ANGLOPHONE WEST SCHOOL DISTRICT
Australian delegation visits ASD-W schools for study tour on inclusion

 (Left to right) Professor Linda J. Graham, Dr. Shiralee Pond, Nashwaaksis Middle School Principal Kendra Frizzell and Dr. Kate de Bruin during the Australian delegation's visit to ASD-W schools for a study tour on inclusion

 

Visitors from around the world continue to visit schools in ASD-W to experience inclusive education in action.

On Oct. 22, a delegation from Australia, including Dr. Kate de Bruin, lecturer and educational researcher at Monash University, Professor Linda J. Graham, an educator in early childhood and inclusive education for Queensland University, and Dr. Shiralee Pond, a senior lecturer and educator for the University of Melbourne, visited Nashwaaksis Middle School and Summerhill Elementary School. 

During the study tour, the group heard about how provincial Policy 322 has instituted a philosophy that allows each student to feel respected, confident and safe so he or she can participate with their peers in a common learning environment and learn and develop to his or her full potential. The policy is based on a system of values and beliefs centred on the best interests of the student, which promotes cohesion, belonging, active participation in learning, a complete school experience, and positive interactions with peers and others in the school community. 

At Summerhill Elementary School, Principal Shannon Atherton and resource teacher Rebecca Keirstead talked about the culture of inclusion in their school, classroom supports for diverse learners, as well as support and core training for teachers and administrators. Other topics of discussion were literacy strategies, skill assessment tools, personalized learning plans, partial day programming, and zones of regulation to help manage behaviour.

"I liked that they were interested in both academic and behaviour support," Atherton said. "They made lots of positive comments about seeing evidence of positive behavioural supports in the school which is something we are working on. I found that our resource teacher was able to answer many of their specific questions regarding implementing inclusion in the classroom. They had an interest in how to support teachers with Tier 1 interventions and how we offer support to students who need intensive programming to help them succeed. "

At Nashwaaksis Middle School, Principal Kendra Frizzell discussed tracking and measuring the learning progress, goals and outcomes for students, and how inclusive practices, personalized learning plans and supports can be utilized to transition students with various behaviours or learning challenges into the regular classroom along side their peers. Four years ago, for example, there were nine students not attending regular classes at the school, and that number has since been reduced to one with a plan in place to re-engage that student.

The three-member delegation will take the information they gleaned about inclusion back to Australia where they will make recommendations to the State Department of Education in Queensland. The educators received a grant from the state to fund their visit to New Brunswick, Kansas and Vermont. In New Brunswick, they studied the system approach to education with the provincial government, districts, schools and community partners, such as the New Brunswick Association of Community Living, working together in the best interests of students.

In Australia, the school system operates with pockets of inclusion. However, segregation of students with special needs still exists in many cases. Parents and families in Australia are challenging the current school system so that improvements can be made. New Brunswick's reputation for being a world leader in inclusion brought the group to the province to study and obtain information on how to bring those changes about.

"Our challenge is to address the educational divide," said Dr. Kate de Bruin of the school system in Australia.