Inclusive Practices
Hampton City Schools strives to follow best practices in inclusive education to allow students with disabilities to be included academically, socially, and physically in a variety of school environments. The vast majority of students in HCS receive their special education services within an inclusion classroom (general education classroom with Special Education teacher support). Hampton City Schools collaborates with the regional Training and Technical Assistance Center (T/TAC) at the College of William and Mary to continue to implement and enhance division-wide Effective Inclusive Practices.
What is inclusion?
Students with disabilities attending their neighborhood school in chronologically age-appropriate general education classrooms.
Students with disabilities having individualized and relevant learning objectives aligned to state standards.
Students with disabilities provided with the specially designed instruction, related services, and supports needed to succeed academically and socially, and to participate fully in school routines with their classmates.
Collaboratively developing and implementing an IEP with a team that includes the student, family, classroom teachers, and special educators (results-oriented approach).
The IEP serves as a living document that guides daily, weekly, and monthly planning to support successful academic and functional outcomes in a general education setting.
A school-wide and systemwide commitment to structures and practices integrated into the overall mission of educating all children.
What is inclusion not?
Students with disabilities included only in grade-level cluster classrooms or disability-specific regional programs.
Students with disabilities spending every minute in the general education classroom focusing solely on grade-level academic objectives.
Students with disabilities being “mainstreamed” when seen as “ready;” and left to “sink or swim” when outside of the separate special education classroom.
Developing and implementing an IEP that meets minimum compliance required under law, (a process-oriented approach), but is not developed collaboratively, and does little to advance a student academically or functionally in the general education setting (results-oriented approach).
A proposition provided for certain students and certain schools or school settings (e.g., “the inclusion student” or “the inclusion classroom/school”).