability, emotional/behavioral disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Developmental Delay (DD), Other Health Disability (OHD), Speech and Language impairment (SLP), and Developmental Cognitive Disability (DCD). Our special education staff collaborates closely with classroom teachers to assist in providing modifications in the classroom so students can participate in the general/PYP curriculum.
Support for staff
- Teachers can refer a child who is not meeting adequate progress to Student Assistant Team (SAT). SAT is comprised of teachers, specialists, and special education staff to provide/brainstorm ideas or interventions for teachers to implement in the classroom.
- Teachers implement interventions and progress monitor students to check on progress with the intervention in place.
- If student shows adequate progress the intervention will stay in place, if the intervention is not successful further assessment or new interventions will take place.
- Teachers can refer a child who is not meeting adequate progress in a new area of concern but who has an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) to Child Study. Child Study is comprised of teachers, specialists, and special education staff to provide/brainstorm ideas or interventions for teachers to implement in the classroom.
- Teachers can collaborate during PLCs (Professional Learning Communities) about ways to differentiate and meet all learners needs.
Support for families
- Families may request that their child is referred to SAT. The team will meet to brainstorm ideas to help at home, as well as interventions the classroom teacher will implement. Follow up meetings will be scheduled as needed.
- We provide multiple opportunities for families to learn about school like Title One Nights, IB Showcase nights, weekly school and classroom newsletters, parent teacher conferences, World Cafe nights, and meetings with school staff and administration as needed.
References:McGraw Elementary School
https://mcg.psdschools.org/webfm/407
Rosewood Elementary International School IB PYP Special Education Needs Policy
York International School
