EVERY LEARNER BELONGS

Inclusive Education

A Guide to Supporting Every Learner

Every Student Belongs in Inclusive Education

THE VISION

What is Inclusive Education?

Inclusive education is an approach to teaching and learning that ensures all students, regardless of their abilities, backgrounds, identities, or learning needs, have meaningful access to rigorous instruction, opportunities to participate, and a sense of belonging in their school communities.

At its core, inclusive education recognizes that learner variability is the norm, not the exception. Rather than expecting students to fit into a one-size-fits-all system, inclusive schools proactively identify and remove barriers, provide flexible pathways to learning, and ensure students receive the support they need to succeed while learning alongside their peers.

Importantly, inclusive education is not simply about placing students with disabilities in general education classrooms. It is about creating learning environments where every student is a valued member of the learning community, has access to work toward grade-level expectations, and can meaningfully engage in learning alongside their peers.

Achieving this requires a shared commitment from general educators, special educators, school leaders, and support staff. Through inclusive instructional practices, collaborative partnerships, and coordinated systems of support, schools can create learning experiences that maintain high expectations while responding to the diverse strengths and needs of every learner.

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How do we build an inclusive school?

The Building Blocks of Inclusion

Inclusive education requires more than a single instructional strategy or schoolwide initiative. It brings together complementary approaches that help educators remove barriers to learning, respond to individual needs, build meaningful relationships, and create environments where every student belongs. From Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) to social-emotional learning and restorative practices, these approaches work together to support academic success, student wellness, and inclusive school communities.
Universal Design for Learning

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

The UDL Guidelines provide us with a framework for proactively designing accessible, engaging learning experiences that anticipate learner variability and remove barriers.

Explore UDL
Educators get support too in an MTSS

Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS)

By creating coordinated systems that provide strong Tier 1 instruction and additional academic, behavioral, and wellness supports when needed, students can thrive.

Explore MTSS
Support Student Emotional Literacy

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)

The CASEL SEL Core Competencies beautifully compliment the UDL Guidelines and help students develop the skills they need to understand themselves, build relationships, manage emotions, and participate meaningfully in learning communities.

Learn how UDL and SEL Connect
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Co-Teaching

Co-teaching brings general and special educators together to plan, deliver, and assess instruction in shared learning environments.

More on Co-teaching
Restorative Circle Practice

Restorative Practices

Restorative practices help to build relationships, strengthen belonging, foster accountability, and respond to conflict in ways that support a positive and inclusive school culture.

Explore Restorative Practices
Differentiated Instruction

Differentiated Instruction (DI)

Differentiated Instruction, when layered on top of UDL, allows us to respond to individual learning needs through flexible instruction, targeted scaffolds, and ongoing learning.

See how UDL and DI are Different
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Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT)

Culturally responsive teaching recognizes students' cultural backgrounds, identities, languages, and lived experiences as assets that enrich learning.

Becoming a Culturally Responsive Leader

Inclusive Education in Practice

Inclusive Teaching Strategies

No single strategy alone can create a truly inclusive learning environment, but together, thoughtful practices can help us meet the needs of every learner. So where do we begin? Explore a few practical strategies below to help you get started.

FROM VISION TO ACTION

How to Implement Inclusive Education in Schools

Creating inclusive schools requires more than adopting a framework or introducing new instructional strategies. Meaningful implementation happens when educators and school leaders work together to identify barriers, strengthen existing practices, and align systems around a shared commitment to every learner. Rather than treating inclusion as a separate initiative, schools can embed inclusive practices into their existing instructional priorities, professional learning, and continuous improvement efforts. The following considerations offer a starting point for schools looking to strengthen and sustain inclusive practices.

Assess Current Practices and Identify Barriers

Begin by examining how students experience learning across classrooms and school environments. Use classroom observations, student and family feedback, and existing school data to identify instructional strengths and barriers to access and participation.

Get Support Conducting a Needs Assessment

Establish a Shared Vision and Clear Priorities

Develop a common understanding of what inclusive education looks like in practice in your environment. Engage educators, students, families, and school leaders in identifying shared goals that emphasize access to rigorous instruction, meaningful participation, and belonging. Focus on a manageable number of priorities that align with existing school improvement efforts.

Blog: Is Your Vision Statement Out of Reach?

Build Educator Capacity Through Ongoing Professional Learning

Inclusive practices become sustainable when educators have opportunities to learn, collaborate, apply new strategies, and reflect on their impact. Move beyond one-time professional development by incorporating instructional coaching, collaborative planning, peer observations, and professional learning communities into existing structures.

Explore Professional Learning

Align Instruction and Systems of Support

Strengthen inclusive Tier 1 instruction while ensuring that students who need additional support receive it through coordinated, responsive systems. Clarify how general educators, special educators, interventionists, and school leaders share responsibility for student success.

Create Coherence in Your School

Monitor Progress, Reflect, and Refine

Inclusive education is an ongoing process of improvement. Use multiple sources of evidence to understand whether changes in instruction and schoolwide systems are improving access, participation, belonging, and learning outcomes. Celebrate progress, listen to student and educator experiences, and adjust practices when barriers persist.

How to Monitor Progress