TIES Inclusive Education Roadmap
Steps 3A-3D: Initiative Inventory Activities
Purpose: To identify who will conduct each part of Step 3 is solely for using people's time efficiently and effectively.
First, identify if a subgroup of the EILT or the whole EILT will complete the Initiative Inventory spreadsheet (Step 3B).
- For large organizations, a subgroup of the EILT can complete Step 3B and then bring the inventory results to the whole EILT for analysis (Steps 3C and 3D).
- In smaller districts or schools where the EILT is not large, often the whole EILT participates in all of the parts of Step 3 in order to have adequate representation.
Second, evaluate the representation of those on the EILT who will meet to complete Step 3B. This group should be familiar with and/or impacted by the organization’s priorities and work. The inclusion of families and community members in this activity is critical for ensuring a deeper understanding of the effect of initiatives. The team engaging in the Initiative Inventory should include representatives of:
- Leaders (for example, school board member(s), superintendent, director, principal),
- Practitioners (for example, general and special educators, union representatives, specialized instructional support personnel),
- Parents/families (of children with and without identified disabilities), and
- Community members (for example, employers, agencies, family supports, self-advocates).
Third, identify who in the group is responsible for entering the information that is collected into the Initiative Inventory spreadsheet.
Purpose: To generate a list of current initiatives in the organization that align with the priority from the RISE. The RISE priority helps narrow down which initiatives to consider from the breadth of initiatives in the whole organization.
Time Estimate: Step 3B takes 1 to 1.5 hours to complete.
Materials: Initiative Inventory and TIE Synthesis Spreadsheet
First, the team considers any organizational initiative that impacts increasing the time, instructional effectiveness, and engagement in the general education curriculum and with peers that relate to the RISE priority area(s). Those pertinent organizational initiatives are added to the Initiative Inventory spreadsheet (Tab 1, Column A).
Second, the team considers the following questions for each of these initiatives (Each of these questions are listed in Columns B-P):
- What are the expected outcomes?
- What are the key activities to support outcome attainment?
- What data sources will be used to measure outcomes?
- Does the target student population include general education students without identified disabilities? With identified disabilities? With identified significant cognitive disabilities?
- Who is the target audience? (Examples of potential target audiences could include: all teachers, special educators, general educators, specialized support personnel, media specialists, and support staff such as paraprofessionals, families, and community members)
- Who provides initiative leadership? In addition, are there any internal and external partners?
- Identify the extent of implementation: 1=beginning, 2=ongoing, 3=completed
- Identify resource commitment (i.e., personnel, financial): 1=low, 2=moderate, 3=high
- Identify the initiative's relation to the organization’s priorities & strategic plan: 1=low, 2=moderate, 3=high
- Does this initiative connect to increased (a) time in general education, (b) instructional effectiveness, and (c) engagement with the general education curriculum and peers? An initiative can connect to multiple areas.
Third, the information from columns A, E-G, and M-P automatically fill the T-I-E Synthesis spreadsheet (Tab 2), if you are using the downloadable form. These two spreadsheets are the basis of the discussion in Step 3C.
Fourth when the spreadsheet is complete, ensure that all EILT members have copies of the spreadsheet for their review. Prior to Step 3C, all EILT members should review the spreadsheet and reflect on the questions at the bottom of the T-I-E Synthesis tab (Tab 2). They can do this individually as well as share the materials and questions with other stakeholders, even those not included on the team, to get their feedback.
Purpose: The purpose of this activity is for the whole EILT to identify alignments and gaps across initiatives as well as make recommendations for the next actions. It is important to realize that additional initiatives or resources may not be necessary to amplify the priorities for building an inclusive education system if teams are able to leverage what already exists in the system. Can current initiatives be improved upon to address T-I-E? If not, then creating a new initiative in the Action Plan may be necessary. The key questions are:
- How do we ensure what is happening includes each and every student, including students with significant cognitive disabilities?
- How can we improve the outcomes related to T-I-E?
- Which initiatives connect to the priority identified with the RISE?
Time Estimate: Steps 3C & 3D take about 1 hour to complete.
First, ensure that everyone on the EILT has a completed copy of the Initiative Inventory spreadsheet. This can be electronic or paper.
Second, identify a designated note-taker.
Third, create a way for the large group to record their thoughts and answers to the guiding questions. If the EILT is meeting in person, this may include using posters on the wall or highlighters on the actual copies of the Initiative Inventory spreadsheet and T-I-E synthesis to collect the group’s responses. If the team is meeting virtually, you can use an online whiteboard, such as Jamboard, or a way to electronically take notes.
Fourth, have team members share their thoughts on the Guiding Questions related to T-I-E:
- Who participated in completing the inventory? Was family voice included? General Educators? Special Educators? How do the responses to these questions impact the recommendations that will inform action planning?
- Is sufficient focus currently being expended upon the Time, Instructional Effectiveness, Engagement with general education curriculum and peers (T-I-E) themes? If not, what recommendations for expansion might be considered?
- To what extent are general education students with identified disabilities, especially those students with identified significant cognitive disabilities, being addressed within those initiatives? If needed, how can the target student population be expanded?
- When considering implementation and outcomes related to T-I-E, what opportunities might be leveraged to share and/or align with:
- Ongoing activities (for example, professional development or technical assistance)
- Information (data)
- Resources (for example, leadership, partners, financial resources)
- Are there any initiatives that should be incorporated into the Inclusive Education Action Plan in support of the priority identified with the RISE?
Purpose: The last activity is to make final recommendations for action planning.
Time Estimate: Steps 3C & 3D take about 1 hour to complete.
First, based on the review and analysis of the initiative inventory, what are the recommendations for consideration in the following areas?
- Expansion of focus related to Time, Instructional Effectiveness, Engagement with general education curriculum and peers (T-I-E) for students with disabilities, including those students with significant cognitive disabilities?
- Expansion of target student population?
Second, what opportunities are there to leverage from?
- Activities (for example, professional development, technical assistance)
- Information (data)
- Resources (for example, leadership, partners, financial resources)
- Reconsidering initiatives due to a low connection with the organization’s priorities/strategic plan
Third, add the recommendations to the Inclusive Education Action Plan.
Fourth, determine with whom to communicate these recommendations.
Real-World Example
A State Department of Education's (DOE) EILT decided their initial priorities would focus on (1) broadly messaging the department's vision and values about inclusive education for students with significant cognitive disabilities, and (2) building the capacity of general education and special education teachers to increase the use of inclusive education practices across the state. Using the Initiative Inventory allowed the EILT to leverage an initiative related to a statewide professional learning portal for all educators. A review of this portal's data showed that very few special educators in the state were using it, opting instead for the state's separate special education professional learning system.
Their Action Plan described a strategy to decrease the use of the special education-only system and provide joint professional learning opportunities on inclusive education through the portal open to all educators, including administrators. Additionally, DOE representatives planned to join the Teaching and Learning Department's bi-monthly meetings to accelerate greater joint professional learning opportunities for general educators and special educators. Doing this also allowed the DOE to model the cross-department collaboration that they were advocating for at the district and school levels.
Frequently Asked Questions
- The whole Inventory takes about 2 to 3 hours. (Step 3B: 1 to 1.5 hours and Steps 3C & 3D: 1 to 1.5 hours ).
- For Step 3B, you will need to download an electronic copy of the Initiative Inventory spreadsheet (See Downloads at bottom of this webpage).
- For Step 3C, the materials needed depend if the EILT will be meeting in person or virtually (posters/markers, highlighters with paper copies; online whiteboards such as Jamboard, or electronic notetaking).
What's next?
- Fill in the results for Steps 3A-3D of the Inclusive Education Action Plan.
- Move to Step 4 where the EILT will use the results from the LRE data, the RISE, and the Initiative Inventory to develop 3-year goals with annual activities that lead to a sustainable inclusive system of education.