Reimagining Special Education

Using Inclusion as a Framework to Build Equity and Support All Students

Jenna Mancini Rufo, Ed.D., Julie Causton, Ph.D.

K-12

A visionary call to action from inclusion experts Jenna Mancini Rufo and Julie Causton, Reimagining Special Education guides readers in creating more equitable schools and services, through practical strategies teachers can use right away and thought-provoking, big-picture questions for administrators to tackle. Readers will explore how inclusive educational practices can address each student’s unique needs as schools reopen and bridge learning gaps for students who struggle.

• Product Details
• Table of Contents
• Reviews
• Contributors
• Free Resources
• Companion Materials

As schools reopen their doors and students return to the classroom, what will the "new normal" of special education look like? The pandemic exposed educational inequities and areas of urgent need—and now, schools have a unique opportunity to press pause and reimagine their practices. This book helps K–12 school leaders and educators take the lessons of the COVID-19 era and turn them into action: by closely examining what worked during distance learning, letting go of practices that keep some students struggling, and planning new routines and environments that meet the needs of every learner.

DISCOVER HOW TO:

• Re-story students by focusing on their gifts and strengths rather than their deficits
• Redesign instruction and assessment to be more flexible and better meet students’ unique needs
• Restructure intervention frameworks to move away from sorting and labeling students and toward a flexible model that provides access to all
• Revitalize co-teaching with tools and strategies for serving students with and without disabilities
• Realign service delivery through inclusion facilitation and consultative supports
• Rethink equity by creating a culture of belonging, dismantling exclusionary programs, and tackling individual and institutional biases

Reviews

Jennifer Kurth, Associate Professor, University of Kansas - July 16, 2021

Should be required for all teachers! Rufo and Causton have found the brightest silver lining of the global pandemic: An opportunity to reimagine special education services. Each chapter contains valuable tips and practical tools to do just this – reimagine supports, instruction, and services.

Belva Collins, Emeritus Professor, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and University of Kentucky - July 16, 2021

Filled with examples, activities, and strategies, the book will be a valuable tool to teachers, administrators, parents, related service providers, and personnel preparation faculty who are daring enough to push the pause button to reconceptualize special education and who are willing to recreate the way in which services are delivered.

Cheryl Jorgensen, author of It’s More Than Just Being In: Creating Authentic Inclusion for Students with Complex Support Needs - July 16, 2021

This book illustrates perfectly the idea that good teaching for students with disabilities is good teaching for all students.

John Draper, Founder, Together We Rock! Inc. - July 16, 2021

A valuable resource that is a must-read for both experienced and aspiring teachers. As a person with a disability who experienced firsthand the benefits of an inclusive and equitable education, I find the authors’ strategies sound and practical, with thought-provoking questions that will inspire the reader to turn possibilities into success.