FACTS: The Newsletter of LEARNS, The Statewide Systems Change Initiative for Inclusive Education
An Inclusive Model for Supporting Students
With Challenging Behavior
by Maria Timberlake
Many educators in Maine are working to embrace and include all students. Let us introduce you to one K-8 school where students with challenging behavior are supported in positive and inclusive ways. CCI came to work with Vassalboro Community School and Conners-Emerson School (Bar Harbor) through the SAM-E Project, a 3-year US Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs funded research project to study three key elements of school restructuring: changes in teacher practice related to instructional and curricular accommodations; achievement of the Learning Results; and school characteristics related to the degree of change and outcome. Vassalboro chose to continue this research effort as a result of a SAM-E and LEARNS: Maine's Statewide Systems Change Initiative for Inclusive Education collaboration.
Vassalboro Community School will describe their Student Support Center to you in the following video clips.
In clips 1-4 Vassalboro principal Kevin Michaud and Director of Special Education Dianna Gram will explain the foundation of the Student Support Center. They will share why they were committed to an inclusive model and how they created a program that would meet the need for intensive services, yet keep students and staff included in all aspects of the school.
In clips 5-15 you will hear from Sandy Rowe, a special educator who supports students with challenging behavior explaining the key parts of the program. She and her team provide therapeutic, sensory, behavioral and academic support to students. They also work closely with classroom teachers so students are never isolated from their peers and classroom experiences. You will hear Mary Bragdon, an Ed Tech share her role in the Student Support Center and her relationship with students and staff.
Finally, in clips 16-18 Kevin & Dianna will explain how the Student Support Center is received by general educators, how it is part of their larger school reform effort and where they are headed next. If you are interested in learning more about the student support center you can contact Maria Timberlake at The Center For Community Inclusion & Disability Studies (207) 623-3925 or Kevin Michaud & Dianna Gram at Vassalboro Community School (207) 923-3100.
Notes: The audio portion of these videos is on each page. You do not need to view the videos to access the content of these interviews. QuickTime® must be installed in order to view the videos on the following pages. You will be prompted to install QuickTime if it is not on your computer.