How Secondary Schools Can Avoid

the Seven Deadly “Sins” of Inclusion

By: Jamie Worrell
Agenda
• 1. Summary
▫ Definitions
▫ Stats
• 2. Seven Deadly “Sins” of Inclusion
▫ Implications for practice
• 3. Conclusion
• 4. Questions
Summary
• Identifying “sins” which are barriers to inclusive
practices in Secondary schools.
What is Inclusion?
• Full inclusion
▫ All students educated for the entire day

• Partial inclusion
▫ Including another group of students in regular
classrooms
Stats on Inclusion
• America
▫ 76.3% of students with disabilities are educated in
the regular classroom for a portion of the day

• Canada
▫ Average of disabled students in regular classrooms
is 59%
(Statistics Canada, 2001)
Sin #1 – Negative Teacher Perspectives
• Difficulties experiencing success

• Strategies suggested:
▫ Write down positive thoughts
▫ Avoid negative thinking
▫ Journal your thoughts
 Sin #2 Lack of Knowledge Regarding
Special Education Terminology, Issues,
and Laws
• A lack of pre-service training

• Strategies suggested
▫ Professional development
▫ Reading the IEP
▫ Searching the internet
Sin #3 Poor Collaboration
• Challenges to collaboration

• “The level and degree of successful educational

change is a direct result of the extent to which
teachers interact with each other”
Sin #4 Lack of Administration Support
• Administration should be the backbone of a
school

• Strategies
▫ Join the Pro-D committee
▫ Establish a network of staff members who share
similar concerns
Sin #5 Limited Instructional Repertoire
• “Not all children of any given age have learned
the same things; they cannot be all taught in the
same place, much less the same things, at the
same time”

• 2/3 of adult Canadians lack modifications they

need
(Council of Canadians with Disabilities, 2013)
Sin #5 Limited Instructional Repertoire
continued…

• Accommodations

• Modifications

(Maximo, 2014)
 Sin #6 Inappropriate Assessments
• Student portfolio

• Differentiated instruction
▫ Not providing a “normal” assignment to the majority of the class
and a “special” assignment to special education students
▫ a blend of whole class, small group, and individual instruction
within one class period
Sin #7 Conflicting Scheduling and Time
Management

• Must be planned and scheduled

• Inclusion teams
 Implications for Practice
• If we want inclusion, we need to be deliberate in
our teaching

• Don’t be discouraged

• Be the change

• “No ideological hang-ups”

 Conclusion
• By being aware of the barriers to inclusion, we
are able to establish strategies to overcome such
barriers through persistence and effort in our
teaching practices.
 References
Council of Canadians with Disabilities. (2013). Building an Inclusive and Accessible Canada: Supporting
People with Disabilities. Retrieved from http://www.ccdonline.ca/en/socialpolicy
/actionplan/accessible-canada

Government of Canada. (2013). Eighth Report of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills
Development, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities. Retrieved from
http://www.esdc.gc.ca/eng/disability/arc/eighth_report.shtml#fnb4

Maximo, A. (2014). Measuring What? Retrieved from http://www.alexmaximo.com/deped-assessment-framework-

kpup-problems/

Statistics Canada. (2001). Children with disabilities and the educational system — a provincial
perspective. Retrieved from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/81-004-x/2007001/9631-eng.htm#b

Worrell, J. (2008). How Secondary Schools can Avoid the Seven Deadly School "Sins" of Inclusion. American
Secondary Education, 36(2), 43-56. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy
.library.ubc.ca/stable/41406108