MAKING SCHOOLS INCLUSIVE ● Policies encourage the participation of students and

staff from the moment they join the school, reach out to
● Diversity is the new “normal.”
all students in the locality, and minimize exclusionary
● Inclusive practices must be dynamic and collaborative. pressures.

● To be truly inclusive, educators must always check for ● Support is considered to be all activities which
the presence, participation, and achievement of their increase the capacity of a school to respond to student
learners. diversity.

● Differentiation plays an important role in the success of

inclusive education practices.
DIMENSION C: Evolving Inclusive Practices
● "It takes on the social model of disability as its starting
Section C.1 Orchestrating learning
point, builds on good practice, and then organizes the
index work around a cycle of activities which guide Section C.2 Mobilizing resources
schools through stages of preparation, investigation,
● This dimension develops school practices which reflect
development, and review" (UNESCO 2005:30).
the inclusive cultures and policies of the school.
● A three-dimensional framework was created.
● Lessons are made responsive to student diversity.
(Booth and Ainscow, 2002)
● Students are encouraged to be actively involved in all
aspects of their education, which draws on their
knowledge and experience outside school.

● Staff identify material resources and resources within

each other. students, parents/carers, and local
communities which can be mobilized to support learning
and participation.

I. CREATING INCLUSIVE CULTURES

● Stakeholders are important because they play a major

● These three dimensions are interconnected and role in "connecting what is being taught in a school to its
“chosen to direct thinking about school change.” surrounding community."
● A non-supportive culture would most likely result in ● In 2017, UNESCO reported that there has been
resistance from the school's direct stakeholders. significant global improvement in accessing education,
specifically in the primary level for the last 15 years.

● However, in 2016 Global Education Monitoring Report

THE DIMENSIONS AND SECTIONS IN THE INDEX
reveals that there are still an estimated 263 million
DIMENSION A: Creating Inclusive Cultures children and youth aged 6 to 17 all around the world who
are still not in school at this time.
Section A. 1 Building community

Section A. 2 Establishing inclusive values

1. WHAT STAKEHOLDERS CAN DO?
● This dimension creates a secure, accepting,
collaborating, and stimulating community, in which ● The rights-based approach to educational
everyone is valued as the foundation for the highest programming "insists that no right can exist without a
achievements of all. corresponding governmental obligation" (Van den Brule-
Balescut & Sandkull 2005).
● It develops shared inclusive values that are conveyed
to all new staff, students, governors, and parents/carers. ● Thus, governments and communities are starting to
understand how they are accountable to children with
● The principles and values, in inclusive school cultures, additional needs in fulfilling their right to education and
guide decisions about policies and moment to moment providing access to quality education that is also safe,
practice in classrooms, so that school development welcoming, and inclusive.
becomes a continuous process.
● The following are some steps stakeholders can take to
create inclusive cultures:
DIMENSION B: Producing Inclusive Policies

Section B.1 Developing the school for all 1. SET PARAMETERS FOR INCLUSION
Section B.2 Organizing support for diversity ● The government has identified key people and
● This dimension makes sure that inclusion permeates professions, and highlighted important factors leading to
all school plans. the success of inclusive education – i.e., placement
process, committees, staffing and responsibilities,
teacher training and compensation, incentives for private ● POOR LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION
sector participation, and collaboration of the Department
- language barriers may also directly have implications
of Education with other branches of government.
on how well inclusive practices are implemented.
● These clearly show not just an attempt to centralize
● LACK OF FUNDING - enough funding can allow for
inclusive practices, but an initiative to make the welfare
training more teachers as well as coming up with more
and development of children with additional needs the
appropriate programs instructional materials, or facilities,
responsibility of all.
lack of funds can be limiting and debilitating to schools.
2. BUILD KEY PEOPLE
● LACK OF POLICIES - policies have the ability to unify
● The government recognizes the need for teacher beliefs and mobilize resources; unfortunately, lack of it
training, both in the special need’s education and can become a convenient justification for inaction.
general education levels.
● ORGANIZATION OF EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS -
● It also pushes for the use of evidence-based teaching centralized systems may have some type of detachment
frameworks, provision of student assistance, and access in terms of implementing policies and seeing the reality
to instructional materials. of how such policies are affecting learners and other
stakeholders.
● Most importantly, calls are made for continuing
● TOO MUCH FOCUS ON PERFORMANCE-BASED
research and forming of policies to be initiated by
STANDARDS - schools have also reportedly refused
agencies such as the Department of Education so as to
inclusion because of fear that the presence of learners
further refine the inclusive process and have it tailored to
with additional needs will pull down their rankings in
fit to the needs of children with additional needs.
standardized tests.
3. IDENTIFY AND ERADICATE BARRIERS
2. SPECIAL EDUCATION VS. MAINSTREAMING VS.
● UNESCO's Guide for Inclusion (2005) advocates for INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
the identification and removal of obstacles that have to
● Special education assesses, instructs, and evaluates
do with transforming prevailing attitudes and values on a
students individually and intentionally, this type of
systemic level.
educational setting is beneficial to those with very unique
● The Philippine government seems to be in needs as well.
consonance with this aspect in the light of its existing
● Mainstreaming shares more similarities with inclusion
legislative policies that ground the undeniable
than with special education.
importance of inclusion.
● Both look at integrating the child with additional needs
● It is also continuously reorganizing structures in
into a general education setting.
education and implementing programs that highlight the
need for primary stakeholders like the school, the ● There are, however, nuances between the two as well.
parents, and other policy makers, to acquire more
understanding and capacity-building to manage an
inclusive environment.

COMMON BARRIERS TO INCLUSION

● ATTITUDES, VALUES SYSTEMS,

MISCONCEPTIONS, AND SOCIETAL NORMS

- can lead to prejudices and/or actual resistance to

implement inclusive practices (UNESCO 2005).

● PHYSICAL BARRIERS - the lack of building, facility,

transportation, or road accessibility are types of physical
barriers that can literally affect one's mobility.

● CURRICULUM - a rigid "one size fits all" type of

curriculum that does not allow room for individual
differences can significantly stunt one's learning and
opportunity for growth.

● LACK OF TEACHER TRAINING AND LOW

TEACHER

EFFICACY - whether training in teaching strategies,

using curriculum frameworks, or behavior and classroom
management, lack of training as well as low confidence
in one's own skills can directly affect how inclusive
practices are implemented.
 II. PRODUCING INCLUSIVE POLICIES 3. RECOGNIZE THE SHIFT IN ROLES OF THE
TEACHERS
● UNESCO (2005) realistically acknowledges that a
societal change in attitude need not be initially present in ● Whether creating an academic program specific to a
a community before inclusion can be fully practiced. child with additional needs or creating a new legislative
bill for the PWD community, collaboration is crucial.
● Without this realization, differences in standards and
quality of education may surface as potential problems. ● Each member of the inclusive education team would
have their own strengths and weaknesses, and these
● Just very recently, the pre-service education
have to be used wisely to benefit the child with additional
curriculum was restructured so that special needs
needs.
education units are not only given to special needs
education majors but to other education majors as well. ● Del Corro-Tiangco (2014) states that general
education teachers are trained in the general curriculum
● The following is a list of other possible steps that
but would not know how to teach and manage children
educators can take to facilitate the much-needed
with additional needs; while a special needs education
societal shift and inform policy.
teacher would be equipped to handle atypical behaviors
1. INVOLVE OTHER SECTORS OF SOCIETY but would not know much about the general education
curriculum.
● Current training and awareness campaigns seem to
limit the movement of inclusion to a mere home- school ● True collaboration would guarantee an inclusive
relationship. program that would cover as many areas as possible.

● At most, these are extended to the departments for 4. INCLUDE TRANSITIONS IN PLANNING
social welfare and health.
● An abrupt systemic change that is not well-planned or
● However, for an inclusive set-up to truly be successful, that disregards practices-whether existing or implied
active involvement of the entire community must be may hinder the shift to inclusion and cause resentment
ensured. from all stakeholders.

● For instance, those in the business, commercial, ● Instead, current practices have to be respected and
security, and religious sectors must also be given honored so as to facilitate a gradual shift to inclusive
representation in trainings. education.

● For instance, students belonging to architectural and ● Booth and Ainscow (2002) recommend that schools
interior design programs have been working on theses reflect on their current policies and practices to check
and capstone projects where their main clients have their readiness for an inclusive set-up.
additional needs.
● They also devised a questionnaire that would help
● The idea is for everyone-regardless of their training or administrators, faculty and other stakeholders
exposure-to become more sensitive and aware of the comprehensively gather baseline data.
PWD population.
Specifically, schools may look at the following:
● The more aware a community is, the more it will be
● Student admissions
able to help.
● Accessibility to utilities and facilities
2. COLLABORATE
● Supports available to students, parents, and school
● Whether creating an academic program specific to a
personnel
child with additional needs or creating a new legislative
bill for the PWD community, collaboration is crucial. ● Learner accommodations

● Each member of the inclusive education team would ● Exclusionary or discriminatory incidents
have their own strengths and weaknesses, and these
● Number of bullying cases
have to be used wisely to benefit the child with additional
needs. ● Faculty and staff promotions
● Del Corro-Tiangco (2014) states that general
education teachers are trained in the general curriculum
but would not know how to teach and manage children III. EVOLVING INCLUSIVE PRACTICES
with additional needs; while a special needs education
● Evolving inclusive practices is the third dimension to
teacher would be equipped to handle atypical behaviors
Booth and Ainscow's framework for schools (2002),
but would not know much about the general education
where administrators must first try to create an inclusive
curriculum.
culture among its stakeholders, then build better, more
● True collaboration would guarantee an inclusive all- encompassing policies.
program that would cover as many areas as possible.
● The goal of the first two steps is to ascertain habit-
forming conditions, which make procedures that are
otherwise unfamiliar feel like second nature to us.
● Once this happens, we can start focusing on raising 3. Multiple means of engagement – refers to different
the opportunities for student involvement (e.g., interactive
activities, group discussions, online discussion boards).
participation and success rates of learners with
This principle reflects the idea that students have
additional needs inside our classrooms.
different motivations to engage in learning.
● The term “evolving” assumes that we already have
strategies in place which we just have to revisit for
possible tweaking.

● It suggests advancement and positive growth, which

means we can look at these existing strategies and just
adjust these according to the needs of our students
along the way.

● Two effective evidence-based inclusive practices that

can be used in the classroom are Universal Design for
Learning (UDL) and Differentiated Instruction.

1. UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING

● In architecture, universal designs refer to structures

that were made in such a way that they can be used by
customers or clients with a wide range of needs (Dukes
& Lamar-Dukes 2009 as cited in Salend 2011).

● Such designs ensure accessibility for all.

● For example, an architect designs a commercial

complex where ramps, elevators, escalators, handrails,
wide doorways and sidewalks, and signs embossed in
Braille abound. It is a very user-friendly building.
Obviously, the designer imagined that some customers
might walk into the complex in wheelchairs or white
canes. The architect does not know if or when it's\going
to happen, but he anticipated it and incorporated it into
his design anyway.

UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING

● UDL refers to the design of instructional materials and

activities to make the content information accessible to
all children (Rose & Meyer 2006 as cited in Turnbull et
al. 2013).

● It is best used in a general education classroom where

learners are different.

● Through the provision of delivering content and

allowing student to construct learning in more than one
way.

● UDL ensures that all students learn genuinely.

THREE ELEMENTS OF UDL

1. Multiple means of representation – presenting

information in multiple ways. Teachers use this principle
when they find more than one way to explain a concept
or provide information.

2. Multiple means of action and expression –

encourages students to demonstrate their learning
through various forms (e.g., exams, multimedia, concept 2. DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION
maps, papers, projects). This principle highlights
executive functioning, where students apply what they ● According to Tomlinson (2010), differentiated (or
learn strategically. differentiating) instruction is a teacher's response to
students' varying needs, interests, and learning styles.
● "It refers to a systematic approach to planning
curriculum and instruction for academically diverse
DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGIES
learners. It is a way of thinking about the classroom with
the dual goals of honoring each student's learning needs CONTENT
and maximizing student's learning capacity."
(What is taught?)
● When teachers differentiate instruction, they use a
variety of teaching and learning strategies that are (What is learned?)
necessary to meet the diverse needs of students in any
● Provide additional materials/skills
class (Friend & Bursuck 2009).
● Reduce materials

● Skills Exploration by interest

Why Differentiate Instruction?

● All learners are unique and have varying interests,

talents, strengths, as well as needs. PROCESS

● Hence, it is essential that teaching and learning (How is it taught?)

experiences reflect this diversity.
(How is it learned?)
● To ensure engaged, successful, and flourishing
learners, teaching and learning experiences need to be ● Choices of reading materials
designed in a way that provide opportunities for students ● Varied presentation styles: say it, show it, and made it
to learn and demonstrate their understanding in varied
ways. ● Use media (video, audio, computer, TV, and manipulatives

● Thus, Differentiating Instruction (DI) helps ensure that ● Varied pacing

learners are engaged in respectful tasks and provide
● Reading buddies: (Read/summarize, Read/Question/Answer,
diverse means of learning that reflect their strengths and
Visual Organizer/summarizer
address their needs simultaneously.
● Think-Pair-Share by readiness, interest, and learning profile

● Learning centers/sections
How is Instruction Differentiated?
● Small-group instruction
● Bender in 2002 (as cited by Gentry et al. 2013)
identified elements of the curriculum that can be ● Jigsaw (expert groups)
differentiated: (1) content, (2) process, (3) product, and
(4) learning environment in response to the students' ● Cooperative learning activities
characteristics: interests, readiness, and learning profile. ● Teams, Games and Activities
As an overview, differentiation is achieved by providing
materials and tasks: ● Learning contracts

a) at varied levels of difficulty;

b) with varying levels of instructional support; PRODUCT

c) by using multiple grouping arrangement; (How is it assessed?

d) that involve student choice; and (How is learning demonstrated?)

e) use varied evaluation strategies. ● Homework options

● As teachers, you must know your curriculum. ● Student choice on product (oral presentations, written
report, role plays,
● You are suggested to revisit or identify which are non-
negotiable and negotiable learning objectives and tasks. simulations, etc.)

● You are also expected to know your students' ● Varied journal prompts
interests, readiness level (based on diagnostic data),
● Choice boards
and learning styles/profile (strengths and needs).
● Think-Tac-Toe
● You may create a class profile to provide an overview
of the class's characteristics and needs. ● Tiered Activities (by readiness and interest)

● Next, you have to identify and plan what and how to ● More items (advanced learners)
differentiate your material.
● Less items (with special needs)
● The goal is to start small and take simple steps toward
differentiating instruction. ● Learning contracts

● Table 3.3 provides a guide on how to effectively ● RAFT (Role, Audience, Format, Topic)
differentiate in the classroom.
LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

(How is the classroom arranged?)

● Flexible grouping: whole class, small groups, one-on-

one, peer-teaching, pairs partner learning, independent
learning, and cooperative learning.

● Flexible seating

● Preferential seating

● Pull-out from class (for learners with special needs)