What's New in 2009?
CACL recognizes No-Excuses Team
The No-Excuses campaign focusing on inclusive education has been a great success. CACL held a reception to thank the people who created the concept and produced the materials on June 8 in Toronto. CACL President Bendina Miller expressed the appreciation of parents and kids who face excuses in schools in many parts of Canada. The campaign continues. In the photo Jessica and her classmate are sharing the hospitality at the reception.
CACL info@ features news about inclusive education.
Click on the graphic above to download the PDF document.
Youth Shares View on Inclusive Education
Claire Hitchens is a parent in Ontario. She shares this with us.
In January my daughter and her friend had the opportunity to attend the Re: Action4Inclusion conference sponsored by Community Living Ontario and the Youth Action Network. My daughter's friend Shanyce Robinson is a new member of the youth editorial board at our local paper, The Waterloo Region Record, and this morning they published this article written by her. She is a sixteen-year-old student in the Waterloo Catholic District School Board. The child she refers to in the article with the "indomitable spirit" is my son Russell. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Click Here for PDF of the article or use this link.
CBC Radio Podcast on Inclusive Education
Listen to CBC Radio Podcast on Inclusive Education from Saskatchewan. Features Laurie Larson, VP of CACL and Michael Bach EVP of CACL. Click Here.
CACL Launches No Excuses Awareness Campaign
 As part of National Inclusive Education Week, CACL is Launching a national Inclusive Education - 'No Excuses' Campaign to help raise public awareness and support for inclusive education. According to a national survey, only 33% of Canadians support inclusive education. We have a lot of work to do to build public support. With the pro bono support of Partners + Edell and Wildmouse Productions, along with an anonymous donor committed to our cause, we have created a campaign to challenge Canadians to question their usual assumptions about students with intellectual disabilities in the regular classroom.
Our message is that children and youth with intellectual disabilities belong with their peers in regular, well-supported, inclusive classrooms and schools. It can be done. It should be done. It might not happen overnight across all Boards of Education in Canada. But there are No Excuses for not making it happen.
Join our campaign. Spread the word. Get engaged. - Join the network and sign the Declaration for Inclusive Education at http://www.no-excuses.ca
Check out the National Post Thursday February 19 - for a CACL 10-page Supplement and “No-Excuses” Poster.
CACL has partnered with the National Post, General Motors of Canada, the BMO Financial Group and many other contributors to produce a 10-page Supplement to appear in the National Post edition this coming Thursday. You can also see the Supplement online starting Thursday at www.nationalpost.com. The supplement includes a full-page 'No-Excuses' poster to help launch our national awareness campaign for inclusive education. Many thanks to all those who contributed their messages, stories and experiences to help Canadians understand the facts, figures, and people behind our 10-year Agenda.
 An example worth following
Action plan: New Brunswick embraces policy of inclusiveness
National Post
Published: Wednesday, February 18, 2009
When it comes to proof of the benefits of inclusive education for those with intellectual disabilities, New Brunswick has assumed a leadership role. Since it began doing away with segregated, "special education" classes for grade school students in the mid-1980s, the province has slowly climbed the inclusiveness ladder.
Today, children with all forms of intellectual disability are warmly welcomed in classes from junior kindergarten through to graduation from community college. Granted, they are not held to the same academic rigours as those around them. But individual learning plans and support from tutors and teaching assistants ensure that they master the subjects and skills best suited to their individual abilities.
"Our adoption of inclusiveness has made an enormous difference to children with disabilities and to their families," says Dr. Gordon Porter, chairman of the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission and, as a former head of special education in the Woodstock area, one of the driving forces for the move toward inclusiveness.
"We have done three major studies since the inclusiveness approach was adopted and all of them showed that the children's outcomes from academic to overall health improved."
Marlene Munn and her husband Doug Hughes can personally testify to the benefits of inclusiveness. Their daughter Aimee, 10, has Down Syndrome but that has not prevented her from being an active, engaged and healthy student first in pre-school and now in Grade 4 at Connaught Street Elementary School in Fredricton.
"She has an independent learning plan, which sets out her goals for the year, and teachers are held accountable to see that she achieves those goals," Ms. Munn says. "She can read, she can spell using laminated letters to form words, and she can do simple math as well."
Her involvement in the community dos not end when class does. Aimee is a devoted member of a local Girl Guide troop as well.
"Like any 10-year-old, she plays with the children she has been with since pre-school. She gets invited to all the birthday parties. I can see her having a rewarding and happy life in the mainstream of the community," Ms. Munn says. "In fact, we would never think of leaving New Brunswick, knowing attitudes toward children with intellectual disabilities are not the same in all parts of Canada."
In New Brunswick, Aimee's education need not end at high school. Since 2001, New Brunswick Community College has had its own form of inclusive policy, first as a pilot project covering just three of its six campuses and now expanded to five.
The program is, however, a work in progress, says Helene Martin, director of services for students with disabilities at NBCC. "The original idea was to provide access to the environment and not necessarily academic courses," she says. "Students could enjoy the milieu and the social life but need not attend all the classes in the courses they took, and each was given a support staffer.
"By 2006, we knew the program was a success but we also knew the model must change."
NBCC now places the focus on academic achievement and provides support only in those areas where students need it. Students each receive an individual learning plan geared to their abilities and are judged and tested by those standards.
"We had one student in the truck and transport course, for example. He was unable to do complicated tasks such as replacing valves but he could work on graduation as an oil technician," Ms. Martin says. "We were able to give him those skills and then help place him with an employer."
In fact, about 80% of NBCC's students with intellectual disabilities do indeed find employment after graduation.
One of the downsides of the program, however, is that space is limited by funding. NBCC can only accommodate about 20 students a year while applications regularly number in the 100-plus range.
In many ways it has been easier for New Brunswick, a province of small cities and even smaller rural centres, to embrace inclusiveness than those with huge urban centres, Dr. Porter says.
"We were almost starting from scratch; we didn't have any existing infrastructure, no huge investment in a segregated system," he says. "Major cities may have 1,000 teachers involved in special education and one special ed school for every seven to eight regular ones.
"The challenge is not with the teachers, however, it is in convincing politicians and those in leadership and management roles that inclusiveness is a far better way; showing that it does not cost more money, it just redirects what is now being spent.
"If we can do it in New Brunswick, there is no reason it can't be done everywhere else in Canada."
© 2008 The National Post Company. All rights reserved. Unauthorized distribution, transmission or republication strictly prohibited.
Inclusive Education Canada Launched
 CACL is launching a new initiative to further inclusive education in Canada. “Inclusive Education Canada” (IEC) will bring together a network of individuals who can provide training, consultation, research and information sharing will b e available to both teachers and parents on how to move our schools toward inclusive practice. The members of the IEC network of associates have the knowledge and experience to provide the help support sometimes needed to bring about changes in how schools serve students – and assure that every student is included and every student learns.
You can find out more about Inclusion Education Canada and download a copy of the information flyer by Clicking Here
Sask. Appeals Court Hears Education Case from Year 2000 - dispute between school authorities and family.
-Check out the details
Toronto Star article focuses on Inclusive Education Forum in Toronto February 13 at OISE
-Check out the details
Community Living Ontario – Discussion of Philip Burge Article on Public Perception on Inclusive Education in Ontario.
Web posted article - Community Living Ontario Website
New study on inclusive education focuses on public perceptions Author says study highlights areas that can be improved upon Wednesday, February 04, 2009 --
 Philip Burge says knowing how your community thinks is an important step towards addressing areas where improvements can be made.
That reasoning led him to co-author a new study entitled, A Quarter Century of Inclusive Education for Children with Intellectual Disabilities in Ontario: Public Perceptions, which surveyed 680 adults from across Ontario to find out their opinions on inclusive education.
Despite increasing movement towards inclusive education, which he says gathered steam in the 1980s with the introduction of Bill 82, the public's opinion of its utility remains divergent.
When asked what type of school is best for children who have an intellectual disability, 52 per cent of the public viewed some degree of inclusive education in schools as best while 42 per cent believed that education in a segregated setting was best.
Burge, who is an associate professor of psychiatry at Queen's University, says that despite conducting the survey in southeastern Ontario, which provides greater opportunities for inclusive education, these results were unanticipated.
"We know that certain Ontario school boards, especially in the Toronto and Ottawa areas, have a long and ongoing history of favouring segregated schools than do most other Ontario jurisdictions," says Burge.
"Given the norm of greater opportunities for most children with intellectual disabilities in southeastern Ontario (where the survey was conducted) to receive part of most of their schooling in integrated classrooms it was surprising to uncover such a high proportion of respondents who believed (segregated) schools was best for children who have an intellectual disability."
Reasons for the public's opinion may be explained in a follow-up question of the survey. When participants were asked what they perceived as obstacles to inclusion 79 per cent said schools lacked the resources needed and 69 per cent of the respondents believed teachers were unprepared to teach students who have an intellectual disability.
Burge says due to the limitations of the survey he is unable to comment on whether the perceived barriers are real or only perceptions but the study's outcomes should be used to dig deeper into the issues.
"What appears clear is that these perceptions are likely held by a significant proportion of the adult public and these views likely impact their support level for efforts to expand inclusion in schools," he says.
From the findings the authors conclude that it is imperative for school boards to further explore and ultimately address the lack of preparedness perception held by the public.
The authors further suggest that the public may be unaware of recent policy developments to enhance inclusive education such as Education for All in 2005, meant to strengthen student's learning through greater needs identification and allocation of resources, and a proposal from the college of teachers which recommends adjustments of the content to the program of professional education that would make special education a required element.
The authors add that boards of education, educators and government ministries can play a key role in better communicating to the public recent developments in order to further strengthen support for inclusion and increase available educational resources to address the remaining challenges.
Also important to the study’s findings was the positive link between people who know someone who has a disability and their positive opinions of inclusion education. People who know someone with an intellectual disability are more than twice as likely to favour inclusive school environments.
The authors recommend disability awareness programs and personal success stories from children would be helpful to informing the public of the potential benefits of an inclusive school environment.
For a full copy of the Burge study click here.
Recent Article on Inclusion in Ontario
Philip Burge from Queen's University and his colleagues have written an interesting article on inclusive education in Ontario. Check it out.
What's New in 2008?
Bruce Rivers and Krista Carr Get Together to Share Strategies
 Bruce Rivers, Executive Director of Community Living Toronto, the largest local member in the Community Living movement in Canada recently visited with Krista Carr, the Executive Director of the New Brunswick ACL. Bruce visited the NBACL offices in Fredericton and discussed several issues with staff members of NBACL. The key topic was inclusive education and the strategies that NBACL uses to promote inclusion in schools throughout the province. Ken Pike and Julie Stone, who both work on education issues were part of the discussion. In addition, NBACL arranged for Brian Kelly, the Director of Student Services for the NB Ministry of Education to discuss education issues. Part of the discussion centered on the MacKay Report on inclusion that was completed 2 years ago and is being used to guide on-going actions. The NBACL input into that strategy was discussed.
In addition, Bruce and Krista talked about the new approach to funding personal supports being developed in New Brunswick. It is a positive policy development created in large part as a consequence of lobbying and joint planning between government and NBACL.
Bruce Rivers Looks at Inclusive Education in New Brunswick
 On May 29, Bruce Rivers, the Executive Director of Community Living Toronto, visited several schools and talked with teachers and education officials in New Brunswick. The visit was facilitated by Gordon Porter, CACL’s Director of Inclusive Education Initiatives who live in NB. CACL, Community Living Toronto and Community Living Ontario have a Tri-level Partnership working to promote inclusive education opportunities in Toronto schools.
 The first visit was to the Keswick Valley Memorial School in Burtt’s Corner, just north of Fredericton. The school principal, Wayne Annis, provided a school tour and an update on what the school does to support inclusion. Margie Cummings, a former teacher in the school, now working as a volunteer shared the change process the community experienced in moving from a segregated school to the inclusion model in place today.
 The second visit was to the Royal Road Elementary School in Fredericton. School principal, Donald Porter provided access to a number of classrooms where children with significant disabilities are supported and Bruce spoke to classroom teachers, resource teachers, teacher assistants and, of course, the children. Mr. Rivers commented that the school visits were very informative and beneficial.
Manitoba Resource on Transition from Secondary School
A new document has been created in Manitoba to address transition protocol for students who will be completing their high school education. It is called -Bridging to Adulthood: A Protocol for Transitioning Students with Exceptional Needs from School to Community. It is intended for transition planning partners, including Manitoba Family Services and Housing, designated agencies, Child and Family Services Authorities and Agencies, Manitoba Health and Healthy Living, regional health authorities and their programs and services, Manitoba Education, Citizenship and Youth and educators in Manitoba.
Bridging to Adulthood:
A Protocol for Transitioning Students with Exceptional Needs from School to Community
Click here to link to the document
New Article on Inclusion in EDUCATION CANADA – the Journal of the Canadian Education Association.
The current issue of Education Canada has an article by Gordon Porter titled: Making Canadian Schools Inclusive: A Call to Action. Porter was invited to write the article to follow-up on his selection as a recipient of the CEA Whitworth Award for research in Education. Click HERE for a PDF copy of the article as it appears in the Spring 2008 issue is attached. Click HERE for a second copy that might be used for printing is also attached.
Manitoba Issues new Parent Guide
Community Living Manitoba has released a new “Parent Guide” on inclusive education. It is rich resource on the things that a parent needs to know to advocate effectively for their child. While there are aspects particular to Manitoba – most of the topics will be of interest to parents anywhere.
Manitoba “Parent Guide on Inclusive Education”
Chapters include:
CHAPTER 1: INCLUSIVE SCHOOL PRACTICES
BEST PRACTICES IN INCLUSIVE EDUCATION; School Learning Environment; Collaborative Planning; Administration; Social Responsibility; Curriculum Planning and Implementation; Support Programs and Services; Classroom Practices; Planning for Transition; Partnerships: School, Family and Community; Innovation: System and Staff Growth; ONE FAMILY'S JOURNEY TOWARDS INCLUSION; WORKSHEET: YOUR FAMILY'S JOURNEY TOWARDS INCLUSION.
CHAPTER 2: GETTING TO KNOW YOUR SCHOOL
CHAPTER 3: LAWS AND POLICIES YOU SHOULD KNOW
CHAPTER 4: PLANNING YOUR CHILD'S INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
INTRODUCTION; WHAT SHOULD MY CHILD BE LEARNING AT SCHOOL?; DEVELOPING AN ASSESSMENT PLAN FOR YOUR CHILD;THE INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION PLAN (IEP); THE IEP STEP PLAN: 1. Gathering and Sharing Information ; 2. Developing and Writing a Plan; 3. Implementing and Reviewing the IEP; 4. Setting Direction; WHAT IS AN IEP?; WRITING STUDENT-SPECIFIC OUTCOMES; Evaluating Student-Specific Outcomes; HOW TO WRITE PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES; Evaluating Performance Objectives; A PARENT'S CHECKLIST FOR INCLUSIVE EDUCATION.
CHAPTER 5: ADVOCACY (OR WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU DON'T LIKE WHAT IS HAPPENING):
SNAPSHOT ON ADVOCACY; INTRODUCTION; DEVELOPING A VISION OF ADVOCACY;
ADVOCACY SKILLS AND INFORMATION; PROCESSES FOR RESOLVING DIFFERENCES;
Resolution at the School Level; Resolution at the School Division Level;
Resolution at the Departmental Level; ADVOCACY AND THE CHALLENGING OF AUTHORITY; HOW DO I KNOW WHEN I HAVE AN ISSUE?; HOW DO I PROCEED IN THE ROLE OF AN ADVOCATE?;
EFFECTIVE ADVOCACY STRATEGIES AND SKILLS; HOW TO SOLVE PROBLEMS; DEVELOPING EFFECTIVE COLLABORATION SKILLS; THE COLLABORATIVE TEAM;
CHECKLIST FOR EFFECTIVE PARENT/PROFESSIONAL COLLABORATION; For Parents; For Professionals.
CHAPTER 6: COMMUNICATING THROUGH BEHAVIOUR
APPENDIX 1: ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM
APPENDIX 2: THE UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITY
APPENDIX 3: STUDENT-SPECIFIC OUTCOME TEMPLATE AND SUGGESTED LANGUAGE
APPENDIX 4: INCLUSIVE EDUCATION ADAPTATION CHECKLIST APPENDIX 5: PLANNING ALTERNATIVE TOMORROWS WITH HOPE (PATH)
Manitoba's Parent Guide to Inclusive Education is now available on Community Living - Manitoba's website at www.aclmb.ca/Early_Childhood_Education/Parent_Guide_to_Inclusive_Education.pdf
New Inclusive Education Brochures in the Works
CACL and Provincial/Territorial Members are working to produce two new brochures setting out the vision and mandate for inclusive education.
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One will be directed to teachers and other school staff. Julie Stone, a Past President of CACL and a distinguished teacher and educator will lead the team taking on this task. Julie now works with NBACL and is from Nackawic, NB.
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The other will be developed with the interests of parents and family members in mind. Anne Kresta, a parent and skilled advocate from Winnipeg, Manitoba will lead this team.
The work is scheduled to be completed by June 2008.
ADVOCATE
Community Living Toronto – Kids Exposed to Inclusion Concepts Through Spinclusion Game
Click here for details.
LEARN & ENGAGE
The Canadian Education Association has presented Gordon L. Porter the Whitworth Award for Educational Research. Porter is the Director of Inclusive Education Initiatives for CACL. He has had a long career in education and has promoted knowledge and practice in inclusive education during the last 25 years.
Gordon Porter worked in public education in New Brunswick as a teacher, principal and district leader. He helped establish inclusive education in the schools of Woodstock NB and has supported inclusion across Canada and internationally. Porter is currently the Chair of the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission.
Click here to read the CEA press release and CEA citation.
LEARN
CACL Inclusive Education Brochure
 The ACL Federation has developed a new brochure describing our association vision for inclusive education in Canada. The publication is a clear statement of what we think is needed in schools across Canada to prepare young people with intellectual disabilities for a full life in the community. The brochure is designed for easy printing and we encourage you to access it on our inclusive education website. It can be shared by parents, teachers and other interested parties. Check it out!
What's New in 2007?
The Canadian Association for Community Living is striving to keep you up to date on all of the latest developments within the field of Inclusive Education across the country.
ADVOCATE
Sharing our Success – Mapping our Future
The Newfoundland and Labrador Association for Community Living held a Forum on inclusive education on April 19 & 20, 2007. Discussions focused on issues and possibilities. - Click here for more
Manitoba Up-date on Inclusive Education
Anne Kresta writes about progress toward inclusive education in Manitoba in 2006. Included are several activities of note including activities related to Bill 13. - Click here for more
National Inclusive Education Achievement Awards
NB Association for Community Living Announces Winners
(Fredericton) The Canadian Association for Community Living (CACL), a Canada-wide association of family members and others, which works on behalf of persons of all ages who have an intellectual disability, announced the New Brunswick recipients of the National Inclusive Education Achievement Awards at a ceremony held earlier this week at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Fredericton. - Click here for more
LEARN
Quebec Website – provides resources and information for inclusion.
I-LRN is one of five resource centers of the Quebec Inclusive Education Service (IES).*
I-LRN is designed to help English School Boards develop effective service frameworks for students with learning difficulties. Emphasis is placed on inclusive (developmental) approaches — those that promote high teaching/learning standards for all students in inclusive schools. A key I-LRN premise is that ALL learners benefit from enrichment. - Click here for more
ASCD Resources on Inclusion
Excellent resources on inclusive education are available from ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development), one of the most highly regarded professional associations in education. Their journal, Educational Leadership, is a great source of information for teachers. Issues are archived and available on-line. - Click here for more
Yukon Program Supports Inclusion and More
A program called the “Whole Child Program” was referred to us by Patrice Berrel, CACL Board member and a school principal in Whitehorse, Yukon. The program is coordinated by Crystal Pearl-Hodgins, the Community Coordinator. - Click here for more
Keynote Speech at Inclusion Event
Dr. Michael Bach, Executive Vice-President of the Canadian Association for Community Living was the keynote speaker at a major inclusion event held in New Brunswick November 26-28, 2006. Dr. Bach opened the session by addressing over 300 teachers and educational leaders in attendance. He spoke about the context in which the demand for inclusive education occurs in Canada and analyzed critical factors that require discussion and reflection. For a full copy of the speech check the link in our LEARN Section.
2006 Articles
LEARN
Nova Scotia lawyer Wayne MacKay has completed a review of the New Brunswick education system, placing a focus on policies of Inclusion. The New Brunswick Association for Community Living is pleased with MacKay's findings, citing them as "consistent with NBACL's submissions" to the provincial government. - Click here for more
The Marsha Forest Centre has recently issued it's report: Finding a Way Through the Maze: Crucial Terms Used in Education Provision for Canadians with Disabilities. CACL has made this document of recommended definitions and supporting grounded findings available for you online. - Click here for more
ENGAGE
This summer, CACL will be launching two new projects to "Engage" participants across Canada. First watch for the Inclusive Education Web Calendar to help you keep track of events happening nation-wide. Then join us online for an exchange of ideas like never before with the Inclusive Education Discussion Forum.
Here is a story sent to us from Manitoba. It appeared recently in the Winnipeg Free Press. - Click here for more
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