The Alberta Teachers’ Association

What is inclusion

Within an educational context, inclusion means:

• meeting the diverse learning needs of all students.
• making differences ordinary so that all students have a place, feel valued and welcomed, and are equipped for success.
• seeing the strengths and gifts of every person as a valued member of the community.

Who does inclusion include?

• Students who require behaviour support
• English-language learners
• Students who are gifted and talented
• Students who live in poverty
• Students who are new to Canada
• Students from refugee backgrounds
• Students who are suffering from trauma
• Students with a wide range of learning, emotional or physical challenges

Why is this important?

Complexity in school classrooms has increased dramatically over the last number of years, with anecdotal evidence suggesting that there are more students with exceptional needs in classrooms than ever before.

“Including all students in learning is necessary if we are to respect human rights and to maximize the potential of each and every learner.”
– Charlie Naylor

Teachers have seen little improvement at the classroom level for students with special needs. They are concerned that students with special needs may be falling through the cracks.

“This is a critical issue that is impacting education and is being ignored or dealt with in a very superficial way.”
– Survey participant

How can we get there?

Establish …

… advisory committees — including parents, teachers and administrators — to develop and guide implementation activities at the jurisdiction and school levels.

… and implement structures to achieve provincewide guidelines for average class sizes while taking into account classroom complexity.

… a provincewide telephone link and a web-based list of services to provide information to parents, students and teachers who need immediate access to specialized services and advice.

Ensure …

… that assessments required by Alberta Education create multiple ways for students to demonstrate their learning.

… that all school facilities are fully accessible and provide targeted funding to school jurisdictions with facilities not meeting this standard.

Provide funding …

… for school jurisdictions’ implementation plans in cycles of five to seven years to provide the staff, resources and supports necessary to build and sustain capacity.

… to school jurisdictions to ensure that each school has adequate access to a trained school counsellor, preferably a certificated teacher.

… to ensure that each student has access to assistive technology to support his or her learning.

Expand …

… access to early intervention programs — including full-day, play-based kindergarten programs — to ensure that children with diverse learning needs have the supports and programs they require before they come to school and into the early grades.

… professional development and related supports for teachers in the area of inclusive education.

Provide …

… adequate supports and qualified health-care professionals for medically fragile students.

… opportunities for parents to learn about inclusive education and to engage in dialogue.

Inclusive Education Timeline