The Inclusion Facilitator's Guide
By Cheryl M. Jorgensen, Ph.D., Mary C. Schuh, Ph.D., & Jan Nisbet, Ph.D.



Inclusion facilitators are educators who do more than teach children with disabilities — they advocate for change in schools and communities, sparking a passion for inclusion in teachers, administrators, and families and giving them the practical guidance they need to make it work. This is an essential new role in today’s schools, and this guide prepares staff for the challenges of facilitating full inclusion. Developed by three experts from the Institute on Disability and the successful Inclusion Facilitator Training Option at the University of New Hampshire, this book helps readers

• understand this multifaceted role, as real-life inclusion facilitators share their diverse experiences
  
  
• learn about promising practices for supporting 10 key elements of inclusion, and use the “How To Know It When You See It” sections to evaluate their own school’s progress
  
  
• transform the hearts and minds of those skeptical of reform by learning specific communication skills and recognizing the values, concerns, and personality types of others 
  
  
• function effectively as a collaborative team leader and a source of information and support
  
  
• learn strategies for supporting students to be full participants and learners within the general education curriculum and classroom
  
  
• advance organizational changes in specific areas such as scheduling and technology
  
  
• use the University of New Hampshire's proven program as a model for professional development
  

Whether used to prepare preservice educators or to augment the skills of in-service professionals, this comprehensive, strategy-filled guide will help inclusion facilitators create classrooms, schools, and communities where all students belong.

About the Authors
Acknowledgments
Introduction: The Next-Best Thing
Jan Nisbet

1. From Special Education Teacher to Inclusion Facilitator: Role Revelations and Revolutions
   Mary C. Schuh and Cheryl M. Jorgensen
   
   
2. Ten Promising Practices in Inclusive Education: The Inclusion Facilitator's Guide for Action
   Cheryl M. Jorgensen
   
   
3. Transforming Hearts and Minds: The Inclusion Facilitator’s Role as a Change Agent
   Cheryl M. Jorgensen
   
   
4. Participatory Decision Making: The Inclusion Facilitator’s Role as a Collaborative Team Leader
   Cheryl M. Jorgensen
   
   
5. Facilitating Student Relationships: Fostering Class Membership and Social Connections
   Cheryl M. Jorgensen
   
   
6. Reconsidering Assessment in Inclusive Education: Identifying Capacities and Challenges within Students, Teams, and Schools
   Cheryl M. Jorgensen
   
   
7. Identifying Nontraditional Supports: The Inclusion Facilitator's Role as an Information and Resource Broker
   Mary C. Schuh
   
   
8. Restructuring to Support Inclusive Education: Organizational Structures that Enable Inclusion Facilitators to Succeed
   Cheryl M. Jorgensen
   
   
9. Preservice Education of Inclusion Facilitators: One University's Program
   Cheryl M. Jorgensen