Effective Inclusive Schools: Designing Successful Schoolwide Programs - Softcover

A rich, rewarding education is often hard to find for children with disabilities. In the words of one parent, "If you have a typically developing kid, you have a litany of choices; if you have a specially developing child, then you're presented with an option.'' In some schools an anti-disability ethos inadvertently permeates the culture, while other schools hold low expectations for disabled kids by excessively modifying curriculum or segregating students with special needs. These (often unconscious) practices reinforce the view that children with disabilities are inferior and undeserving of an equal education, causing them to leave school unprepared for employment and a rewarding adult life. They also harm nondisabled peers, who often develop negative prejudices about people with disabilities.

In this groundbreaking book, Hehir and Katzman focus on the positive: What are our most effective inclusive schools doing? How do their leaders and teachers work together to ensure success for all kids, with or without disabilities? What can other schools do to replicate their success? These portraits of exemplary schools provide a path forward for anyone striving to improve special education services in their classroom, school, or district. Insights shared from teachers, school leaders, parents, and the students themselves will inspire readers to improve education not only for kids with disabilities, but all children.

Praise for Effective Inclusive Schools

"Finally, a book that cuts to the heart of leadership in schools. Every principal and would-be educational leader in America should read this book."
—Terrence E. Deal, coauthor, Reframing Organizations and Shaping School Culture