Inclusion Policy

Each student at Sand Creek International School has individual learning needs, strengths, styles and is entitled to an education without barriers. It is the responsibility of all staff to respond to the needs of every student to increase international mindedness, academic success, and social responsibility. The IB program at Sand Creek International School meets all state and federal requirements:

IDEA - The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
ADA - Americans with Disabilities Act
Assistive Technology Act

We aim to ensure that students successfully access curriculum; to increase understanding and level of knowledge; to increase approaches to learning (ATL) skills; to emphasize a transdisciplinary programme of inquiry, to promote an integrated system connecting all levels of learners; to provide high quality, differentiated instruction that is matched to student’s academic, social and behavioral needs. Finally, to improve educational outcomes for all students, SCIS will utilize the inclusion model where students are included in the general education classroom as much as possible.

IB Standards & Practices

Culture 2: The school implements, communicates and regularly reviews an inclusion policy that creates cultures that support all students to reach their full potential. (0301-02)

Culture 2.1: The school implements and reviews an inclusion policy that meets IB guidelines. (0301-02-0100)

Culture 2.2: The school identifies in its inclusion policy all of its legal requirements and outlines the school’s structures and processes for compliance. (0301-02-0200)

Culture 2.3: The school describes in its inclusion policy the rights and responsibilities of all members of the school community and clearly states the school’s vision for implementing inclusive programmes. (0301-02-0300)

Inclusion Policy Goals

The goals of the Inclusion Policy are:

Adhere to national, state, and local laws regarding Exceptional Student Education
Ensure that the special needs of our students are identified early, assessed, and provided for
Clarify the expectations of all stakeholders
Identify roles and responsibilities of stakeholders
Assist all students in accessing all elements of the school curriculum and assessment policy
Diversity is welcomed and valued at Sand Creek
Instructional resources will include people of diverse backgrounds
Honor diverse perspectives and walks of life

The administration, faculty, and staff at Sand Creek International School acknowledge that:

Our students have different educational and learning needs, abilities, and goals
Students gain knowledge and skills at different rates and through different means
All students are capable of learning and they are unique
Our school welcomes all people, regardless of ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender identity

Roles & Responsibilities

Responsibilities of the School

The school will…

Work with Special Education Services in Harrison School District Two to make sure the program is in compliance with federal and local laws regarding students with special educational needs
Raise staff awareness of the needs of our exceptional students
Provide resources for the implementation and continuation of the Inclusion Policy
Provide updates and host meetings for IEP and 504 reviews
Facilitate the provision of appropriate accommodations as outlined by Special Education Services in Harrison School District Two
Provide all gender restrooms

Responsibilities of the Faculty

All staff members at Sand Creek International School will…

Comply with all federal and local laws regarding special education needs
Participate in all required training when available
Identify struggling learners and refer the student to Multi-Tier Support System (MTSS) as needed
Implement the appropriate interventions as outlined in the MTSS
Maintain accurate records of students’ progress
Become familiar with the special needs of the student via strategic communication between general education staff and case manager (specifically via sharing academic/social goals).
Provide differentiated instruction as outlined by the student’s IEP or 504 Plan
Maintain discretion and confidentiality in providing special education needs services
Use instructional resources that include people of diverse backgrounds
Honor the perspectives of all members of the school community

Responsibilities of the Parents

Staff will work with parents to ensure that parents will…

Be treated as partners
Play an active role in their child’s education
Have knowledge of their child’s entitlement within the Procedural Safeguards
Have access to information, advice, and support
Communicate to the school all documents regarding their child’s special educational needs
Communicate with the school any changes regarding student needs

Responsibilities of the Students

Students’ views are ascertained. To participate in decision-making, students can work toward (with adult encouragement):

Expressing their feelings and their needs
Participating in discussions and leading IEP meetings as appropriate
Indicating choices
Asking for information and support
Showing respect for others through words and actions

School Action

Action is taken to support a student when he/she is identified as needing additional attention and supplement of what has been provided in the classroom. The student is brought to the Multi-Tiered System of Support Team to analyze data and provide appropriate interventions. Indicators that this step is necessary may come from the following:

The student...

Makes little or no progress on academic assessments
Shows signs of difficulty in developing key skills, which results in poor grades
Presents emotional or behavioral difficulties
Has diagnosed learning differences or impairment

Practice

The practices will include the following:

Monitoring progress through a variety of state and district-mandated assessments:
- CMAS
- CoALT
- ACCESS for ELLs
- Acadience Reading
- AIMSWeb
- i-Ready
Teachers will develop and use a variety of assessment methods (formal, informal, modified rubrics) for students to demonstrate their understanding
Teachers will utilize a variety of instructional methods to facilitate student learning
Accommodations will be documented through the following (also see Sand Creek Accommodation Process below):
- IEP, 504, LP, READ, RtI and/or ELLP
- Accommodation Plan on Alpine
Units will be developed collaboratively between general education teachers, elective teachers, and support staff (SPED, CLDE, GT)
Student progress will be communicated through the following:
- Report cards
- IEP meetings
- 504 meetings
- Parent/teacher conferences
- MTSS Quarterly Meetings o ELLP’s
- Progress reports
- Additional parent meetings when needed
Progression/Transition meetings will be held in the spring or as needed with identified staff (SPED, CLDE, GT)
- Information will be given at the time of transition to coordinate and administer who will share with appropriate staff members

Accommodation Process

The process for discussing student needs and establishing accommodations, interventions, or support for struggling students is as follows:

Student has at least 6 weeks of an intervention to target the area of need
Teacher brings information to MTSS team
Team discusses the success of the intervention and determines the next phase of intervention for the student. If there is still a need, the following could be implemented:

Increase in number of minutes of intervention or contact days
Decrease in the student to teacher ratio
Change of intervention focus

4. If the student is still not making progress after three intervention cycles/phases, the MTSS team will discuss possible special education testing. Parents will be notified of these steps taken to support their child, and will be invited to meet with the MTSS team.

5. Accommodations on existing IEPs are updated annually at the IEP review meeting as needed.

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