INCLUSIVE EDUCATION PROGRAM

INCLUSIVE EDUCATION POLICY FRAMEWORK FOR BASIC EDUCATION (DEPED ORDER NO 21, S. 2019 – ANNEX 5)

I. RATIONALE

1. The Department of Education is mandated to protect and promote the right of every Filipino citizen to quality education that will enable each learner to realize their full potential and meaningfully take part in nation-building. Actualizing this constitutional right is the main thrust of the K to 12 Basic Education Program which recognizes the diversity of the country’s learners, schools and communities. Seeking to be inclusive, K to 12 has broadened the goals of basic education in response to the varied realities of learners and their families by providing a wider range of options not only in preparing them for higher education, but also for opportunities in employment and entrepreneurship. K to 12 further promotes the implementation of programs that address the various physical, intellectual, psychosocial, and cultural needs of learners in diverse contexts. These programs are anchored on inclusion which is a core principle of the Enhanced Basic Education Program (DepEd Order No. 43, s. 2013)

2. The principle of inclusion promotes institutional sensitivity and responsiveness to the nature, situation, and realities of our country’s learners and directs the Department to proactively address these through the curriculum and other interventions. This is institutionalized by K to 12 through Inclusive Education, a policy perspective realized through the development and implementation of learner-centered and context-responsive programs.

3. This policy framework is being adopted to provide an overall framework of implementation for programs that directly promote Inclusive Education and to ensure that every aspect of the K to 12 curriculum support system, across the governance levels of the Department, is responsive to the needs and demands of diverse learners.

II. KEY DIMENSION

A. The Learners

• DepEd recognizes the right of each and every learner to an education that is learner-centered, relevant and appropriate in relation to the learner's context. Thus, education programs shall be responsive to all learners regardless of sex, disability, culture, ability, age, ethnicity, social class, religious beliefs and other characteristics.

• The learners are the primary stakeholders of the Department's inclusive basic education system. Learners' participation and representation shall be encouraged in school organizations, in curricular and co-curricular activities, and in education planning, program development and implementation, where appropriate.

B. The K to 12 Curriculum

• Inclusion is a key standard and principle of the K to 12 curriculum and its actualization is supported by other standards and principles that further describe the features of an inclusive curriculum- learner-centered, developmentally appropriate, culture-sensitive, relevant, gender-responsive, and contextualized.

• Thus, the perspective of Inclusive Education is at the core of the K to 12 curriculum and is embedded in the curriculum framework itself. This is demonstrated by the Mother Tongue-based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) policy for K to 3, the varied offerings of Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE) in Junior High School, and the tracks and strands of Senior High School, all of which are meant to be responsive to the varied context of the country's learners.

• K to 12's standards-based curriculum was also designed to be flexible enough for schools and local communities to contextualize in relation to the learner's ability, socio-cultural background, historical context, and bio-geographical realities. Curriculum contextualization provides an avenue to be inclusive of the values. Beliefs, practices, and knowledge systems of the learner's community. Schools, learning centers and communities should be able to provide this kind of contextualization.

• The inclusiveness of K to 12 is also expressed through existing programs such as Special Education, Indigenous Peoples Education, Madrasah Education, and Flexible Learning Options including Alternative Delivery Modes and Alternative Learning System, which address the context and needs of particular learners. Special Interest Programs also cater to learners who manifest the interest and aptitudes for particular skillsets.

• To ensure that curriculum contextualization and the implementation of the various programs of the K to 12 curriculum actualize inclusion, and continue to promote equality and equity in developing the learners' competencies through quality differentiated instruction, the following shall be strengthened and continue to be pursued:

a. Recognition and development of programs or initiatives to address contexts, needs and concerns not covered by existing programs and initiatives of DepEd;

b. Contextualization of the curriculum and learning materials at the school level;

c. Differentiated presentation of information, content, and learning materials to support understanding,

d. Provision of opportunities for learners to create, learn and share what they know in both curricular and non-curricular activities;

e. Provision of equitable and appropriate learning opportunities for all learners to facilitate active participation and shared responsibility and accountability in the teaching-learning process; and,

f. Removal of barriers to learning and participation.

C. Development of Learning Resources

• Aligned with the principles of an inclusive and contextualized curriculum is the development of contextualized learning resources which is stipulated in RA 10533. Both contextualized teaching and learning materials shall be developed and produced at the field offices based on standards set by the Bureau of Learning Resources. These will complement the instructional materials provided by the Department and external partners/stakeholders.

• Learning resources (text and non-text based) shall be utilized to engage learners in active participation and interaction using different contexts that promote real life application. The diversities of learners' abilities, knowledge, learning styles, study habits, interests, motivation, multiple intelligences and other circumstances must be considered in the preparation, development, and delivery of contextualized learning materials and activities. As mentioned in the K to 12 Policy, some of these learning resources are also transcribed into Braille and adapted in other ways (e.g. like having a sign language interpreter in class) to ensure that all learners have access to these materials).

• Quality assurance processes shall ensure that learning resources produced are free from any discriminatory content, are appropriate to diverse learners, and are sensitive to social and cultural contexts.

• The community as a learning resource shall also be developed and maximized.

• The Learning Resource Portal as a repository of learning and teaching resources shall be utilized and maximized

D. Learning Delivery

• The inclusiveness of the K to 12 curriculum can be better experienced by learners in the teaching-learning process when different and diverse learners learn together and the delivery of educational programs and services is also made flexible based on the profile, needs, and context of the learners.

• Learning sessions shall be based on inclusive and learner-centered pedagogy. Teachers shall regularly monitor learners' progress and provide appropriate support including timely interventions, as needed. Schools are encouraged to offer a range of programs that shall serve as a menu of options for different types of learners to ensure that "no learner is left behind".

• Teachers and instructional managers shall maintain an inclusive atmosphere and promote respect at all times and will take steps to assure that initiatives geared towards differentiated instruction to address varied learning needs shall not be misconstrued by learners and the immediate community as segregation, nor will be a cause of bullying or discrimination.

• The school shall ensure the following:

a. Undertaking of anticipatory and proactive initiatives geared towards gaining a better understanding of the learners' contexts and needs;

b. Recognition of barriers to inclusion and removal of these by putting in place programs and services that adhere to the principles of universal design for learning,

c. Development of school implementing policies, mechanisms, and strategies for delivering equal and equitable opportunities for diverse learners;

d. Involvement of stakeholders - the learners, their parents and/or caregivers, and the immediate community - in meeting learning standards and in identifying and addressing learning gaps of disadvantaged and marginalized learners;

e. Formulation of appropriate and responsive interventions for the disadvantaged and marginalized learners;

f. Enhancement of curriculum implementation by aligning teaching- learning processes, formative and summative assessments and the learning standards deemed appropriate to the learners' context; and

g. Regular monitoring and evaluation of initiatives by actively involving the learners and other stakeholders as appropriate.

E. Educational Assessment

• The learner-centered orientation of the K to 12 curriculum and curriculum contextualization also necessitates that learning assessment be inclusive.

• Inclusive assessment provides learners varied opportunities to test their mastery of competencies and enables them to participate in several types of activities that enhance their understanding of concepts and ideas. Classroom assessment shall take into account the needs of all learners through the use of varied assessment strategies, methods and tools/equipment such as, but not limited to, tests (oral and written), multiple-choice questions, group presentations, self and peer assessment, role play, creation of audiovisual materials, performance, diaries and portfolio. Assessments shall be adapted according to the principles of universal quality educational design (UDL).

F. Learning Environment

• From the physical environment to the teaching-learning process, these learning environments shall be fully accessible and shall enable all learners to feel safe, supported, stimulated, and respected as they express themselves as part of a positive and inclusive school community.

• The teaching and learning process shall foster learning in a collaborative and barrier-free setting, promoting the learners' overall well-being and holistic development. Education shall be delivered in the most appropriate language/s and modes and means of communication for the individual, and in environments which maximize academic and social development.

• Further, an inclusive educational environment shall be context-sensitive and consider the bio-geographical realities and socio-cultural background of learners. Schools and learning centers are strongly encouraged to engage in regular dialogue with their immediate community, which inherently plays a big role in providing an inclusive learning environment.

• Apart from the availability and accessibility of functional support facilities such as, but not limited to, water and sanitation facilities, clinic, library, Guidance Office, and Community Learning Centers (CLCs), effective individualized support measures shall be provided when needed and appropriate.

• Finally, the learning community shall promote harmonious relationships and respect for diversity and practice of positive discipline among learners, teachers, parents, and administrators. It shall ensure that anti-bullying, anti-abuse, and child protection measures and procedures are in place.

G. Teacher Professional Development

• All teachers shall be considered primary implementers of inclusive education. As such, they shall possess the proper values, perspectives, attitudes, as well as competencies that communicate and reflect inclusion as they address the educational needs of diverse learners. The Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers (PPST) includes Domain 3: Diversity of Learners which underscores the importance of teachers' knowledge and understanding of, as well as respect for, learners' diverse characteristics and experiences as inputs to the planning and design of learning programs. This includes being able to implement an individualized education program if and when necessary. The Department recognizes the PPST as a major reference in designing interventions geared towards the professional development of teachers, including teacher aides and teacher volunteers. They shall also be capacitated in establishing learning environments that are responsive to learner diversity.

• The competencies of teachers, instructional managers and other non-teaching personnel shall be continuously enhanced so that they can create an inclusive learning environment that promotes inclusion of all learners, and facilitates teaching and learning processes that addresses diverse learning styles and needs. Capacity- building activities may include, but are not limited to, the Teacher Induction Program (TIP), In-Service Trainings (INSETs), attendance in seminar-workshops/conferences, Learning Action Cell (LAC) sessions, immersion, community engagement, coaching, mentoring and benchmarking.

• DepEd through the Teacher Education Council (TEC) shall collaborate with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to ensure the integration of Inclusive Education in all major courses in the Teacher Education Programs (TEP). In the same way, the implementation of Inclusive Education shall influence policies on teacher qualifications, hiring, recruitment, and deployment.

• Participation of stakeholders, especially those directly involved in the teaching-learning process, shall be encouraged. They shall likewise be engaged through periodic consultations to further strengthen the implementation of Inclusive Education

H. School Leadership and Management

• All schools shall be guided by DepEd's mission to promote and protect the right of every Filipino to quality, equitable, culture-based and complete basic education. This is premised on upholding a deep respect for the inherent dignity of individuals and communities.

• To this end, schools are guided by the perspective of Inclusive Education in contextualizing and implementing the K to 12 curriculum, and are encouraged to implement programs that promote inclusion and cater to the various interests of learners to respond to the context of the learners and the communities being served.

• The school head has a pivotal role in bringing about inclusive school change (Riehl 2000; Day and Leithwood 2007; Ainscow and Sandill, 2010). They shall assist teachers in creating inclusive classrooms. School mechanisms and

process governance mechanisms and processes shall be geared towards facilitating the provision of, but not limited to, the following:

a. Technical support in contextualizing the curriculum and teaching learning materials, and using learning-centered pedagogy and inclusive assessment:

b. Physical infrastructures that facilitate inclusion; and,

c. Continuous capacity-building on inclusive education of teaching and non- teaching personnel (e.g. LAC sessions, In-Service Trainings, mentorship).

• They shall also support the development of research-based improvements in instruction and school management for inclusive Education. Practices and innovations shall be properly documented for sharing, replication, and for continuous improvement.

• All school heads shall be capacitated to prepare and manage schools that promote and implement Inclusive Education. They must adhere to the new Philippine Professional Standards for School Heads (currently being validated) that contain competencies related to supporting Inclusive Education in schools. School-based Management (SBM) shall strengthen the implementation of Inclusive Education, which shall be duly reflected in the School Improvement Plan (SIP).

I. Partnerships for Inclusive Education

• The Department at all levels of governance shall continuously conduct intensive advocacy and social mobilization on Inclusive Education as a perspective, policy, and practice. Support for initiatives in curriculum contextualization and the development of contextualized learning resources are just some activities for which internal and external partners/stakeholders can be tapped.

• Continuous engagement with the stakeholders/partners shall be institutionalized in the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of curricular and co-curricular programs and activities to ensure quality implementation of Inclusive Education.

• External linkages and partnerships must be expanded and strengthened to ensure proper coordination, resource sharing, and sustainability of Inclusive Education implementation

J. Governance Support

• The Department shall adequately consider the specific needs to realize Inclusive Education in the planning and programming of resources, such as in the provision of program funds, allocation of teacher items and hiring of teachers, resources for adequate instructional print and non-print learning resources, facilities and equipment needed, and support to professional development of teaching and non-teaching staff. National planning standards shall be responsive to the diversity of learning contexts.

• The Department shall continuously coordinate with LGUs to maximize the utilization of the Special Education Fund (SEF) and other available local resources. The involvement of internal and external stakeholders shall also be encouraged to support the implementation of inclusion programs.

San Roque National High School is the pioneer Secondary School in the Division of Marikina to open an inclusive class. It ensures to acknowledge all learners with diverse learning needs with quality education. The journey to inclusion started last school year 2016-2017 through Mr. Freddie D. Viernes, Public Schools District Supervisor-OIC of the Office of School Principal, who agreed on the acceptance of Learners with Special Educational Needs (LSENs).

Qualified learners with special needs from San Roque Elementary School were mainstreamed with the regular students in San Roque National High School in a class consists of 30-35 students. At that time, it was a challenging threshold of 11 deaf and hard of hearing learners and one (1) learner with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). But as years passed, the institution also started to welcome all kinds of learners with exceptionalities / disabilities except for those who are totally blind due to lack of resources and teachers who will handle learners with Visual Impairment. However, the rocky road turned into a smooth steady path with the support and understanding from the learners, educators, stakeholders and learners themselves.

In the past six consecutive years, SRNHS has remained open in providing quality education to different types of learners not only focusing on teaching the required competencies, but also prioritizing other aspects of their learning. As a result, some of them were able to excel in academics, sports, livelihood education and in various art forms. Their skills in drawing, painting, making 3D arts and the like were also developed and enriched as they are given opportunity to apply them in their activities in school such as in group projects and performances to hone them more, they are given independence in making their props and backdrops for class activities and presentations. They also design their bulletin board and classroom during holidays or important occasions.

Apart from their class works, they also contribute to SRNHS through their involvement in various activities in across levels, school, division, region, not to mention their participation in local government activities.

At present, San Roque National High School currently has three Special Education Teachers who oversee the Learners with Special Educational Needs. All of the three teachers are graduates of Bachelor of Elementary Education Major in Special Education (1 from the University of Santo Tomas and 2 from St. Joseph’s College of Quezon City) and currently taking up their Master’s Degree (2 are majoring Special Education and 1 major in Educational Management). They also have background in Sign Language from Basic to Advanced Level.

In the initial implementation of Inclusive Education in San Roque National High School its first challenge in accepting the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Learners are the teachers who handle and interpret the lessons for them. The first batch of students strived hard on their own for almost six months without a shadow teacher. According to the students, it is really a challenge for them because not all of them can lip read and those who can lip read had a hard time due to teachers’ speed in talking and the unfamiliarity of the words used. Also, they didn’t have anybody to confide their problems with regarding their studies, peers and families since it is hard for them to express themselves without a Special Education Teacher to interpret for them.

The diversity of disabilities among LSENs also posed challenges especially because they are in the stage of adolescence incidents of tantrums, such as attempting to jump off from the school building, biting and hitting the teacher, throwing things, hitting oneself, shouting and cursing other students episodes of seizures had been recorded. Thus, having specially trained teachers who could handle these delicate situations are really necessary and important.

With the continuous increase of enrollment among LSENs, challenges arise needing to be addressed, not only by the school, but also by other stakeholders. Some of these challenges and how they were addressed are:

One of the challenge of the Inclusive Education for the past years is the lack of available resource room to be used to pacify a learner with tantrum, hold remedial classes or enrichment activities, conduct conferences with parents / guardian and, prepare and condition new students before they enter the inclusive classroom. But with the efforts and concern of Ms. Glenda Trinidad, Mr. Eduardo Aguilar and Ms. Ma. Lourdes A. Oreza, former school heads of SRNHS, the Inclusive Education Department was assigned a room to be transformed into a resource room.

Currently, the inclusive education resource room, as mandated in DepEd Order no. 44 s. 2021, is not yet fully operational as some of its facility and function is under construction and some of the equipment is not yet procured. Some of these are already requested to other non-government organizations such as Rotary clubs and other partner institution of the department.

During the height of pandemic, more challenges arise in the conduct of the Inclusive Education Program especially in the distance learning modality, but was given temporary solutions.

At present, there are two (2) main challenges of the Inclusive Education program, one is the lack of three (3) Special Education teachers and the improvement of the Inclusive Education Resource Room.

I. Profiling of Filipino Deaf Students in San Roque National High School conducted by De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde

This is the Brief Overview and Key Profile of the Deaf Learners. (Excerpt from the study.)

BRIEF OVERVIEW

This report contains the achievement profile, cognitive functioning, and socio-emotional well-being of eight Grade 7 and 12 Grade 8 deaf learners in San Roque National High School, Marikina City.

Achievement Profile

Deaf learners were given pen-and-paper curriculum-based tests in Science and Mathematics, accompanied by a signed version in video format. Meanwhile, an English pen-and-paper test was given but the format was modified to allow for the necessary test accommodation. A total of 120 and 135 multiple choice test items were answered by deaf learners (40-item test for each subject area for Grade 7 and 45-item test for each subject area for Grade 8). Percentages of correct answers for each subject area were yielded to classify the performance of deaf learners: 0% to 33% (beginners), 34% to 66% (progressing), 67% to 100% (competent).

Cognitive Functioning

Parents and teachers of deaf learners were given a questionnaire that looked at the different capabilities of individuals in various domains of executive functioning. Responses gathered were interpreted as: 1) no significant problem, 2) with mild/elevated problem, or 3) with significant problem. The number of respondents per domain varied both for teachers and parents, thus, percentages were based on the total respondent per domain.

Socio-emotional Well-being

The deaf learners were given a standardized self-report questionnaire that measures one's emotional intelligence. With permission from the test publisher, the tool was administered accompanied by the signed version of the test to ensure greater understanding. Data gathered were interpreted using the hearing norm because there is no available norm for deaf sample. In particular, yielded standard scores were classified into seven but were further clustered into three (low average, average, and high average).

KEY PROFILE OF DEAF LEARNERS IN SAN ROQUE NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

• Almost all deaf learners are classified as beginners based on their performance in English, Math, and Science curriculum-based tests. This shows that deaf learners are not fully able to acquire the learning competencies being expected of them for their grade level.

• In Math, it appears that Grade 7 students performed better in Geometry while Grade 8 students performed better in Statistics & Probability. On the other hand, Patterns & Algebra (for Grade 7 and 8 students), and Geometry (for Grade 7 students) subtests seemed to be the most difficult.

• In Science, it appears that Grade 7 students performed better in Living Things while Grade 8 students performed better in Matter and Earth & Space. On the other hand, Force & Motion subtest seemed to be the most difficult across grade levels. Additionally, Matter is also difficult for Grade 7, while Living Things for Grade 8.

• In English, it appears that Grade 7 students performed better in Grammar Awareness and Literature while Grade 8 students performed better in Reading Comprehension. On the other hand, Vocabulary Development and Writing & Composition (for Grade 7 students), and Literature (for Grade 8 students) subtests seemed to be the most difficult.

• Deaf learners were generally perceived by their parents and teachers to manifest elevated difficulties in their cognitive functioning.

• For parents, greatest difficulties are seen in: 1) basic reading skills, and 2) comprehension & conceptual learning.

• For teachers, greatest difficulties are seen in: 1) basic reading skills, and 2) written expression skills.

• A little over half of deaf learners perceived themselves to have average to high average emotional intelligence. In particular, stress management skills appear to be their greatest strength, while interpersonal and adaptability skills need to be improved.

Overall Objectives:

● Conduct trainings/seminar workshops for students, parents and teachers in handling LSENs.

● Determine learners under LSENs through checklist, observation and interview with parents and teachers.

● Increase the participation of the LSENs in all school activities together with regular students.

● Modify instructional materials suited to the ability of the LSENs.

● Provide a resource room and other necessary equipment for LSENs especially during natural disasters.