The body of research consistently supports the positive link between access to core instruction in general education settings and improved outcomes for students with disabilities¹. In Washington state, despite the fact that upwards of 90 percent of students with disabilities present with typical intellectual functioning, only 56 percent of students with disabilities are included in general education settings for 80-100 percent of the school day². During the 2019 Washington Legislative session, Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1109 (ESHB 1109) passed, which provided $25,000,000 to OSPI over fiscal years 2020 and 2021 to implement professional development in support of inclusionary practices.

Project Values

• Students first, always
• Respect all perspectives and viewpoints
• Provide the most opportunities for input to those groups most impacted

Anticipated Stakeholder Groups

Internal OSPI Divisions

Assessment & Student Information
Career and Technical Education (CTE)
Center for the Improvement of Student Learning (CISL)
Comprehensive Education Data and Research System (CEDARS)
Federal Programs
Learning and Teaching
Migrant and Bilingual Education
Office of Native Education
Office of System and School Improvement (OSSI)
Student Supports

External Partners

Arc of Washington and King County
Association of ESDs (AESD)
Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP)
Autistic Self-Advocates Network (ASAN)
Black Education Strategy Roundtable (BESR)
Center for Change in Transition Services (CCTS)
Center for Strengthening the Teaching Profession (CSTP)
Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform (CEEDAR)
Data Improvement Network (DIN)
Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF)
Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS)
Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA)
Developmental Disabilities Council (DDC) 
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR)
Educational Opportunity Gap and Oversight Committee (EOGOAC)
Educational Service Districts (ESDs)
Inclusion for ALL
Institutes of Higher Education (IHE) Educator and Leader Preparation Programs
State Legislature: Education and Budget Committee leadership, committee staff, and partisan staff
National Center for Pyramid Innovations (NCPMI)
National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI)
National Center on Intensive Intervention (NCII)
Office of the Education Ombuds (OEO)
Open Doors for Multicultural Families
Partnerships for Action, Voices for Empowerment (PAVE)
Roots of Inclusion
School Districts
Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE)
Self-Advocates in Leadership (SAIL)
Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC)
State Board of Education
State Ethnic Commissions
State Needs Projects (funded by OSPI with special education funds)
State Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC) Inclusion Committee
TASH Disability Advocacy (TASH)
Washington Assistive Technology Act Program (WATAP)
Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA)
Washington Education Association (WEA)
Washington Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
Washington State School Directors’ Association (WSSDA)
Washington State Special Education Technology Center (SETC)
Washington State Teacher Leader Fellows

Project activities in process

• Recruitment of Inclusionary Practices State Leadership team lead and members
• Ongoing development of internal and external stakeholder partners
• Request for Quotations & Qualifications (RFQQ) – closed July 30, 2019
• Review of the research on inclusionary practices, evidence-based interventions, and outcomes
• Initial statewide data reviews of placement data for students with disabilities
• Resource mapping of current agency and partner initiatives in support of inclusionary practices
• Inclusionary Practices Professional Development Implementation update, Summer 2019

Next steps for project implementation

• Online survey to provide statewide opportunities for input
• Project work plan for school years 2019–20 and 2020–21
• Selection of demonstration sites, pilot partnerships, additional requests for proposals, etc.
• Stay tuned, and check back often for updates!

References

1. National Center for Learning Disabilities, Forward Together Helping Educators Unlock the Power of Students Who Learn Differently, 2019
2. November 2018 Child Count Data, OSPI