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SWIFT Partner School Principal Honored
Kathleen Ellwood, Principal of SWIFT partner school Irvington Elementary in Oregon, was recently honored by Family And Community Together (FACT) Oregon. According to FACT members, Ellwood was chosen because her values and accomplishments help FACT realize its mission: to empower Oregon families experiencing disability in pursuit of a whole life. From the FACT announcement: "All of us at FACT are proud to call you one of our closest community partners and we couldn’t do our statewide work without partners like you!" FACT is committed to transforming Oregon communities into those that are welcoming, inclusive, and supportive.
KU Offering Licensure for School Leaders to Build Inclusive Schools
The University of Kansas (KU) initiated the first-of-its-kind Leadership in Special and Inclusive Education online graduate certificate program, which covers the themes of social justice and inclusion. Students discuss how to confront exclusionary practices, from minor examples to more blatant instances, and are required to work in real time with fellow school leaders to formulate ways to address such practices. SWIFT partner Professor Elizabeth Kozleski, chair of KU’s Special Education Department, was involved in designing the four-course, 12-credit-hour, eight-month program. “The courses are designed to support school leaders in understanding the legal frames for building inclusive schools, the political and organizational structures that are needed to put inclusive principles into place, and how to facilitate and develop the capacities and talents present within the school community,” Kozleski said.
Where You Can Find SWIFT
2016 TASH Gateway to Equity Conference, St. Louis, MO, November 29-December 2, 2016
2016 Urban Special Education Leadership Collaborative Fall 2016 Member Meeting, Nashville, TN, December 7-9, 2016
2017 PEAK Parent Center Conference on Inclusive Education, Denver, CO, February 9-10, 2017
2017 Focus on Inclusion, Indiana IEP Resource Center, February 21-22, 2017
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Welcoming Diversity and Supporting Culturally Competent Education
SWIFT offers many relevant resources to support you in creating a sense of belonging for every child in your school. Check out Culturally Responsive Teaching Matters! for key features of culturally responsive teaching and appreciating and welcoming diversity.
For inspiration about how important positive relationships are, watch Rita Pierson's 8-minute Ted Talk, "Every Kid Needs a Champion." She reminds us why teachers need to be champions for ALL students, even when it is hard, and that above all, we need to be kind and welcoming to each other.
All Means All and Behavior Screening at Middle and High Schools
Read the research about the SWIFT feature "Inclusive Behavior Instruction" HERE to learn more about the importance of behavior screening tool training, scoring and using the data, and involving families in the process.
SWIFT in Film
Have you watched the SWIFT films on our YouTube channel? These free films are the perfect complement to your professional development offerings on equity-based inclusive education. Select a SWIFT-in-60 about any one of the 10 features or show a longer film—Together or Whatever it Takes—to inspire conversation about schoolwide transformation among your educational staff, family, and community members.
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SWIFT Unscripted is a monthly podcast featuring guests from among the SWIFT community. A transcript link for each SWIFT Unscripted podcast is available at the end of its description.
Check out our latest podcast, "The Journey from Parent to Advocate," with Barb Buswell, SWIFT advisor and director of the PEAK Parent Center. Her thoughtful and amusing stories and perspectives on All Means All at the local and national level are sure to inspire schools, families, and communities to work together to achieve equity-based inclusive education. You can listen on SoundCloud or iTunes, or visit the SWIFT Unscripted page to download the podcast to your computer.
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Webinar Wednesdays
SWIFT Webinars are free, closed captioned, and live on the third Wednesday of every month via Adobe Connect on topics related to SWIFT Domains and Features. Recordings, notes, and transcripts of all webinars can be downloaded from the Multi Media section of SWIFT Shelf.
KU's professor Winnie Dunn, a leading expert and down-to-earth researcher, will be presenting at our upcoming webinars on topics related to strength-based approaches, creating frameworks for reflective questioning to achieve All Means All, and sorting through the sensory characteristics to achieve a classroom culture that embraces all learners.
Be sure to register for the upcoming webinars:
Everything is Sensory: Sorting Through the Sensory Jungle, December 21, 2016 at noon CST.
Focus on Strengths: Imagine the Possibilities, January 18, 2017 at noon CST.
Organize a team to watch it live. View it at your leisure. Share with your school and family communities.
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The SWIFT Center produced this document under U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs Grant No. H326Y120005. OSEP Project Officers Grace Zamora Durán and Tina Diamond served as the project officers. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the positions or policies of the Department of Education. No official endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education of any product, commodity, service or enterprise mentioned in this publication is intended or should be inferred. This product is public domain. Authorization to reproduce it in whole or in part is granted. While permission to reprint this publication is not necessary, the citation should be: SWIFT Center. (2016). SWIFT News, Issue 38, November 2016. Lawrence, KS: SWIFT Center
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