My son, a third-grader at Irving School, has autism and a speech delay. We live by Hatch Elementary School, but he attends Irving because four years ago when he was starting kindergarten he was placed in a self-contained classroom there.
We fought to instead have him in a general education class because the research we did told us the best way for him to learn how to speak and then learn how to read and do math and be a good friend was to be in a general education class with mostly typical peers and appropriate supports. This is because two of the biggest factors affecting student learning are proximity to peers and expectations.
Research shows that children with disabilities placed primarily in general education classes have more rigorous IEP goals and thus better outcomes in the short and long term. Due to the life-altering, amazing work of the faculty and principal at Irving, our dream for our son became a reality. In fact, he did so well in the general education classroom at Irving, after a couple years he was invited to return to his home school, Hatch. We made the difficult decision to keep him at Irving because, in addition to the amazing faculty at Irving, his peers and their families have become his community and support system.
Our son’s inclusion has been a major factor in the amazing progress he has made in the last four years. He went from mostly non-verbal to speaking now in 8- to 10-word sentences. He can mostly perform at grade level with modified work. He is a real part of the fabric of his class and of the Irving community. We are so thankful that District 97 has and continues to include him. It has changed the trajectory of his entire life.
I want the inclusion my son has experienced to be available to as many D97 students as possible. To be clear, some students need a more restrictive environment and we are legally obligated to provide a spectrum of placement options. That said, the promise of education in this country is that its purpose is to help every child reach their full potential. If we could structurally alter our school system to help more of our students with disabilities harness their full abilities, how can we not make that choice?
And here’s why: Being educated in the least restrictive environment has real consequences for children with disabilities. Indeed “many respected research studies have found that school achievement and quality post-school outcomes are positively correlated with the amount of time students with disabilities spend in a general education classroom — regardless of the severity of their disabilities.”* No studies conducted since the 1970s demonstrate any advantage for students with disabilities educated in more restrictive, segregated classrooms. In fact, research also shows inclusive classrooms are an advantage for non-disabled students — who experience greater social, emotional and academic growth.
Inclusive classrooms are a rising tide that lifts all ships. In order to best foster inclusion, many school districts have adopted co-teaching, which is when a general education teacher and special education teacher work together to teach a classroom of kids both with and without identified disabilities. Through differentiation and universal design all students can access the curriculum.
In the past, including kiddos like mine in the general education classroom for most of the day was not standard practice in D97 elementary schools. However, that is changing. The district has made tremendous progress in the past three years. Now, one of the eight elementary schools, Whittier, has fully implemented co-teaching, and there are partial implementations at three of the other seven schools. This is great news, but it means only some of our students have the opportunity to access the instructional design that best support inclusion.
Why not more? Why not all? Why should where you live in Oak Park determine your ability to access the education you need? The answer is about money and priorities. Each year since its inception, the board has graciously granted piecemeal funds requested by the Special Education Department to begin and then expand co-teaching, and the program has been in a pilot stage. This is a wise move. Co-teaching, like any new initiative, is most successful when there is extensive professional development and deliberate planning.
But the data from Whittier speaks for itself. The pilot has been a success. It is time to roll it out for the entire district. This cannot be a niche Special Education Department initiative. It must come from Supt. Carol Kelley and the school board.
Especially as we have new board members starting their terms, the time to examine this structural change is now. At the very least, it is incumbent on the board to research both the impact and the cost of expanding co-teaching district-wide.
Erika Eckart is an Oak Park resident.