SPECS for Include Me from the Start
SPECS for Include Me from the Start
ECP in collaboration with the Office of Child Development of the University of Pittsburgh announces the awarding of 3-year program evaluation research grant (2010-2012) from The Arc of Pennsylvania in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Department of Education/Bureau of Special Education to study the impact and outcomes of an intensive, on-site mentoring and consultation model to enhance the competencies of kindergarten and first grade teachers to make accommodations and to increase their instructional and management expertise to include children with significant disabilities into their general education classrooms. SPECS will analyze the impact and outcomes of the The Arc Include Me from the Start mentoring model on teachers, parents, children, and school district administrative support in 60 districts with 60 teachers across Pennsylvania for 111 children and families. The grant and the model are outgrowths of the Gaskin settlement which advocates for the preparation of school districts to better accommodate the needs of children with significant disabilities in regular classrooms. The SPECS evaluation research is intended to provide evidence-based information to inform future policy and professional practices about inclusion supports. The attached report is the 2-year research report.
Please click here to view the report.