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| Reading 17 |
Curricular Design
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A Model for Supported Inclusion at the Secondary Level Tralli, R., Colombo, B., Deshler, D. D., & Schumaker, J. B. (1996). The strategies Intervention Model: A model for supported inclusion at the secondary level. Remedial and Special Education, 17, 204-216. Abstracted by Barbara Higgins-Dover In this article the authors describe the difficulties faced in trying to successfully include students with mild disabilities in secondary classrooms. Teacher training, and support are described as necessary steps toward inclusion. The University of Kansas Center for Research in Learning (KU-CRL) researchers have designed instructional methods and procedures that enable teachers to address these challenges. The interventions developed through this research are called the Strategies Intervention Model or "the Model," each of which can be grouped into three major categories. Learning Strategy Interventions: Many students with disabilities are ineffective learners who lack information processing skills that they might need to cope with the wide range of content delivered in secondary classrooms. Figure 1 provides the reader with examples of the learning strategies curriculum, including, acquisition strategies, storage strategies, and expression and demonstration of competence strategies, each of which should enhance the processing skills of the student. Content Enhancement Routines: The authors describe Content Enhancement Routines as instructional routines for teachers to use to enhance the delivery of content information and improve student understanding and recall of content. Figure 2 provides examples of content routines, including, organizational routines and concept routines. Empowerment Interventions: The importance of "Empowerment Interventions" are discussed and described in the article. The goal is to empower students to perform at their best and to create positive relationships with others in the school settings. Several social and motivational strategies have been developed by researchers to help students toward achieving self-advocacy and are referenced in the article by each contributing author. It is recommended that each of these three intervention categories be coordinated across many teachers and classrooms for the greatest impact to occur. The authors suggest that teachers plan together and collaboratively solve problems the students might face in trying to achieve success in school. Two examples are provided in the reading which translate the philosophy and the instructional components of the "Model" into practice. The first example involves a district-level implementation in the Wethersfield Public School District, while the second is an implementation of the strategies at Clayton High School in Clayton, Missouri. Conclusions are made based on the implementation of the "Model" in these two school districts, including a discussion of support, time, effort, collaboration, and inclusion needed to achieve the best possible results. |
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