student diversity in alberta: inclusion for all. “an inclusive education system is one that takes...
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Student Diversity in Alberta: Inclusion for all
“An inclusive education system is one that takes
responsibility for all students, focuses on their
strengths, and emphasizes what they
can do rather than focusing on their limitations. Inspiring Action on Education, June 2010, page 12
If we are still talking about
inclusion, that means
someone is excluded
Humans are
99.9% similar
Yet we tend to focus on differences
Why isn’t “special education” enough?
“Alberta’s demographic picture continues to change, resulting in increased diversity within the province and the education system.”
Inspiring Action on Education: A Discussion Paper, June 2010
WHO?WHY?HOW?
WHO are these diverse students in Alberta schools?
In an Alberta school of 500 students,
we might expect to see…
•25 students
with learning disabilities
•40 students
with AD/HD
•45 students who live
below the poverty line
•40 students whose
first language is not English or French
•25 students who
are First Nations, Métis or Inuit (FNMI)
• 7 students
with autism
• 5 students
with FASD
• At least 1 student
with a physical disability
• 15 students with cognitive disabilities
• 8 students with severe behavioural/emotional disabilities
• 7 students requiring support for mental health issues
• 100 students who will not finish high school within 5 years
Diversity could also mean …
Differences in:– background knowledge
and experience– learning preferences– learning strengths– personal interests and
motivation– levels of engagement
Diversity could also mean…
Alberta also has Diverse School Authorities!
Student diversity is NOT a static profile.
We need to collect and use relevant data to inform future work.
2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/090
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
8070.7 70.6 71.1 70.8 71.5
50.4 50.753.0
56.259.0
34.135.2 34.7 35.6
34.1
53.256.5 57.1 57.3 60.7
23.7 24.525.4
24.929.0
All Students
ESL
FNMI
Learning Disability
Emotional Disability
All studentsIn percentages
3-year High School Completion Rate
2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/090
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
77.0 78.1 78.9 78.7 79.0
60.2 56.6
65.867.0 69.4
34.3 42.2
47.3 47.8 45.8
65.6 64.464.5 68.2 68.6
32.025.7
33.9 32.8 33.9
All Students
ESL
FNMI
Learning Disability
Emotional Disability
All studentsIn percentages
5-year High School Completion Rate
WHO?WHY?HOW?
Meeting the needs of all students
• We need to think beyondstudents currently identifiedwith special education needs.
Why consider a wider range of students?
• Current special education categories describe less
than 10% of learners
• There is not a common understanding of these
categories across the province: <50% in 2008
• Medical diagnoses do not necessarily provide
implications for learning and instruction
Sykes, 2009 with permission
Diversity and Collaboration:
The case of bees
35°C = optimal temperature for bee hives
2 behaviours:
Too hot: fan out or leaveToo cold: get closer
How diversity helpsGenetically homogeneous bees: All
get cold (or hot) at the same time.
Genetically diverse bees: Get cold (or hot) at different temperatures. Temperature stabilizes.
Diversity and Problem Solving: Humans (Hong & Page, 2002)
2 Groups:
1. 20 high IQ2. Diverse 20
Problem-solving activity
The Groups by IQ score
138
75
121 84
High Ability Group Diverse Group
132 135
139
135
137
135
111
31
And the winner is…
“Most of the time” the diverse group outperformed the group of the best by a substantial margin.
Hong & Page (2002)
WHO?WHY?HOW?
A3 Model: From Advocacy to Accessibility
Adapted from: Schwanke, Smith & Edyburn, 2001
Theory of societal change
How can schools make the most of diversity?
Students
Pedagogy
Curriculum Content
Teachers
Rosado, 2006
Rosado’s Four Imperatives for effectively managing diversity (adapted for education)
1) Reflect the heterogeneity of the community (affirmative action)
2) Be sensitive to the needs of the various groups (value differences)
3) Incorporate a range of contributions to the overall mission of education (managing diversity)
4) Create cultural and social ambiance that is
inclusive and empowers all groups (living diversity)
Rosado, 2006
Final thoughts
“If we are to achieve a richer culture, rich in contrasting values, we must recognize the whole gamut of human potentialities, and so weave a less arbitrary social fabric, one in which each diverse human gift will find a fitting place.”
Margaret Mead
Contact us:
Lise Belzile, PhDTeam Leader, Inclusive EducationFrench Language Education ServicesAlberta Education
[email protected](780) 422-7794