Prairie View Embracing Inclusion

April 12, 2010

Prairie View Elementary School succeeding in its goal of including all the students in regular classrooms no matter what the limitations that have kept students in special education classrooms in the past.

Prairie View has been doing some form of inclusion since it opened in 1998, principal Jeff Rehberg said.

The school offers a concentration of special education programs.

"Children with autism and cognitive disabilities are sent here," Rehberg said.

The school was built around the concept with equipment, countertops and restrooms designed for students with disabilities.

"What we realized was that even though they are clustered together they still needed the opportunity to be with their typical developing peers," Rehberg said. "Every child, no matter what degree of a disability they have, needs some affiliation with a regular education class even if they are just there a little bit of time."

Rehberg said there was never an intent to make one wing of the school for regular education and the other wing for special education.

"We want the movement between the sides," Rehberg said.

The interaction helps all of the children.

"It’s a diverse world," Rehberg said.

The children who stay in the regular classrooms gain understanding when the children with special needs enter their classroom.

"There is no shock seeing a child in a wheelchair, with hearing aids or a cane," Rehberg said. "All the children have a real sense of belonging."

"All students are included in some level of regular education based off their individual needs," said Jamie Stearns, who has taught special education at the school since 2002. "I wouldn’t say every child is in a regular class all the time. It’s not special education at that point. We do what is appropriate for each child."

Stearns said Prairie View is not the only school working on inclusion.

"A lot of district buildings work on inclusion," Stearns said. "It’s an individual journey for each school. Inclusion is about finding where students best benefit and growing from there."

Special education teachers and the teachers in the traditional classrooms work together now more than they did in the past, Stearns said.

Prairie View has three unique programs for the district for deaf and hard of hearing students, severe autism students and cognitively severe programs. For some this is their home school and others are bussed to the school from other elementary schools, Stearns said.

One great part of the program for Stearns is watching the special education students and the students in the regular classrooms starting friendships.

"There are invitations to birthday parties that they never would have received before," Stearns said.

Glen Milleville, a fifth-grade teacher at the school, has three special education students who join his classroom on a daily basis.

"They come down and start the day with us during the mornin g procedures," Milleville said. "They also spend time when were doing various activities including science activities and other hands on activities."

The special education students are active in the science group activities and also go on field trips and other activities with the class.

"It works well," Milleville said. "All the kids know them and they quickly interact and enjoy their company."