Profile in Inclusive Education

Maple Wood Elementary, Somersworth, NH

For many years, Maple Wood Elementary School in Somersworth, NH thought it was practicing inclusion--after all, students with disabilities were present in general education classrooms at every grade level. Some students, however, spent the entire day in a classroom separated from their peers learning separate curriculums, and like many schools, numerous students were increasingly being pulled out of classroom settings for therapy sessions.

With a restructuring of the school's special education program in the wake of the No Child Left Behind Act, Maple Wood saw the need for change in how they were doing inclusive education. The staff implemented the IOD's Beyond Access Model, an educational framework that promotes improved learning of general education curriculum content by students with the most significant disabilities. The school also hired an Inclusion Facilitator from within its own staff to promote collaboration and instructional teaming for the students with the most significant accommodations needs.

Today, all students, including those with the most significant disabilities, are included in Maple Wood's classrooms. All services are completely incorporated into the natural flow of classroom activities; students are no longer pulled out to work on reading, speech, or other skills. Classroom staff work together to help every student learn the core academic content, thereby enhancing the educational experience for everyone. Students with disabilities are learning more by interacting and engaging with their non-disabled peers, and students without disabilities are providing some of the most valuable academic and social support for students with disabilities.

"Inclusion is just a natural practice here at Maple Wood," says Principal Caroline Butler. "We have high expectations for all of our teachers, and our students see each other for who they really are. The smiles on our students' faces are enough to know that this is benefitting everyone."

For more information on the Beyond Access Model, visit www.iod.unh.edu/beyondaccess.html.