4TH ANNUAL NATIONAL INCLUSIVE SCHOOLS WEEK TO FOCUS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF “WORKING TOGETHER”

Denver, CO -"The 4th Annual National Inclusive Schools Week will be celebrated December 6-10, 2004 in classrooms, schools, and communities throughout the country. This Week recognizes the nation’s progress and promotes action towards increasing the capacity of schools and communities to provide a quality education to an increasingly diverse student population, particularly to those who have disabilities. This year, the National Institute will focus on the value of “working together.” Systemic change is not a process that occurs in isolation. Families, teachers, paraprofessionals, other school personnel, state and local administrators, and community members must reach out across all levels of the system to improve the quality of education for students with disabilities and create inclusive communities for all children.
Since its inception in December 2001, National Inclusive Schools Week has been celebrated by tens of thousands of students, families, and educators in schools and communities in virtually every state in the country as well as several foreign countries. The Week is sponsored by the National Institute for Urban School Improvement at the University of Colorado, Denver and is a project of the U. S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs.
The National Institute characterizes inclusive schools as those that:
▼ make sure each and every student feels welcome and is learning,
▼ embrace the understanding that every student is unique and, therefore, learns differently,
▼ understand that all children—students with and without disabilities, English language learners, those with special talents—learn better if teaching is tailored to their abilities and interests,
▼ collaborate with families,
▼ hold high expectations for student success, and
▼ keep improving.
National Inclusive Schools Week provides an opportunity to reflect on how to ensure families, schools, and communities across the nation are working together effectively to provide a quality education for an increasingly diverse student population. The Week further emphasizes the National Institute’s message, “Inclusive Schools: Good for Kids, Families, & Communities,” which highlights the benefits of inclusive education for all children.
The National Institute has updated the increasingly popular Celebration Kit, which contains publications that outline the benefits of inclusive schools, suggested readings for children and adults, celebration ideas and lesson plans, and materials to use in promoting the Week. The 2004 kit includes ideas that will assist those who are ready to move beyond celebrating towards more sustainable change within their community.
The free kit will be available for downloading from the National Institute’s Web site in early fall: http://www.inclusiveschools.org. In addition, the National Institute will sponsor events during the Week that focus on the theme of “working together.” Details will be posted on the National Institute Web site.
To learn more about the 4th Annual National Inclusive Schools Week, visit the National Institute’s Web site: http://www.inclusiveschools.org or contact Bonnie Johnson Barry at niusi@edc.org or 1-877-332-2870 (TTY: 617-964-5448)."