Supporting Learning Diversity Through the MTSS Continuum

Inclusion Philosophy Statement  Inclusion is a practice beginning with a focus on emboldening our learners through cultivating agency, and by encouraging high expectations for all. Inclusion is achieved through a culture that focuses on the importance of identity, empathy, relationships, and community, helping all learners to feel like they belong. 

Inclusion is also based on equity rather than equality, so that all learners are provided with the support that they need in order to persevere through productive struggle and experience success. Where barriers to learning exist, in tandem with learner perseverance and resilience, we aim to remove these barriers through:

• Collaborative efforts, driven by a solution-focused mindset that views students through a strength-based lens

• Understanding that learner variability is the norm

• Providing flexible learning experiences and opportunities 

• Facilitating student voice and choice

We embrace social emotional competencies, a growth mindset, and the resilience necessary to overcome barriers to learning. Our collective efforts are driven by the deep belief that all students have the right and the capacity to experience success, both as ISPP learners and beyond.

 Key Terms 

Learner variability: The idea that labelling a student is not always helpful. The profile of each learner is not fixed; barriers occur and new neural pathways develop. Variability captures each individual student’s changing areas of strengths, challenges and growth.

Learning barriers: The obstacles that prevent individual students from being as successful as they could otherwise be. Barriers to learning can be medical, cognitive, emotional, or social.

Learning diversity: The recognition that honouring individual identity is integral to building an inclusive environment and that identity is complex and multi-faceted and can be viewed through diverse lenses such as culture, gender, personal histories, strengths, age, spirituality, ethnicity, language etc.

Inclusive access arrangements: Changes to teaching, learning and assessment that are designed to remove barriers to learning and ensure equal access for all students. 

Reasonable Adjustments: Changes to the curriculum or assessment that are not covered by inclusive access arrangements.  These adjustments are unique to individual students, may not be standard and are based on individual student profiles.

 Multi-Tiered Systems of Support At ISPP, our support structures consider the full extent of the learning spectrum when considering how to ensure that all students are supported in their pursuit of success. Accordingly, inspired by the model of Multi-Tiered- Systems of Support, our support structure outlines the different kinds of support mechanisms that ISPP offers from intervention for students who require high intensity support, through to enrichment, extension and enhancement for our highly capable learners. This model also acknowledges our Twice Exceptional students who find themselves at both ends of the spectrum and who require support and intervention as well as extension and enhancement in order to be successful.