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A UNESCO-IBE resource pack to support inclusion and equity in education.

UNESCO International Bureau of Education

IBE resource pack – members of the advisory group. Anupam Ahuja, National Council of Educational Research and Training, India. Ignacio Calderón Almendros, University of Malaga, Spain. Cynthia Duk, Universidad Central de Chile. Petra Engelbrecht, North-West University, South Africa. Maha Khochen-Bagshaw, Consultant working in the Arab States. Nerida Spina, Queensland University of Technology, Australia. Jess Whitley, University of Ottawa, Canada.

Acknowledgements

The UNESCO International Bureau of Education (UNESCO-IBE) is pleased to publish this new version of the Resource Pack for Inclusive Education. We would like to express our special thanks to Renato Opertti (UNESCO-IBE Education Expert), Florence Migeon (UNESCO Education Expert) and Mel Ainscow (Consultant) for their contributions to the development of the Resource Pack for Inclusive Education.

We would also like to extend our recognition and thanks to the Director of UNESCO-IBE, Mr. Yao Ydo, for his unconditional support, trust and constructive guidance. A warm thank you also to UNESCO IBE colleagues Perrine Arsendeau and Carlos Bueno, who supported the review and editing of this Resource Pack.

If we have inadvertently omitted someone who has contributed to this project without mentioning their name, we apologize and offer our sincere recognition for their invaluable help.

Published in Geneva, December 2021, by: UNESCO – IBE. UNESCO International Bureau of Education. Address: 199 1211. Geneva 20 Switzerland. Email: ibe.training@unesco.org.WWW.IBE.UNESCO.ORG.

The information provided in the material and case studies does not necessarily represent the opinion of the UNESCO International Bureau of Education (UNESCO-IBE). The designations employed and the presentation of the material, including maps, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO-IBE concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

Users are authorized to reproduce or translate brief extracts by citing the source: print hard copies for personal use, provided it is not for private or commercial gain. UNESCO-IBE is not responsible for the further use of the material or the accuracy of the information provided. UNESCO-IBE strongly recommends that hyperlinks be established to this material rather than using and publishing it on any other website for any purpose and does not encourage the publication of PDFs on other websites in the absence of prior agreement.

Hyperlinks to other websites are provided for the user’s convenience. UNESCO-IBE does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this external information. The inclusion of hyperlinks to other websites is not intended to reflect their importance, nor to endorse the opinions expressed, nor the products or services offered on these sites, nor the organizations that maintain them. Furthermore, the brief description of the information and services offered on external sites is not exhaustive and does not represent an evaluation of these sites by UNESCO-IBE.

Foreword

Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director-General for Education of UNESCO.

Social and educational inclusion is one of UNESCO’s top priorities. It is a matter of social justice, human rights, and human dignity. As stated in the 2030 Agenda, inclusion means pairing equity with quality to ensure that all students are equally important. Inclusion policies are essential to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), namely, “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.” The challenge of inclusion has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has amplified a pre-existing educational crisis and has affected those students who are most vulnerable and marginalized more severely. Millions have been excluded from learning during school closures due to their socioeconomic status, gender, disability, and lack of access to technology. Inclusion must be the yardstick for recovery: getting all students back to school, assessing learning losses, and supporting those with limited or no access to distance learning opportunities.

This resource box is part of UNESCO’s commitment to inclusion, seen as a culture and process that affects teaching, learning, curricula, and school environments, among other aspects. Its aim is to support Member States in accelerating efforts towards SDG 4 so that education systems work for all children and young people. Reaching out to all learners is a resource box to support inclusion and equity in education that is based, in effect, on the conviction and vision that inclusive education involves engaging all students, regardless of their circumstances, affiliations, gender, ethnicity, linguistic background, and abilities, effectively responding to their expectations and needs. It is about appreciating that each student is special and unique, and recognizing diversity as a strength to achieve more cohesive and just societies.

It is essential to reinforce the connections of the curriculum with social aspirations and global challenges so that students acquire the knowledge, skills, values, and competencies needed to shape more sustainable, inclusive, just, and cohesive societies. As we know, the curriculum is a powerful driver of educational and social policies. The curriculum supports the development of inclusive schools and practices and can foster the engagement of diverse stakeholders, both within and outside the education system. I hope this resource box will be an asset in transforming education systems to unleash and develop the potential of every student.

Yao Ydo, Director of the UNESCO International Bureau of Education

UNESCO-IBE, as a Global Centre of Excellence in curriculum and related issues, emphasizes the relevance of an inclusive curriculum to address the diversity of all students, regardless of their affiliations, gender, contexts, circumstances, and abilities. We understand inclusion as a driver of equitable and quality education, which implies that all students can have the same opportunity to learn.

This expanded conceptualization of inclusive education is well reflected in SDG 4 “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.” Furthermore, educational challenges and the implications of the pandemic have reinforced the challenge of intertwining inclusion, equality, and quality. The nature of the challenge remains the same for each unique context: marginalized, excluded, students from poorer households, girls, students in conflict or at-risk environments, linguistic and ethnic minorities, indigenous backgrounds, and children with diverse abilities.

Positioning inclusion at the heart of education and education systems in the post-pandemic era implies rethinking teaching, learning, and assessment to ensure that every student matters equally. We are at a turning point in history where policymakers and education leaders have the opportunity to advance a progressive inclusive education agenda based on what we have learned during the pandemic and giving effect to the political principle that all students are special. UNESCO-OIE has at the core of its mandate the development of resources and instruments on curriculum and related issues to support Member States and education stakeholders in defining and implementing their educational strategies and practices. Therefore, this resource box aims to support the development of effective curricular processes for embedding inclusion in education.

We believe that this resource box will contribute to a broader understanding of the theory and practice of inclusive education at all levels of the education system, and with a focus on school and classroom levels.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Recommended readings
Links to relevant resources
Annex frameworks for the three guides

GUIDE 1 – Leading the development of the inclusive school

• Activity 1 – Making sense of inclusion and equity in education
• Activity 2 – Using the school analysis framework
• Activity 3 – Practice reports
• Activity 4 – Conducting a collaborative consultation
• Appendix Methods for collecting evidence in schools 
• Recommended readings 
• Links to relevant resources 

GUIDE 2 – Developing inclusive practices

• Activity 1 – Achieving inclusive teaching and learning
• Activity 2 – Using the teaching and learning analysis framework
• Activity 3 – Internship reports
• Activity 4 – Use collaborative inquiry to develop teaching and learning
• Recommended readings
• Links to relevant resources

GUIDE 3 – working with external agents

• Activity 1 – Schools collaborating with agents
• Activity 2 – Use the School Collaboration Analysis Framework
• Activity 3 – Practice Reports
• Activity 4 – Collaboration with Community Agents
• Recommended readings
• Links to relevant resources

This resource box focuses on what is arguably the biggest challenge facing education systems worldwide: how to include and ensure the learning of all children in schools. In poorer countries, the problem is mainly the millions of children who cannot access formal education. Meanwhile, in richer countries, many young people leave school without any qualifications that will serve them in the future. Thus, some choose to drop out because lessons seem irrelevant, and others enroll in special centers far from formal education. UNESCO estimates that girls aged 12 to 17 are at particular risk of dropping out of school in low and lower-middle income countries, while boys are at higher risk in upper-middle and high-income countries.

Recently, teachers have faced unprecedented new challenges in their quest to ensure quality education for all their students in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the nature of these challenges varies by location, a common concern is for those students known to be vulnerable to marginalization or exclusion, such as those from lower-income households, refugees and people in conflict scenarios, ethnic and linguistic minorities and indigenous peoples, and children with disabilities. It follows that efforts to ensure educational recovery after the pandemic must be based on the principles of inclusion and equity. The Reaching Out to All Learners resource material addresses the practical aspects of solving these problems. Specifically, these resources focus on three strategic issues:

• How can schools grow to respond positively to student diversity?
• How can teaching practices in the classroom be developed to ensure that lessons are inclusive?
• How can schools involve families, partner schools, and the wider community in their efforts to be inclusive and equitable?

Although the resource box can be read individually, it has been designed to foster forms of collaborative learning in the following scenarios:

• Within a school or group of schools to foster the development of policies and practices;
• Within the framework of teacher training courses; and
• Within the framework of continuing education workshops for teachers.

This introduction explains the content of the resource box and how it is intended to be used. At the end of this document and each of the three guides, some suggestions for additional readings and relevant resources are listed. Before sharing any of these materials, it is important to review them in relation to the cultural contexts of specific communities. Key concepts are then introduced, followed by explanations of the material, in the three guides that make up the resource box.

Inclusion and equity

In many countries, inclusive education is still considered a strategy for attending to children with disabilities in general education settings. However, internationally it is increasingly seen as a principle that supports, welcomes, and integrates diversity among all students. This means that the goal is to eliminate social exclusion that is a consequence of attitudes and responses to diversity of race, social class, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, migrant status, and abilities. As such, this goal stems from the belief that education is a basic human right and the foundation of a more just society. The use of the word “equity” in these informational materials highlights this emphasis on what is fair.

Internationally, the year 2016 was particularly important in relation to this political agenda. Based on the Incheon Declaration agreed upon at the World Education Forum in May 2016, UNESCO’s publication of the Education 2030 Framework for Action took place. This emphasizes inclusion and equity as foundations for quality education. It also underscores the need to address all forms of exclusion and marginalization, gender disparities, and inequities in access, participation, and learning processes and outcomes.

The promotion of inclusion and equity is not simply a technical or organizational change. It is rather a movement in a clear philosophical direction that involves the development of a welcoming and supportive culture within school communities. Creating this cultural change requires a shared commitment among school staff. Therefore, it is essential that those who must participate in this change have a clear idea of what is intended. Specifically, the terms “inclusion” and “equity” must be clearly defined so that they address a wide range of stakeholders.

Introduction

The following definitions, taken from the UNESCO Guide to Ensuring Inclusion and Equity in Education (2017), are particularly useful:

• Inclusion is a process that helps overcome the barriers limiting students’ presence, participation, and achievement.
• Equity consists of ensuring impartiality, where the education of all students is considered equally important.

The main message is, therefore, simple: all students matter and matter equally. Complexity arises, however, when we try to turn this principle into action. This is likely to require significant changes in teaching thinking and practice within schools. This resource box has been designed with this in mind: it is about the development of thinking, policies, and practice.

Contexts

The Reaching Out to All Learners package aims to influence and support inclusive thinking and practices in schools and other learning contexts, such as during preschool education and higher education. An earlier version of the package has been used in many countries since it was first introduced in 2016. This new version has been developed in light of lessons from these experiences. In particular, more specific guidance is provided on how the resource materials should be used to facilitate ground development.

The revised version also takes into account the significant new challenges that exist in education systems around the world in relation to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. These challenges underscore the need for an even greater emphasis on the types of approaches recommended in this resource package, with its focus on ensuring that all children and young people are supported in their participation in school.

Given the new challenges that arise, it is also necessary to place even more emphasis on the importance of working with families, other services that care for children, and the community in general. This revised version also considers the most recent evidence that collaboration between schools can strengthen each school’s capacity to respond to student diversity.

Mobilizing knowledge

Taking as a reference experiences and research carried out in various parts of the world, Reaching Out to All Learners focuses on making better use of current teacher expertise. This is based on research suggesting that when teachers are involved in decision-making, it is likely to promote a stronger culture for participation and learning within schools. This is also in line with the report of the UNESCO International Commission on the Future of Education1, which states:

• The educational response to the COVID-19 crisis has highlighted educators’ capacity to leverage their professional knowledge and mobilize collaboratively with an inventiveness and creativity that no top-down public authority issuing orders could have achieved.

The report concludes:

Teachers must be more recognized and valued; they are essential participants in shaping the future of education.

The starting point for strengthening the capacity of schools is therefore the exchange of ideas, knowledge and teaching practices through collaboration among staff. This can also foster new ideas and experimentation with alternative ways of working. Research shows that this aspect can be stimulated through engagement with the perceptions of students and families, and knowledge of academic research in ways that challenge taken-for-granted assumptions, particularly regarding the presence, participation and achievement of vulnerable groups of students.

Key ideas

Based on this thinking, the resource box offers detailed guidance on how the materials should be used. This involves a focus on:

• Clarity in interpretation: The resource box aims to foster the development of new ways of addressing diversity among students. Among the materials, great importance is given to the need for a homogeneous interpretation of the purposes of this strategy.
• Analysis of contexts: The aim of the resource box is to draw attention to aspects of current thinking, policy, and teaching practice that may be creating barriers to the presenteeism, participation, and achievement of some children and young people, and to confront these aspects.
• Leveraging existing teaching practices: Recognizing that effective teaching practices normally exist that can be leveraged in any context, the processes recommended in the resource box encourage the transfer of knowledge within and between schools, as well as with families and the community in general.
• Working collaboratively: Rethinking teaching practice in relation to inclusion and equity is likely to involve periods of turbulence as traditional ideas are challenged. For this reason, the material highlights the importance of promoting mutual support among stakeholders.
• Assessing progress: As the resource box is used, it is necessary to gather evidence on the application and impact of the changes introduced. This can also help to ensure effective implementation.
• Managing change: The use of the resource box must be managed and directed collectively. Thus, the three guides highlight the importance of reinforcing leadership practice at all levels, including in the classroom.

It should be considered that the Reaching Out to All Learners resource box is designed to be used flexibly in response to contexts at different stages of development and where resources vary. With this in mind, extensive use is made of examples from different parts of the world to encourage the development of new ways to reach all students. In the case of small schools, particularly those with a single teacher, it will be useful for a collective of schools to work with the material.

The material

Reaching Out to All Learners consists of three interconnected guides:

Guide 1. Leading the development of the inclusive school: this guide helps principals and other leaders to analyze and develop their schools so that all their students feel accepted and supported in their learning.

Guide 2. Developing inclusive classrooms: the objective of this guide is to help teachers develop more effective ways to ensure that all children participate in their classes.

Guide 3. Participation of external agents: This guide encourages schools to collaborate with each other, with families, and with the community in general.

The three guides emphasize collaborative action research processes, within which those who use the materials are encouraged to work together in analyzing and developing their thinking and teaching practices.

Each of the guides offers the following:

• An introduction that explains the guide’s program;
• A “reflection” based on the evidence provided by international experiences and research;
• A framework of indicators and questions that can be used to focus discussions (see Annex);
• Illustrative examples on the ground in the form of reports of teaching practices; and
• Guidelines for using the material to stimulate a process of analysis and development within a school.

Additionally, there are links to further readings and relevant audiovisual material that can be used to support professional development activities in schools.

Coordination

It is recommended that, when using Reaching Out to All Learners, schools form a coordination group composed of teachers (and, where appropriate, students, support staff, and families) who have leadership capacity to use the resource box. One of the members of this group should be the school principal or another member of the management staff.

The coordination group should include colleagues who bring a range of perspectives on the school’s work. Also, these individuals should be willing to identify differences among students as a stimulus for reflection and change.

The group’s tasks are as follows:

• Provide leadership while resource material is used to foster inclusion and equity;
• Facilitate collaborative research processes among staff and other members of the school community;
• Support and challenge each other in relation to these activities; and
• Present and discuss their experiences in various school instances.

It should also be noted that participation in the coordination group can open up opportunities for professional and career development.

Finding time for the coordination group to work with their colleagues on the use of the suggested activities in the resource box will be essential. The challenge for school leaders, therefore, is to find ways to make this possible. Here, it is relevant to note that evidence suggests that investing time in professional learning among staff members pays off in terms of the development of children, boys, and young people.

Each of the guides presents a series of professional development activities. These can be used individually as the basis for a single workshop session lasting an hour or less. Alternatively, a professional development day could be designed around all the activities in one of the three guides.

System Change

The materials included in Reaching Out to All Learners can also be used to support efforts focused on developing a strategy to promote inclusion and equity across the entire education system. This can occur at the national, regional, or local level. In these contexts, the Guide to Ensuring Inclusion and Equity in Education by UNESCO2 should be used:Here

Published by UNESCO in 2017, this guide aims to support whole-system change to overcome barriers to access quality education, participation, learning processes and outcomes, and ensure that all students are equally valued and involved. The guide presents an assessment framework that focuses on four key dimensions: concepts, policies, structures and systems, and practices. Furthermore, the international research data included in the guide will help users learn from the progress made by other countries, aimed at developing more inclusive and equitable education systems.

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Guide 1 – Leading the development of the inclusive school

The objective of Guide 1 is to help school leaders analyze and foster the development of their schools so that all students feel accepted and supported in their learning. It addresses the following general question:

The Guide is designed for schools to analyze their current situation in relation to inclusion and equity, in order to establish concepts for moving forward. Although the materials can be used in different ways to adapt to particular contexts, the use of a series of linked activities is recommended to foster analysis and development in schools.

The activities are:

• ACTIVITY 1: Making sense of inclusion and equity in education
• ACTIVITY 2: Using the school analysis framework
• ACTIVITY 3: Practice reports
• ACTIVITY 4: Carrying out a collaborative consultation

All these activities involve structured group projects that aim to stimulate participation in debate, the exchange of experiences, and efforts to find more effective ways to involve all students in school activities.

It is expected that, after having participated in these activities, those involved will agree on and implement an action plan for the advancement of their school.

ACTIVITY 1: Making sense of inclusion and equity in education

Objective

To guide participants on what is understood by inclusion and equity in education

Process

1. Read the discussion material “Towards a School for All”.
2. Discuss the content with a colleague.
3. In larger groups (four to six people), discuss the following questions:
   • What do you think of the definitions of inclusion and equity presented?
   • Do you agree that schools can achieve excellence by focusing on the progress of all their students?
   • What do you think about the idea of an inclusive school culture?
4. Present your conclusions to the other groups and consider the implications for future actions in the school.

Discussion material: towards a school for all

‘The evidence is conclusive: equity in education bears fruit. The highest-performing education systems in OECD countries are those that combine quality and equity. In these education systems, the vast majority of students can achieve high-level skills and knowledge that depend on their abilities and initiative, rather than their socioeconomic background.’ OECD (2012)

Around the world, children enter school from different backgrounds, have different educational experiences, and leave the system with widely varying outcomes. In most countries, poorer children tend to lose out most glaringly, achieve the worst results, and attend the lowest-performing schools.

Girls between the ages of 12 and 17 are at particular risk of dropping out of school in lower-middle and low-income countries, while boys are at higher risk in upper-middle and high-income countries. Recently, schools have faced unprecedented challenges in trying to find ways to ensure quality education for all their students in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, there are countries at both high and low income levels that have made progress in addressing these challenges and, at the same time, have a high general level. The consequence is that schools can achieve excellence by focusing on the progress of all their students. These materials aim to help schools consider the practical implications of this way of thinking. The ideas they present are based on the results of international experience and research.

Inclusion and equity

In many countries, inclusive education is still considered a strategy for supporting boys and girls with disabilities in general education settings. However, internationally it is increasingly accepted as a principle that supports and welcomes diversity among all students. This means that the goal is to eliminate social exclusion that results from attitudes and responses to diversity of race, social class, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, migrant status, and abilities. As such, this goal stems from the belief that education is a basic human right and the foundation of a more just society. The use of the word “equity” in these informational materials highlights this emphasis on what is fair.

The promotion of inclusion and equity is not simply a technical or organizational change. It is rather a movement in a clear philosophical direction that involves the development of a receptive and supportive culture within school communities. Creating this cultural change requires a shared commitment among teaching staff. Therefore, it is essential that those who need to participate in this process have a clear idea of what is intended. Specifically, the terms “inclusion” and “equity” must be clearly defined in a way that addresses a wide range of stakeholders.

The following definitions, taken from the UNESCO Guide to Ensuring Inclusion and Equity in Education (2017), are particularly useful:

• Inclusion is a process that helps to overcome the barriers that limit students’ attendance, participation, and achievement.
• Equity consists of guaranteeing impartiality, where the education of all students is considered equally important.

The main message is, therefore, simple: all students matter and matter equally. Complexity arises, however, when we try to turn this principle into action. This is likely to require significant changes in teaching thinking and practice within schools. The resource box has been designed with this in mind: it is about the development of teaching thinking, policies, and practice within schools.

An inclusive culture

There is no single model of an inclusive school. However, what highly inclusive schools have in common is that they are welcoming places that support all their students, especially those with disabilities and others who experience learning and/or socialization difficulties. This does not prevent these schools from committing to improving the achievements of all their students. In fact, they use strategies to improve performance that are typical of all effective schools. The emphasis on supporting vulnerable students contributes to these strategies.

Successful schools are inclusive in the sense that all students are expected to progress in their learning. They are also safe, responsive, and free from violence, including gender-based violence. This does not happen by chance. Rather, it results from the way the school is managed to create an atmosphere in which everyone (students, staff, and families) feels valued and supported. Another key factor is the emphasis placed on monitoring and supporting the progress of all students.

When schools manage to move in a more inclusive direction, there is usually some consensus among adults around the values of respect for difference and commitment to offering all students access to learning opportunities. Although this consensus is unlikely to be complete, it is indicative of the development of a culture of inclusion.

In such contexts, there is likely to be a high level of staff collaboration, joint problem-solving, and shared responsibilities. Similar values and commitments are likely to extend to students and among families and other stakeholders involved in the school community. These schools are also likely to be characterized by forms of organization (such as specialized support delivered within the classroom, rather than isolation) and teaching practices that are participatory by definition (such as cooperative group work).

Organization and relationships

What we see in the most inclusive schools are forms of organization that aim to coordinate the actions of staff and children around agreed principles. These forms need to function in a way that does not reduce the discretion of individual teachers to act according to their own preferences. Teaching is a complex and often unpredictable practice that requires a degree of improvisation. Indeed, it could be argued that an important characteristic of an inclusive school is the extent to which teachers are willing to adjust their practices in light of the information they receive from the participants in their classes.

Consequently, teachers must have sufficient autonomy to make decisions in the moment that take into account the individuality of their students and the uniqueness of each experience. What is needed, therefore, is a well-coordinated and cooperative working style that gives each teacher the necessary confidence to improvise in the search for the most appropriate responses for all students in their classes.

Relationships are key to establishing greater coordination. Researchers have suggested that school relationships can be structured in one of three ways: individualistic, competitive, or cooperative.

In a competitive system, teachers (and students) strive to perform better than their colleagues, recognizing that their fates are negatively linked because one individual’s success is likely to be enhanced by the failure of others. In this win-lose struggle, it is almost inevitable that individuals will celebrate their colleagues’ difficulties, as these are likely to increase their own chances of success.

It is clear that the organizational approach most likely to create a positive working environment within the school is one that emphasizes cooperation. Therefore, the goal should be to foster a system in which individual efforts are coordinated to maximize their collective impact. In such a school, individuals are more likely to strive to benefit each other, recognizing that they all share a common purpose and, indeed, a common destiny. Furthermore, teachers know that their performance can be positively influenced by the performance of others. In this case, individuals feel proud when a colleague is successful and is recognized for their ability.

Responding to Obstacles

Like all major political changes, progress in relation to inclusion and equity requires an effective strategy for implementation. Specifically, it requires new thinking that places attention on the barriers faced by some children, which marginalize them as a result of contextual factors, such as inadequate curricula and assessment methods, insufficient teacher training and support, and teaching methods that do not take student diversity into account.

Obstacles can also relate to the assumptions on which teaching practice is based. This means that progress in relation to inclusion is complex, context-dependent, and linked to deeply entrenched systems of marginalization that classify and segregate students according to their race, abilities, sex, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.

The result is that overcoming such barriers is the most important means of developing forms of education that are effective for all children. In this way, attention to inclusion and equity becomes a way of achieving the overall improvement of education systems.

Use evidence

To move forward, it is important to know who is included, who feels marginalized, and who is excluded. Therefore, we need to ask questions such as the following: Which of our students are excluded? What are the barriers these students experience?

Using evidence in relation to these questions can help foster the development of teaching practices that are more effective in reaching students who are difficult to access. Specifically, this can create space for rethinking, by putting existing ways of working in a school into parentheses. The most robust techniques for generating evidence include using classroom observation, sometimes through video recordings, and feedback gathered from students about teaching and learning decisions in the school (see Guide 2 for more on this).

Under certain conditions, these strategies provide pauses that stimulate self-questioning, creativity, and action. In doing so, they can lead to a rethinking of perceived problems which, in turn, draws the teacher’s attention to overlooked possibilities for addressing barriers to participation and learning. In this way, differences between students, staff, and schools become a catalyst for improvement.

Teachers learning together

OECD evidence suggests that countries where teachers believe their profession is valued achieve higher levels of equity in learning outcomes. With this in mind, schools need to be reformed in ways that teachers feel supported to respond positively to student diversity, viewing individual differences not as problems to be solved but as opportunities to enrich learning. In this way, consideration of the difficulties experienced by students can contribute to an agenda for change and ideas about how such transformations might be achieved. All of this points to the importance of forms of leadership that encourage colleagues to challenge each other’s assumptions about particular students and what they can achieve. As explained previously, prior studies suggest that this can lead schools to develop an “inclusive culture.” Within such schools, there is a consensus among adults around the values of respect for difference and a commitment to offering all students access to learning opportunities.

This consensus may not be total and does not necessarily eliminate all tensions or contradictions in practice. On the other hand, there is likely to be a high level of staff collaboration and joint problem-solving, and similar values and commitments may extend to the student body, families, and other community stakeholders. The result is that the most experienced staff within the school have to create a climate within which professional learning can take place.

The role of leadership

A school that is based on a cooperative structure that fosters commitment to evidence is likely to make better use of the experience of all members of its community. It does this by providing sources for professional development and enrichment that foster learning and growth, and by encouraging positive attitudes towards the introduction of new ways of working. This may require new ideas and teaching practices among school leaders and their fellow managers, who have to:

• Challenge the status quo of traditional teaching approaches;
• Inspire a clear mutual vision of what the school should and could be;
• Lead by example, using cooperative procedures; and
• Encourage staff members to persist and continue striving together to incorporate new knowledge and
• Promote collaborative relationships with families and the community.

Management staff should also emphasize the creation of cooperative teams and the use of research to stimulate experimentation with new ways of working.

ACTIVITY 2: Using the school analysis framework

Objective

Initiate the process of analyzing the school in relation to inclusion and equity.

Process

1. Participants are presented with the School Analysis Framework, noting that the indicators and questions are based on international research regarding factors associated with progress in the development of inclusive and equitable schools.
2. Using a four-point rating scale, individual participants score their school’s performance against the indicators, such that:
   • A means: The school performs well. There are several significant strengths and no.
   • B means: The school is functioning quite well. Overall, strengths outweigh weaknesses.
   • C means: The school is not functioning very well. Overall, weaknesses outweigh strengths.
   • D means: The school is performing poorly. There are no obvious strengths and several weaknesses.
3. Participants share their ideas about this process and discuss the implications for the next steps in relation to these questions:
   • What are the strengths our school can leverage?
   • What are the main challenges and how can they be addressed?
   • What should be the next steps?

School analysis framework

• 1.1 Everyone feels welcome
  • Do students at the school feel safe?
  • Upon arriving at the school, are students, families, and other visitors made to feel welcome?
  • Is accessible information about the educational center provided?
• 1.2 Students are valued equally
  • Is the work of all students recognized and displayed around the facilities and in classrooms?
  • Are all students encouraged to participate in all school activities?
  • Do some students have a leadership role in the school?
• 1.3 There are high expectations for all students
  • Do all students notice that achievement is expected of them?
  • Are the achievements of all students celebrated?
• 1.4 Staff and students treat each other with respect
  • Is there an amiable and friendly relationship between staff and students?
  • Are different languages, cultures, and religious beliefs respected?
• 1.5 There is collaboration between staff and families
  • Is there effective and fluid communication between families and the school?
  • Do parents feel they participate in supporting their children’s learning?
• 1.6 The school is accessible to all students
  • Are efforts made to overcome potential obstacles to participation and learning?
  • Can students and adults with disabilities access all areas of the building?
  • Are students who speak a different language helped to participate?
• 1.7 Management staff support teachers to ensure all students participate and learn
  • Are there frequent teacher development activities focused on improving teaching?
  • Do the administrative staff observe classes and offer suggestions for improvement?
  • Do teachers have the opportunity to observe classes taught by other educators?
• 1.8 The school monitors the attendance, participation, and achievements of all students
  • Are there systems in place to monitor students’ attendance at school and during classes?
  • Is the school aware of specific reasons why students do not attend school due to practices within the wider school community?
  • Are students given the opportunity to comment on what it is like to be part of the school?
  • Is the progress and achievements of each student monitored?

ACTIVITY 3. Practice Reports

Objective

Learn from the experiences of other schools that have advanced in fostering inclusion and equity.

Process

1. Participants individually read one of the four reports, so that a quarter of the group examines each one.
2. Groups are formed with participants who have read the same report. After discussing the document, they agree on a synthesis of the key ideas that have emerged.
3. The groups meet and explain the reports they have read and the key ideas that have emerged from the discussion.
4. Reflections are shared on the lessons learned from this activity and their implications for their school.

Practice Reports

These examples are intended to stimulate debate about what schools should do to address the challenges associated with inclusion and equity. When reading the reports, it is important to remember that contexts and resources differ. Therefore, the approaches used by schools in these examples would need to change to adapt to different circumstances.

The common factor in the four examples is the emphasis placed on using evidence to analyze the barriers faced by some students and the importance of collective efforts in addressing these difficulties. This also points to the importance of leadership in achieving progress.

REPORT 1- Talking about inclusion

Keep these questions in mind when reading this report:

• How diverse is your school?
• What does the school do in response to differences among students?
• What actions are required to improve this situation?

Becoming more inclusive involves learning to live with differences and, indeed, learning to learn from differences. This account describes how, over a twelve-month period, a primary school undertook a project to strengthen its teaching approaches in relation to this idea. This involved an inquiry-based approach that stimulated considerable debate. Significantly, the students themselves played a key role in what unfolded.

THE CONTEXT. The school serves around 200 students in the age range 3-11. It has served a multicultural community for many years. Currently, there are 23 different nationalities, with 19 diverse languages spoken among the families. Ethnic diversity is not only related to the children attending the school but also to the staff. Commenting on this, the headteacher explained:

“Anything religious or cultural that I am unsure of, there is always someone I can ask.”

The school’s motto, “All different, all the same,” reflects the staff’s commitment to ensuring that differences are valued and everyone’s background is treated with respect. This is not just a motto, however, it is a philosophy deeply embedded throughout the school community.

A newly appointed assistant principal took the initiative to coordinate efforts to strengthen the school’s commitment to inclusion. She began by organizing a staff meeting to inform her new colleagues. She then repeated this briefing for administrative staff, lunch organizers, and the team of support assistants. In this way, almost everyone was informed of what was being proposed.

EVIDENCE GATHERING.Throughout the consultations that took place, the school was able to identify children whose progress was a cause for concern. More information was gathered from families using a questionnaire, which had to be translated for some of them. Another staff meeting was oriented towards discussing how the views of the children could be gathered. This began with a consideration of existing practices in the school for listening to the voice of the students. The school also carried out an opinion survey among children, using questionnaires. These were translated for those children who needed them. In the early years, the surveys were carried out as whole-class activities.

The deputy headteacher analysed the responses from each class and then from the whole school. Although this took a lot of time, she believed it was really useful for drawing attention to issues in the centre that needed attention. So much so that she decided to carry out another survey later to see if changes in the children’s views on the institution were confirmed. She also considered it particularly important to capture the views of new arrivals. In addition, staff completed questionnaires which could be reviewed alongside the documented evidence in the various meetings that were held.

HOW TO FOCUS.In a subsequent meeting, staff had the opportunity to examine the evidence that had been gathered. Understandably, everyone wanted to see how their own classes had responded, and to compare the results with the rest of the school.

As a result, it was decided to allocate a two-week period for the use of various student opinion activities in each class. The deputy headteacher organised a timetable for this and also reminded the teachers who the children were who needed special attention. As each teacher carried out the activities in their classes, a colleague observed the process, contemplating specifically the way in which the individual children responded. In this way, they were able to integrate student opinion activities into their daily teaching and learning, something that subsequently became part of the regular practice throughout the school.

During this same period, management staff and support assistants also participated in a programme of observations, focusing particularly on the participation of the children who had been targeted. It was felt necessary to adapt the observation schedules they were using to allow more room for comments. What was most unusual was the way in which all of this was concentrated into a two-week period. This led to a time of intense debate within the school.

The idea of making observations whilst the students’ opinion activities were taking place was very successful in that everyone’s attention was focused on this particular time period. Staff felt that the observations helped them a great deal, offered them many positive feelings and made them see things from different angles.

Later in the year, focus groups were held with students. Led by the headteacher and deputy headteacher, it proved useful to have someone else in the room who could take notes, as the conversations moved forward, so that the main participants were not distracted. Each class teacher nominated children for the focus groups, including some of those who were receiving special attention. The deputy headteacher commented: ‘We deliberately chose those children because we really wanted to give them the opportunity to express themselves’.

IMPACT. By the end of the school year, there was strong evidence that the strategies used had led to significant changes in thinking and practice in a school that was already highly committed to responding to the diversity of its students. As part of this process, school safety became a topic of discussion, something that had not been foreseen.

There was no doubt that the children thought their school had become a happier place to be and a better environment in which to learn. However, arguably the most important impact was the way in which an intense period of discussion was opened up about what inclusion means. From this emerged an even greater commitment to ensuring that no child is overlooked.

Interestingly, while all this was happening at school, national test scores improved significantly. The principal explained, ‘These are our best results.’ It seems, therefore, that the efforts to strengthen inclusion had contributed to the overall improvement of learning.

REPORT 2. Invisible Students

Keep these questions in mind as you read this report:

• In your school, are there students who do not receive enough attention?
• What do you know about these students?
• How could you get more information about their experiences at school?

A group of six teachers from a major secondary school were invited to form a research group. These teachers felt that some young people did not feel part of the school. There was also a sense of a connection between this fact and a generalized lack of interest in studying by these students.

With this consideration, the team decided to identify the 9th-grade students who seemed to show this lack of interest through the record of punishments and recognitions they receive through the school’s behavior assessment.

A SAMPLE. Upon observing what was happening during the first weeks of the term, the research group was surprised to discover that around 25% of the students (an equal number of boys and girls) appeared to be “invisible.” Even more surprising was that, contrary to expectations, these students showed diverse levels of abilities. Consequently, the team decided to investigate the experiences of these students further to find out what information this fact provided regarding teaching practices within the school. To do this, they observed the students in class to see what their learning experiences and interactions were like. The goal was to observe the classes “through the students’ eyes.”

It was decided to focus the observation on 12 students, six of each sex. In this way, attention was focused on four main areas: the interaction and relationship between students and teachers; the students’ interaction with the assigned tasks; the students’ interaction with their peers; and the students’ general disposition. The group then prepared concise summaries of their findings.

RECEIVING ATTENTION. Although there were small differences in what was observed, the staff were struck by how similar the students’ experiences were. In particular, they noticed that the students being observed were rarely named or addressed in class. Rather, they were seen working on their tasks in silence. They often finished these tasks before the other students, but without seeking attention. During whole-class question-and-answer sessions, they were generally not assertive in their body language, and half of them rarely raised their hand or responded to any questions.

As a result of these unexpected reactions, the team decided to conduct group discussions with the students to find out what they had to say about their experiences in the classroom and at school in general. Their intuition was that these students wanted to go unnoticed, that they were happy not to be the center of attention in class. However, once again, their assumptions were contradicted by the students’ testimonies.

STUDENTS’ OPINIONS.During group discussions, students were asked to identify and write down a recent learning experience in which they had felt involved and engaged with learning, and conversely, activities in which they had not felt involved or engaged. They were then asked to elaborate on these experiences and discuss issues related to equity and whether or not they were heard at school. They were informed that the names of teachers or subjects would not be mentioned and that everything they said would be treated confidentially.

Students were able to describe what they felt worked and what did not work. They were also very aware, and at times painfully aware, that some students received more attention than they did. Among other things, they expressed their opposition to copying texts and their liking for activities in which they could think for themselves, as long as the tasks were explained to them and they “felt part” of the activity.

Some students spoke passionately about how they felt when they were ignored during classes and their feeling that this was unfair. For example, one girl explained that she sometimes raised her hand to ask for advice. Seeing the teacher heading towards her, she would be disappointed when an incident elsewhere in the classroom distracted the educator’s attention.

Other students complained that although they attended every day, tried hard, and finished their homework on time, they rarely received praise. Meanwhile, they noticed that potentially disruptive students were often rewarded for what seemed like brief periods of passive behavior.

ANALYSIS AND ACTIONS. Observation notes and transcripts were then analyzed, and dialogue segments were grouped by thematic similarity. Staff group members identified sections that caught their attention, made them pause and think, or taught them something new about their students, and about practices and beliefs within the school. This process was repeated several times until, finally, the extracts were organized around the following themes: learning activities, copying, group work, getting help and task explanation, dealing with noisy and quiet students, talking to the teacher, and praising “good” and “bad” students.

Given that the evidence-gathering experience had been expressive for the team, they decided to consult the school principal about the next steps. Consequently, it was decided to present the results at a meeting of the management team. In this meeting, some management colleagues were evidently surprised and bewildered by the evidence. Therefore, a whole-school meeting was organized to discuss the implications of the collected information.

REPORT 3 – Rethinking the agenda

Keep these questions in mind as you read this report:

• Is evidence used in your school to analyze the experiences of students who cause concern?
• To what extent are students’ perspectives considered?
• Do teachers meet to solve problems together?

In some cases, an initial commitment to evidence may lead staff to rethink the way they formulate their research agendas. This happened in one secondary school which has approximately 40% of students from an ethnic minority.

The headteacher decided that he wanted to research disaffection in the school. Seven children had been permanently excluded during the previous year and a disproportionate number of these students, five in total, had been observed to belong to an ethnic minority group. Concentrating on this fact, a staff research group was formed led by the deputy headteacher to find out more about the issue.

THE FOCUS.The staff group assumed that the difficulties were related to the children being part of a young subculture within their community, and as a result of a problematic generational gap between the minors and their families. A manager explained:

‘In general [las suspensiones permanentes] did not happen as a consequence of isolated incidents, but due to a series of incidents that we could not find a way to successfully resolve… Our approach, above all, is to support the student, and permanent suspension is largely a last resort for us”.

He continued to explain that when problems arose with these children, they generally had the support of their families to deal with them, adding:

‘…it was very rare for a family member not to be working with us to try to find a successful solution’.

The educator added that these children had shown signs of disaffection in the lower stage of school. When asked if staff felt this might be related to ethnic background or culture, he stated his belief that the families of these young people were likely largely unaware of their children’s lifestyle outside the home. Based on glimpses of information from a subculture, which some staff members had obtained by overhearing informal conversations among students, they also suspected that these students came into contact with drug-related activities, organized fights, and gang culture. Regarding the comment on students’ views of the seriousness of exclusion, the only thing they all showed in common was that they judged it to be serious.

USE OF EVIDENCEThe staff research team identified 26 students whose behavior was a cause for concern. 24 of them were boys and girls, and most were between 8 and 10 years old. A behavior database was used to carry out this analysis, although team members later realized they could have relied on their intuition.

Staff conducted focus groups for each class, which were guided by similar questions and observed by a member of the pastoral team. In addition, some staff members were interviewed about their views on sanctions and student behavior.

Overall, students acknowledged that they exhibited challenging behavior at school. They felt that, although they were often punished for it, the school’s actions were generally fair. They could not identify a particular teacher or subject with whom they felt they were treated less fairly than other students, or where they behaved worse. They tended to share similar views on lessons, learning, sanctions received, and reasons for feeling discontent, regardless of their ethnic background, and none of their reasons for defiant attitude and disaffection seemed to be related to racial issues. All students realized that suspension was serious and significantly impacted their future career opportunities. They also commented that their families would be upset and disappointed with them if expulsion were confirmed.

RETHINKING. The group’s focus shifted, however, when, upon closer analysis, it became evident that a common characteristic of these students was that they had reading levels significantly below their chronological reading ages, in some cases by more than three years. In contrast, only one of them acknowledged having a reading problem, and that was a seventh-grade student. Clearly, this could be because these young people did not want to see themselves as possessing a weakness, or because they believed that they would be able to ‘get by’.

The deputy principal explained that they had found that around 40% of all their students between grades 7 and 11 had reading levels below their chronological ages, with some of the gaps being “absolutely staggering.” He added that the staff had not been fully aware of this figure and, similarly, would probably also be unaware of those young people in their classes who had reading and writing problems, nor the intensity of their struggle. Even though some of them knew about the low literacy levels in the school, they still, he explained, confronted the correlation between low reading levels and disaffection in the focus groups. Although a relatively small number of students might have been suspended due to a more serious framework of disaffection, the data would indicate a much larger number of students who did not feel as engaged as they could be due to their low literacy level.

A case was reported concerning a teacher who, without knowing the students very well, asked them to read in front of the class. Instead of admitting their inability to read, the student might respond with a defiant attitude or, less obviously, simply disengage. It was observed that learning outcomes tended to decline towards the end of Year 7 and throughout Year 8, not only due to impending adolescence and peer pressure, but also because students found it much harder to read and write.

As a result of this rethinking, the following school year saw a major effort put into fostering literacy across the curriculum, particularly in Years 7 and 8.

EXAMPLE 4 “Becoming a problem-solving community”

Consider these questions when reading this report:

• To what extent does your school address children who exhibit challenging behavior?
• Does your school have a policy regarding student behavior? If so, does it take into account children with problematic behaviors and ensure they receive the support they need?
• What ideas do you take from this practice report, especially regarding professional development?

The primary school is popular with families in the area and has received two positive inspection reports in recent years. What strikes a visitor to the school is the diversity among the students, some of whom have disabilities, and the way the idea of support seems to permeate everything that happens. During the morning assembly, for example, children with disabilities sit alongside their peers. The headteacher recalls one boy in particular who shouted out during the assembly. “There was no way we weren’t going to let him in,” she says.

Occasionally, during the assembly, a student makes what seems to be an inappropriate noise or comment, but it does not seem to disturb the other children. Sometimes a member of staff will go over to a child to reassure them with a gentle touch on the arm or a whispered comment. Similarly, children are also observed occasionally prompting their neighbours to be quiet or to sit still. As the students leave the building quietly in their class lines, one girl gives a young boy with Down’s syndrome a gentle nudge to show him the right direction.

PROVIDE SUPPORT. This emphasis on student-to-student support is always present and clearly rooted in the social model of the school as a whole. Apart from assemblies, it is evident in many other contexts, such as classrooms, the playground, the gym, and the dining hall. It is a discreet activity that is taken for granted, so it is not the task of any individual or group. Rather, it is a shared responsibility. The headteacher explains with evident satisfaction that many families now express their pride in the fact that the children are learning to care for others.

Of course, none of this has happened by chance. Throughout the school, one can see how adults model ways of supporting children in a way that does not create dependency, and that offers advice when they deem it necessary. For example, a child was once advised that “it is not necessary to hold his hand.” Such advice can also be given to adults. In one class, where the children were preparing for their physical education class, the teacher said to a new member of the auxiliary staff: “Let her do it herself, she is good at dressing.”

However, this empathetic approach to support is perhaps most evident in the classrooms, where, once again, there appears to be a perfect blend of empathetic and subtle adult intervention, complemented by plenty of cooperation between the children.

POLICIES. Teachers acknowledge that they emphasize clear routines with the belief that this benefits learning. In this context, staff maintain that agreed lesson plans have made a valuable contribution, particularly regarding the participation and learning of children with disabilities, who were reported to respond particularly well to the routine demanded by these strategies.

The policy regarding student behavior in school is barely evident during lessons. There are a small number of “golden rules” that everyone is expected to follow. Then, the members of each class determine their own additional rules. Classes also have a “behavior book” where good and bad behaviors are specifically noted. Three negative notes result in a sanction, but this seems to be something that rarely happens.

The principal explained that a “celebration assembly” takes place every week where the children bring their work to show to the whole school. The principal is pleased with the way most children applaud what might seem like a very small step forward for children with disabilities. The principal also mentions that many of the families have noticed the progress made by these children over the years.

STAFF DEVELOPMENT. When probing school members for more information about what has facilitated the development of these policies and practices, a key theme becomes evident. It is suggested that what has occurred involves a social process of professional learning. Encouraged by the children whose unusual and challenging behavior demands experimentation and creativity, the staff teams appear to have developed an increased capacity to work collaboratively to solve problems. In this way, teamwork appears to have become a distinguishing feature of the school’s work. In this regard, the principal states: “When it works well it is truly impressive.”

An important factor is the management and use of time. In a very busy school, with so many overlapping demands, time is always an issue for staff. Teachers have little time to get away from the children during the school day, and of course, the presence of young people who need additional support adds to this pressure. This has undoubtedly been the situation in this case, especially since the unusual behavior and learning difficulties of some students pose new and considerable challenges for teachers. Consequently, it was considered necessary to dedicate weekly time for the team of educators to discuss the problems they were facing.

It therefore seems that, through cooperative problem-solving and mutual support, school staff have gained greater confidence in the possibility of finding ways to address the extremely problematic behavior of some students and, in doing so, find ways to overcome learning difficulties. The headteacher expressed it as follows: “It’s not about complicated written planning. It’s time to talk. Things transform.”

FORMS OF LEADERSHIP.One of the headteacher’s most important roles has been to foster a sense of common purpose among staff. Driven by a strong personal commitment to equal opportunities, she appears to have been remarkably successful in leading the entire school community (staff, students, and families) towards a commitment to inclusive education. Consequently, there is evidence of considerable agreement regarding the meaning of certain key principles, particularly the notion of inclusion.

As we have seen, the school also has a well-developed understanding of the goals of support. Furthermore, the potential of differences to enrich people’s lives by stimulating creativity is recognized. Consequently, the presence of children with extreme behavioral problems has fueled a process through which this school has become a problem-solving community.

ACTIVITY 4. Carrying out a collaborative consultation

Objective

Plan and carry out a collaborative consultation process within the school.

Process

• A group will be formed to plan and coordinate the collaborative consultation.
• The group uses the Collaborative Consultation Guide and its annex to carry out the process.
• After the collaborative consultation, the group agrees on a summary of the conclusions and shares it with other members of the school.
• The process results in an action plan to be implemented in the institution.

Collaborative Consultation Guide

This guide outlines a process for carrying out collaborative consultation in a school. It should be used with some flexibility, taking into account local factors and circumstances. The process should be led by a coordination group established within the school, taking into account the ideas that emerge from the discussions of the School Analysis Framework.

The collaborative consultation process consists of six overlapping stages:

1. Analyze our context.To develop effective strategies for reaching those students vulnerable to marginalization, exclusion, and underachievement, it is necessary to analyze the context of the school and its community. In this way, initial ideas can be developed about the types of barriers these students experience and the actions that might be needed to overcome them. Therefore, it is useful to have members of the research team who have different perspectives on school dynamics.

Questions to consider:

• Which students feel lost in our school?
• What do we know about these students?
• Which group(s) should we focus our attention on?
• What are our initial ideas about the factors that lead to their marginalization?

2. Gathering evidence.From some initial intuitions, steps must be taken to gather additional evidence of various kinds in order to deepen the analysis. In this case, evidence can take many forms (see suggestions in the Annex). One is likely to start by examining the statistical material available at the school, such as data on attendance and performance, or any other evidence at the local level. This can serve to identify the individuals and groups that are of concern. In addition, it gives a general picture of what is happening at the school in relation to these students. The next step involves a much more specific analysis of the situation using qualitative evidence, including information provided by the students themselves. Research has found that such data can be a powerful means for schools to move forward, especially as it can challenge the staff’s assumptions about why some students are vulnerable to marginalization, exclusion, and underachievement. It can also draw attention to those students who are being ignored.

Questions to consider:

• What additional information do we need about these students?
• How can we collect, record, and analyze this information?
• Who should be involved?

3. Interpreting the evidence.Once the different types of evidence have been gathered and examined, the coordination team will need to plan how to encourage a wide debate within the school community about the issues that need to be examined. To this end, the topic will likely be included in the agendas of the management team, staff meetings, student council, and parent groups. Some schools have also found it useful to involve representatives from partner institutions in these discussions, especially because ‘outsiders’ can ask questions and observe patterns that ‘insiders’ may be overlooking. In a sense, this is a way of ‘making the familiar unfamiliar’ to foster deeper reflection processes within the school community. When well-directed, it is a means of bringing people together around a common purpose.

Questions to consider:

• What do the data suggest about this group of students’ experience?
• What factors seem to be associated with their limited progress?
• Who should participate in the interpretation of this data?
• What can we do to address these factors?
• What aspects of our school need to be taken into account?

4. Moving forward.Once the areas for development have been established, it will be necessary for the group to formulate strategies to involve the school community in the progress. In this case, the general approach is based on the assumption that schools have more information than they use and that the logical starting point for development is a detailed analysis of existing ways of working. This allows for the identification and sharing of good practices, while at the same time drawing attention to ways of working that may be creating barriers to the attendance, participation, and learning of some students. At this point, it is worth recalling the old saying that improving the school is technically simple, but socially complex. In other words, planning the necessary actions is likely to be relatively straightforward; the challenge for the coordinating group is to find ways to get everyone involved. Inevitably, the strategies adopted will depend on the nature of the areas being addressed.

Issues to consider:

• What actions do we propose to improve the experience of this group of students?
• What aspects of our school do we need to change?
• Who should participate in the advancement?
• What measures should we take to ensure their participation?

5. Involvement of associated stakeholders.The participation of associated stakeholders, especially families, will be important as the school advances in its plans. Furthermore, there is considerable evidence that collaboration between schools can add value to each of their efforts to develop more equitable ways of working. This shows how collaboration between institutions can help reduce polarization among them to particularly benefit students excluded at the margins of the system, whose performance and attitudes are a cause for concern.

There is also evidence that when schools try to develop more collaborative ways of working, this can affect how teachers perceive themselves and their work. Specifically, the act of sharing and comparing teaching practices can lead school staff to view students with low performance from a different perspective. Instead of simply representing problems that are assumed to be insurmountable, these students can be perceived as providing feedback on the existing dynamics in the classroom and school. In this way, they can be seen as sources of information on how these arrangements can be developed in a way that benefits all members of the school.

Issues to consider:

• Who should we involve outside of school?
• How can we get them to participate?
• How can they add value to our efforts?

6. Monitoring progress.As the school progresses with its plans, it is necessary for the implementation process to be carefully and frequently monitored. It will also be necessary to collect evidence in order to determine the impact in terms of student attendance, participation, and achievement. The group plays a key role in coordinating this work. Management staff should also be involved in the collection, generation, and interpretation of information in order to create an investigative attitude throughout the school. It is foreseen that, as these activities develop, their impact will be broader. In this way, the initial focus on student groups considered “at risk” can question existing teaching practices in schools. This gives centrality to the work in the general development plans of the schools.

Issues to consider:

• What are the outcomes we are looking for?
• What do we expect to happen in the process of achieving these results?
• How do we monitor these actions and their impact on students’ attendance, participation, and progress?

Important considerations

When considering this type of collaborative inquiry, it is essential to recognize that it does not offer a simple recipe for promoting inclusion and equity that can be taken and replicated from one setting to another. Instead, it defines an improvement approach that uses processes of contextual analysis to design strategies that adapt to specific circumstances. This implies a commitment to diverse forms of evidence, leading to the development of locally determined strategies.

What is most distinctive about this approach is that it is driven from within schools. However, it is predictable that this will lead to periods of organizational ‘turbulence.’ The nature of this phenomenon will vary from place to place. But, in general, it arises as a result of the reactions of individuals within a center to ideas and approaches that disturb the status quo of their daily lives. Nevertheless, it should be noted that there is evidence from previous studies suggesting that, without periods of disruption, successful and lasting change is unlikely to occur. In this sense, turbulence can be considered a useful indication that things are in motion. At the same time, this highlights the importance of sensitive and supportive leadership.

Annex

Research methods can take many forms. When used effectively, they can help develop a deeper understanding of how students construct meaning from their experiences. This can, in turn, stimulate experimentation and professional learning.

Statistics

Today, schools have a large amount of statistical information on student attendance, behavior, and performance. These are often an excellent starting point for school-based research.

In recent years, the scope and sophistication of these data have improved, to the point where the progress of groups and individuals can now be tracked in considerable detail, providing a much clearer insight into the value a school is contributing to its students. If necessary, more relevant statistical material can be collected through surveys on the opinions of students, staff members, and, where appropriate, families and caregivers.

However, statistical information alone tells us very little. What brings these data to life is when “insiders” begin to examine and question their meaning together, bringing experiences and detailed knowledge to the interpretation process. Even so, limitations must be considered. Statistics offer patterns of what exists: they tell us what things are like, but they do not allow us to understand why they are that way or how they came to be. This is why methodology experts tend to promote the idea of using mixed research methods. It is also why evidence gathered through qualitative approaches is necessary to complement statistical data. More specifically, qualitative research methods can help us address the “how” and “why” questions, to determine what actions need to be taken to initiate transformation in a school.

Qualitative methods

These methods can take many forms. If used effectively, they can help us to better understand how participants in schools and classrooms construct meaning from their experiences. Possible methods include:

• Interviews are often a key element in data collection.There are many possible approaches to conducting interviews within the framework of collaborative consultation in schools. They can be guided by a set of pre-established questions that require almost predictable answers. On the other hand, they can take the form of a discussion centered around a series of topics that are raised. Interviews can be conducted individually or in groups. Focus groups are an attractive method, especially when conducting research with students, not least because it is possible to include a larger group of participants. However, there is a danger, especially with young people, that the opinions of particularly self-assured individuals may condition the contributions of others.
  
• Take didactic walks.Didactic walks are visits organized by groups of colleagues to the learning areas of a school. In some cases, students may also participate. These walks can focus on a pre-agreed program or remain open so that participants can choose “whatever catches their eye.” During and after the walk, colleagues are encouraged to reflect on what they have seen in order to foster the exchange of ideas and for professionals to challenge each other. Another version of this approach involves teams of staff from partner schools in collecting examples of children’s work, thereby encouraging participants to reconsider their definitions of quality.
  
• Observation. It is an essential element in attempts to improve teaching practices in a school, as research suggests that such advances are unlikely to occur without some exposure to the form of teaching under different strategies. Observations can take different forms, depending on the nature of the improvement program. Thus, for example, they can be guided by a set of relatively focused indicators or, at the other extreme, by a series of open-ended questions or topics. Furthermore, unexpected events can expose something important for research. Learning to observe in classrooms and in the school environment is a challenge: there is always a lot to do and it is easy to get distracted. Sometimes it is useful to make video recordings, although, again, this recording method has advantages and limitations. On the one hand, it is useful to play back the recording to see the fragments in more detail, and it is good for groups of colleagues to discuss a video recording. On the other hand, the camera can only record what is within the frame and important events may be missed.
  
• Listen to the students.Discussions with students are a particularly powerful stimulus for professional development. They can be guided by a series of pre-established questions or, conversely, they can take the form of a debate focused on a series of issues that are raised. Interviews can be conducted individually or in groups. Teachers can use this approach as part of discussions with small groups of students, in the context of the whole class, or with individual students. It can also involve students acting as researchers in their school, provided they receive adequate training and support.
  
• See things differently.Beyond conventional observation and interview procedures, it is possible to use more creative approaches to capture the views of others, especially those of children. Accompanying groups of young people during a school day can provide adults with a new, and sometimes unsettling, insight into what it means to be a student in their school. For example, in a secondary school, it was surprising for staff to discover how some students spend the entire day without hearing an adult say their name. These experiences remind us of the subtle ways in which some young people come to feel marginalized. Visual methods can also be a particularly powerful way to engage children. Thus, for example, drawings can be useful as a stimulus for individual or group interviews. Similarly, asking students to take photographs of different aspects of their school experience has proven particularly useful in allowing adults, and other children, to see school life through the eyes of the student who took the photograph.

Recommended readings

• AINSCOW, M. & SANDILL, A. (2010). Developing inclusive education systems: the role of organisational cultures and leadership. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 14(1), 1-16.
• HARGREAVES, D.H. (1995). School culture, school effectiveness and school improvement. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 6(1), 23-27.
• HARRIS, J., CARRINGTON, S. & AINSCOW, M. WITH COMBER, B, EHRICH, L., KLENOWSKI, V., SMEED,
• J. & SPINA, J. (2017). Promoting equity in schools: collaboration, inquiry and ethical leadership. London: Routledge.
• JOHNSON, D. W., & JOHNSON, R.T. (1989). Leading the cooperative school. Edina: Interaction Book Co.
• OECD. (2012). Equity and quality in education: Supporting disadvantaged students and schools. Paris: OECD.
• RIEHL, C.J. (2000). The principal’s role in creating inclusive schools for diverse students: a review of normative, empirical, and critical literature on the practice of educational administration. Review of Educational Research, 70(1), 55-81.
• SCHLEICHER, A. (2015). Schools for 21st-Century learners: Strong leaders, confident teachers, innovative approaches. OECD Publishing: Paris.
• SLEE, R. (2010). The irregular school: Exclusion, schooling and inclusive education. London: Routledge.

Links to relevant resources

Note: Before presenting these resources to other people, it is important to ensure that they are appropriate for the specific context.

• ‘Inclusive education: Approaches, scope and content’. This UNESCO video includes a helpful example of a school that has made progress in relation to inclusion: http://www.ibe.unesco.org/en/video/48th-ice-2008-approaches-scope-and-content
• ‘Inclusive education’. These videos and support materials argue that inclusion is a way of thinking and acting that demonstrates universal acceptance and promotes a sense of belonging for all learners: https://www.alberta.ca/inclusive-education.aspx?fbclid=IwAR1wDha676UhfYASb5FNZpH_6iiWLcfrKhcorOfyyCYeu7Wj6B-kKdrimeE
• ‘Young people’s views on inclusive education’. This video, made in Tanzania and Uganda, shows the benefits of listening to the views of young people: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyYGeW2nJVg
• ‘The Index for Inclusion’. This review and development framework has been used in many countries across the world to promote inclusion in schools: https://www.eenet.org.uk/resources/docs/Index%20English.pdf
• ‘Empowerment, equity and excellence’. This presentation addresses the theme of changing education systems in relation to inclusion and equity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ir058B2_Z1A
• ‘Gender is like an ocean’. This video, which chronicles the journey of a high school student as he transitions from female to male, explains how peers and teachers became allies in making classrooms more inclusive. Gender is like an ocean.
• ‘Inclusive School Reform: Reflection, Action Planning and Monitoring of Impact’. A tool developed as part of the Inclusive School Communities Project: Inclusive School Reform.
• ‘Learning walks’. Teachers visiting, observing & reflecting on their peer’s work in another class): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUTIIOfma90&t=106s
• ‘Your Schools Inclusion Quotient’. A review instrument designed to give a sense of where a school is on their journey towards inclusion: Your Schools Inclusion Quotient.

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Guide 2. Developing inclusive practices

This second guide helps teaching staff develop more effective ways to involve all students in their classes. It addresses the following question:What forms of teaching practice in the classroom ensure that classes are inclusive?

The guide’s materials are designed for teachers in diverse educational contexts, including early childhood and higher education, to analyze their current ways of working in relation to inclusion and equity, in order to determine ideas for moving forward.

The guide’s materials are designed for teachers in diverse educational contexts, including early childhood and higher education, to analyze their current ways of working in relation to inclusion and equity, in order to determine ideas for moving forward.

ACTIVITY 1: Making teaching and learning inclusive– Encourages participants to think about how inclusive teaching and learning can be developed in their school.

ACTIVITY 2: Using the teaching and learning analysis framework– Initiates the process of analyzing teaching and learning in relation to inclusion and equity.

ACTIVITY 3: Practice Reports – Learn from the experiences of other schools that have advanced in promoting inclusion and equity in teaching and learning.

ACTIVITY 4: Use collaborative consultation to develop inclusive teaching and learning– A procedure to analyze and foster inclusive practices.

All these activities involve structured group projects that aim to stimulate participation in debates, exchange of experiences, and efforts to find more effective ways to involve all students in the classroom.

Once these activities have been carried out, participants must agree on an action plan to develop a strategy for promoting professional development within their schools. In this way, the learning of both adults and children becomes a central element of school policy based on the principles of inclusion and equity. Other readings and links to relevant resources are suggested at the end of this document.

ACTIVITY 1. Achieving inclusive teaching and learning

Objective

Encourage participants to think about how inclusive teaching and learning can be developed in their school.

Process

1. Read the discussion material “Developing inclusive practices.”
2. Discuss the content with a colleague.
3. In larger groups (four to six people), discuss the following questions:
   • What are the most interesting ideas in this discussion document?
   • What do you think about the idea of teachers learning from each other?
   • To what extent are cooperative learning approaches used in your schools?
4. Present your conclusions to the other groups and consider the implications for future actions at school.

As you read this material, keep the following questions in mind:

Discussion material: Developing inclusive practices

As you read this material, consider the following questions:

• Does your school encourage teachers to collaborate in the development of educational practices?
• Are teachers encouraged to innovate to find more effective ways to engage all students in classes?
• Are students’ opinions taken into account?

As highlighted in the Reaching Out to All Learners resource folder, the starting point for developing inclusive practices in a school is a thorough examination of how existing approaches may be acting as barriers to the participation and learning of some members of the class. At the same time, enabling practices that can be shared and leveraged will be identified. This discussion paper offers suggestions on how to make change happen in a school.

Learning from Teaching Practices

The recommended approaches place a strong emphasis on the need to observe teaching practices in the classroom and to listen carefully to those involved. For example:

This is a class composed of 9-year-old boys and girls from diverse backgrounds. Two students, seated at a separate table, are in constant contact with what is called an inclusion facilitator. The class today is making sweets for Eid or the Arab Sacrifice Festival, with an intense debate about the values associated with prayers and traditions, including the importance of donating to disadvantaged boys and girls during this holy time. With many responses and ideas surrounding the topic, the two students are working on different printed task sheets, quite simplified and enlarged, with illustrations and lines, to connect related images with the help of the inclusion facilitator. During the class discussion, they are not asked to participate, and their attention is focused on the worksheet they have been given.

This experience raises many questions. The two boys in question are present in a mainstream classroom and, given their apparent learning difficulties, this might not be the scenario in some countries. Furthermore, they have the advantage of receiving a great deal of individual attention, which families find very difficult to obtain in other countries. On the other hand, their physical location at a separate table, on a far side from the other students, suggests they are still marginalized, especially since the teaching assistant tends to position herself between them and the rest of the class when addressing the former.

So, are these students included or not? Can we draw lessons from this intervention that could serve as a basis for developing more inclusive practices in other schools? And how could the available resources be used more effectively?

The use of available resources

A feature of classes that appears to be effective in fostering student participation is the way available resources, especially human ones, are used to support learning, as in this example:

The small Asian country of Laos is said to be one of the poorest in the world. This classroom certainly has few material resources. The teacher spends the first ten minutes of class talking with the children about a topic related to nature. Their presentation is illustrated with a drawing they have made and which is stuck on the blackboard. Suddenly, the children students divide into groups of three to five and begin to debate. The teacher has posed a question derived from their initial presentation. From the speed with which everything happens, it is clear that the class is accustomed to working in this way. What is also quite noticeable is the change in atmosphere. Body language and facial expressions suggest that these children, who previously seemed rather passive, are now much more engaged with the agenda the teacher has planned.

Examples like this remind us that, in any classroom, students represent a rich source of experience, inspiration, challenge, and support that, if harnessed, can inject a huge amount of additional energy into the tasks and activities proposed. However, all of this depends on the teacher’s skills in capitalizing on this energy. This is partly a matter of attitude, which depends on recognizing that students have the capacity to contribute to the learning of others.

The use of group cooperative work in some countries has shown its potential to create classroom conditions that can maximize participation and, at the same time, achieve high levels of learning for all students. In fact, there is solid evidence suggesting that in cases where teachers are adept at planning and managing group cooperative learning activities as part of their repertoire, the outcome can be improved results in terms of academic, social, and psychological development. These approaches have also been found to be an effective means of supporting the participation of “exceptional students.” For example, those who are new to a class, children from different linguistic cultural backgrounds, and those with disabilities. However, it is important to emphasize again the need to have the capacity to organize this type of teaching practice in the classroom. Poorly managed group approaches often lead to considerable time loss and, in fact, can present opportunities for increased disruption.

Given the strength of the arguments for cooperative learning, it would be reasonable to assume that the use of these approaches should be widespread. However, while it is common to see children sitting in groups around tables, closer analysis confirms that they are often working on individual tasks. In this regard, they may be getting the worst of both worlds. Individual work requires concentration that can be disrupted by the incidental group discussions fostered by this type of seating arrangement.

Cooperation in the classroom

Effective group work can take many forms, but its main characteristic is that the completion of the task requires the active participation of all individuals in a work group, and that one member of the group cannot succeed without the others succeeding. Therefore, it is essential that group members perceive the importance of working together, respecting each other, and interacting in a useful way.
The most important aspect of cooperative work is the acceptance by group members that they can only achieve their goals if the other members achieve theirs. We can refer to this as positive interdependence: the idea that “one cannot learn without others.”

Positive interdependence can be achieved in different ways, depending on the nature of the tasks set, the content of the lesson, and the students’ prior experience. For example:

• Students can be asked to work in pairs preparing a joint statement on a topic that they will be responsible for presenting to a larger group or, possibly, the entire class;
• A group of students can be involved in a task that can only be completed if they share the materials that the different participants have;
• Individual participants in a group can be assigned specific roles. For example, chairperson, recorder, secretary, spokesperson;
• Each participant in the group can be asked to do the first draft of a task that is to be completed by the whole group; and
• A group can be told that it will be graded on the result of the added performance completed by individual members.

When asking students to work cooperatively we are, in effect, introducing an additional set of goals to be achieved. In addition to trying to achieve their academic goals, students must take into account goals related to their ability to work with others. This means that the complexity and demands of collaborative work must be introduced carefully and increased gradually. Initial difficulties can be minimized, for example, by asking each student to work with a known partner on a relatively simple task. The nature of the task demands, as well as the size and complexity of the group, can be gradually increased as students gain skill and confidence.

A practical language

There is strong evidence from studies suggesting that the best way to develop inclusive ways of working is for teachers in a school to learn from each other. The message is simple: to foster cooperation among students, you must start by strengthening cooperation among staff. In this way, the aim is to “move knowledge” within a school so that best practices are available to all children.

Research points to the importance of creating a climate in which this type of professional learning occurs. At the heart of the process is the discussion of teaching practice, as in the following example:

• The school serves a poor community in a city in India. Following a lesson in which the children participated in a role-play activity about families, the teachers explain how it had been planned. The previous year, the school principal had encouraged occasional Saturday morning meetings to discuss their work. On the school walls are beautiful posters produced during these meetings. The teachers explain that these discussions have encouraged them to try different educational approaches. However, they explained that it wasn’t just the meetings. They had also developed the idea of what they called “collaborative teaching,” whereby they occasionally had opportunities to work together in each other’s classrooms. This is, above all, what has stimulated their experimentation. When asked how they found the time, they explained that sometimes the principal took charge of a class to free up a teacher to work with a colleague. Other times, they were able to combine two classes, but this usually means they have to work outside, as the classrooms are too full.

The core of these types of processes, in which professional learning takes place within a school, is the development of a common language with which colleagues can talk to each other and, indeed, to themselves, about detailed aspects of their teaching practice. Without that language of practice, teachers find it difficult to experiment with new possibilities.

Much of what teachers do during the intensive exchanges that occur is done intuitively. Also, there is little time to stop and think. That is why having the opportunity to watch colleagues at work is so crucial to success in improving teaching practice. It is through shared experiences that colleagues can help each other articulate what they currently do and define what they would like to do. It also creates a space where assumptions about particular groups of students can be subjected to mutual critique.

Evidence-based participation in studying teaching within a school can help generate that language of teaching practice. This can, in turn, foster the development of practices that are more effective in engaging those students who are difficult to reach. In particular, it can create a space for rethinking, placing existing discourses in suspension and questioning habitual ways of working.

The starting point for these processes is often consideration of statistical evidence about student progress. However, the need to delve into the factors that influence progress often requires the intervention of qualitative forms of evidence. The most powerful techniques for generating evidence include the use of classroom observation, sometimes through video recordings, and evidence collected from students about the characteristics of teaching and learning in a school.

All of this is consistent with the idea of ‘assessment for learning’, an approach that involves teachers helping their students to understand what they need to learn and how. This means giving students opportunities to discuss their learning goals, and to reflect on and talk about their progress and next steps.

Underlying this approach is the recognition that all teaching and learning activities offer opportunities for assessment, and that assessment for learning should be incorporated into daily classroom practice as a means of continuously analyzing the progress of all members of the class so that teaching is updated and feedback is provided to improve learning.

Create interruptions

Under the right conditions, these evidence-based approaches provide disruptions that help turn the familiar into the unfamiliar in ways that stimulate self-questioning, creativity, and action. In doing so, they can lead to a rethinking of perceived problems which, in turn, draws the attention of the teacher to overlooked possibilities for addressing barriers to participation and learning. In this way, differences between students, staff, and schools become a catalyst for improvement.

Concern for the principle of equity means that attention must also be paid to the thinking that underpins actions and the repercussions of such thinking on practices. In particular, attention must be paid to the attitudes and assumptions that influence what teachers do, some of which may be unconscious, and to the ways in which these can be modified through dialogue with others, especially with students themselves.

A solid approach to introducing this type of professional learning is lesson study, a systematic procedure for teaching development that has become established in Japan and other Asian countries. The goal of lesson study is to improve the effectiveness of the experiences that teachers offer to all their students. The focus is on a specific lesson, which is used as the basis for gathering evidence on the quality of the experiences students receive. These lessons are called research lessons and are used to examine students’ responses to planned activities. A recent research project in Europe, ‘Reaching the hard to reach’, has explored how students trained as researchers can contribute to these professional learning processes.

ACTIVITY 2 – Using the teaching and learning analysis framework

Objective

Initiate the process of analyzing teaching and learning in relation to inclusion and equity.

Process

1. Participants are presented with the Teaching and Learning Analysis Framework, noting that the indicators and questions are based on international studies regarding the factors associated with inclusive and equitable teaching and learning strategies.
2. Using a four-point rating scale, individual participants rate teaching and learning in their school with respect to the indicators, where:
   • A means: The school is doing well. There are several important strengths and no
   • obvious weaknesses.
   • B means: The school is functioning quite well. Overall, strengths outweigh weaknesses.
   • C means: The school is not functioning very well. Overall, weaknesses outweigh strengths.
   • D means: The school is performing poorly. There are no obvious strengths and several significant weaknesses.
3. After this, participants should reflect on the following questions:
   • What are the strengths our school can leverage?
   • What are the main challenges and how can they be addressed?
   • What should be the next steps?
4. Finally, participants share their ideas about this process and discuss the implications for the next steps.

Teaching and Learning Analysis Framework

2.1 Teaching is planned taking all students into account.
• Do class activities take into account students’ interests and experiences?
• Are varied teaching methods used?
• Do students understand the purpose of the lesson activities?

2.2 Classes foster the participation of all students.
• Are all students called by their name?
• Are there materials that spark students’ interest?
• Do students feel they can speak during classes?
• Are the lessons culturally relevant?
• Are children encouraged to speak equitably?

2.3 Students actively participate in their own learning.
• Are students encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning?
• Does the classroom environment foster independent learning?

2.4 Students are encouraged to support each other in their learning.
• Does the arrangement of chairs in the classroom encourage students to interact?
• Are students expected to work in pairs or groups?
• Do students help each other to achieve class objectives?

2.5 Support is provided to students who show difficulties.
• Are teachers attentive to students who are struggling?
• Do students feel capable of asking for help?

2.6 Classroom discipline is based on mutual respect.
• Are there established rules for speaking and listening in turns?
• Do students feel that the classroom rules are fair?
• Is bullying prevented?

2.7 Students feel they can talk to someone when they have a concern or are unhappy.
• Are students’ concerns heard and addressed?
• Are teachers available for students to talk to them privately?

2.8 Assessment contributes to the performance of all students.
• Do teachers use assessments to stimulate learning?
• Do students receive constructive feedback on their work?
• Are students helped to review for tests or exams?
• Do teachers ensure that diversity is respected, even within a unified formal assessment system?

ACTIVITY 3. Practice Reports

Process

1. Participants individually read one of the four reports, so that a quarter of the group examines each one. It is explained that the reports may have different contexts in terms of national policies and available resources.
2. Groups are formed consisting of people who have read the same report. After discussing it, they agree on a summary of the key ideas.
3. Groups meet and explain the reports they have read and the key ideas that have emerged from their discussion.
4. We reflect on the lessons learned from this activity in relation to the following questions:
   • What have we learned from these practice reports?
   • What are the implications of what should happen in our school?
   • What should be the next steps?

Practice Reports

These examples aim to stimulate debate about what schools should do to foster the development of inclusive practices. When reading the reports, it is important to remember that contexts and resources differ. Therefore, the approaches used by schools in these examples would need to change to adapt to different circumstances within diverse communities.

The common factor in the four examples is the emphasis placed on using evidence to analyze the barriers faced by some students and the importance of collective efforts in addressing these difficulties. This also points to the importance of leadership in achieving progress.

Keep these questions in mind when reading this report:

• Do the teachers at your school take students’ opinions into account when planning lessons?
• What is your opinion on the lesson study approach?
• Do you have the opportunity to discuss teaching practice with your colleagues?

Three teachers from a secondary school adopted the idea of lesson study, a research-based professional development approach. When planning a joint drama lesson, they identified the students in each of their classes who they considered particularly vulnerable. They thought that if they considered the lesson with these individuals in mind, they could create new and different ways to facilitate the learning of all their students. For example, one teacher referred to a student who understood the language but did not speak, even when invited to participate. Another teacher focused on one of his students who had severe reading difficulties.

This led the teachers to discuss how they could plan the lesson differently. For example, they considered having students write on the board and rehearse verbally what they wanted to say, rather than writing down the arguments.

LISTEN TO THE STUDENTS.Additionally, the trio decided that they should work with some of their students prior to delivering the lesson to get a sense of how they preferred to learn. They also wanted to think about the best way to plan so that it would support the many differences among the students. To do this, they selected seven students, each from a different ethnic background, six of whom had been born outside the country.

The teachers gathered these young people at lunchtime and asked them to rank their preferences for the different activities that can be done in the classroom. As a result of these discussions, they decided that they, as educators, would allow more room for student decision-making during the lesson they were planning together.

The overall goal of the planned class was to develop confidence and knowledge of various theatrical techniques. Each teacher delivered the lesson with their colleagues observing, making changes in light of the usual discussions that took place as they progressed. It was observed that these discussions increasingly focused on details and, as a result, led to a greater emphasis on mutual challenge and personal reflection, as illustrated below.

REFLECTIONS ON THE EXPERIENCE. After one of the lessons, a conversation took place in which teachers were heard to “think aloud” about their own way of working as a result of seeing their colleague teach the lesson:

Teacher 1: “I thought there was a lot of noise. I knew it wasn’t a problem, but I felt a little uncomfortable because I can’t imagine having the same level of noise in my class and being able to maintain control. I’m not sure I would let them behave like that.”

Teacher 2: “It’s clear that you (Teacher 3) have worked a lot in groups with your class. You’ve built up that relationship of letting them work more autonomously over time, so it’s not just a one-off thing.”

Teacher 1: “I would structure my class more. You gave them the two tasks together. You didn’t go over them before starting the class, but rather you circulated among them when they were doing the first task, the dramatic elements, to check that they were doing it right for the second task. I would divide the task into two, the first would be the creation of the dramatic element and the second would be to reflect on what the important aspects of each dramatic element are. I would do one task, then stop all the students and have them pay attention to me again. After that, I would tell them what to do for the second task. I might be doing them a disservice, but I don’t think they can handle it on their own. Or maybe I just want to feel in control.”

Teacher 2: “I was very surprised by how engaged the students were in reading the information packets in their groups. I’m envious. What surprised me is the way you were able to give them instructions and trust them to read them. It’s clear you’ve taught them to be autonomous.”

All of this led to considering the different teaching styles used by the members of the trio:

Teacher 1: “I think (Teacher 3) has a very calm style. And that spreads to the students. I’ve seen how it circulated through the class. That calm style wouldn’t work with my group, or maybe I’ve accustomed them to it? They have a much lower production capacity and it takes a lot of energy to get them to put pencil to paper. There are also many behavioral problems. At the end of the class, I feel exhausted. If I stayed calmer, would they also calm down? I would get nervous if my students were able to be so independent. You didn’t tell them everything they had to do. My students couldn’t do that, or maybe it’s about my expectations of my student? In part, it has to do with who the students are, but also with expectations.”

Reframing. The conversation continued with consideration of ways to activate students’ hidden strengths:

Teacher 2: “I also liked the way you chose the leaders for each group. You chose people who you knew would have the confidence to lead.”

Teacher 1: “We don’t leverage their strengths enough. For example, student Y performs poorly in everything, but is a city team athlete. Student X is very involved in the cadets, perhaps they would be good at leading this activity. The fact that they are not very good at speaking doesn’t mean we can’t leverage their strengths in other areas.”

Teacher 2: “I don’t know what motivates them, what groups or clubs they belong to, what stimulates them. We have to show them that they are good at something and leverage their strengths.”

At the end of the process, the three teachers commented that they had been forced to rethink the planning and simplification of their classes. They realized that the new approaches had given them the opportunity to learn outside what they called their “comfort zones” and, in doing so, to go beyond their expectations about their students’ abilities.

REPORT 2: Challenging Expectations

Keep these questions in mind as you read this report:

• Which students are a cause for concern in your center?
• What aspects of their progress are concerning?
• How could you gather more information about these students’ experiences?

In this primary school, assessment records showed that a significant proportion of boys and girls had problems with writing, compared to their results in mathematics. Despite what many teachers anticipated, focusing solely on the boys was not at all justified, given that some of these boys were also the highest-achieving students and that many girls barely outperformed the lowest-achieving boys.

EVIDENCE COLLECTION.A staff research group gathered evidence on this matter and interviewed a small number of boys and girls while they were writing. Some of these students expressed their fear of failure. The group members were fascinated by the data obtained and wondered to what extent these fears regarding writing had spread to all students.

With this idea in mind, the teachers decided to create a questionnaire, which was completed by all the fifth and sixth-grade children, with the help of teaching assistants who wrote for some students. The members of the staff research group showed their bewilderment and were intrigued by the factors that the children identified as barriers to achieving good writing, beginning to consider how they could change their own teaching practices to mitigate some of these problems.

BROADENING THE DEBATE.It was decided that it was time to involve the rest of the school staff. Thus, the group decided to use the data from the interviews and questionnaires, along with examples of the children’s writing, to plan a teacher professional development day.

On that day, emphasis was placed on teachers’ interpretation of the evidence of ‘their’ children and how they might respond in terms of their own teaching practice. The meeting generated a great deal of discussion, and many teachers gave examples of how they intended to try out new ideas in relation to the knowledge gained. Assistant teachers participated in these discussions, offering valuable and specific insights from their individual work with students.

Some elements of ‘fun’ during the day, for example, trying out a drama activity related to writing a story, also helped to recall the good relationships that still exist in the school and fostered discussion about priorities in the face of numerous challenges. Nevertheless, follow-up interviews with some teachers revealed that they struggled to understand how to change their practice within the limits imposed by school policy. In fact, it was only later, after inspectors deemed the quality of teaching in the school to be sound, that teachers began to trust their own judgment again in determining how they could develop their teaching practice.

FOLLOW-UP. It is significant that, two years later, several staff members continue to use the questionnaire data to improve. Different approaches to fostering writing were also tested, with a continued emphasis on verifying these aspects with the children in question.

REPORT 3: Focusing on the details

Keep these questions in mind as you read this report:

• How do you ensure that students in your class who have difficulty concentrating participate?
• Do you have the opportunity to talk with your colleagues about your teaching practices in the classroom?
• Are you sometimes surprised by students?

During the initial phase of a reading class in this primary school, the children were sitting in a circle on a rug, each with their reading book in hand. In her introduction to the class, the teacher spoke about the idea of the “main characters” of a story. She used questions to elicit the children’s knowledge. For example: “What do we call the person who writes a book?”.

PAIR WORK. Next, the children are asked to work in pairs, talking about the main characters in their own books. The teacher walks around the circle of children, indicating who each one should work with. She then explains that each student will have to talk about what their partner has discussed. One boy, Jose, was supposed to work with her.
After a few moments immersed in this activity, it became evident that quite a few participants in the class still didn’t understand what needed to be done. Consequently, the teacher stopped the class and gave further clarifications about the task. Next, the children talked in pairs for about five minutes.

MAKE CONNECTIONS.Finally, the class members are asked to finish talking with their partner and then each take charge of informing the class. After listening to each child’s summary, the teacher wrote certain words on the board. From time to time, she asked them to get the appropriate vocabulary. For example: “Would you like to?”, “Why not?”. Many of the questions seemed to aim at making connections with the children’s daily experiences, deepening their thinking, and at the same time expanding their vocabulary. For example: “Being expelled, what does that mean?”. Even though this phase of the lesson took some time and involved a lot of listening, the children continued to participate. In fact, towards the end of the process, the teacher congratulated all the children for their concentration. Then, she had them read the words she had listed in a choral reading.

They were told that they now had to return to their tables and do a writing task about what would happen if their character visited the school. As they were heading to their seats, one girl, who felt clearly involved in what had been debated, asked if that was going to happen for real!

The children sat at five tables, apparently grouped according to their reading level. As they began to work, the teacher handed out several worksheets. She then went to some tables to help the students get started. After a while, she stopped the class and asked them to listen to a child read his text aloud, to help her determine where the full stops should go in each sentence.

TEACHERS LEARN TOGETHER.Later, the teacher spoke with one of her less experienced colleagues who had observed the class. They discussed, for example, the care the teacher seemed to take with language and her use of questions to inquire about the children’s understanding. They also talked about her use of pair work. Apparently, the children are familiar with this approach, as they had used it in previous classes. Both teachers were impressed by the students’ concentration and their ability to express themselves.

The younger teacher mentioned how her colleague had chosen to work with José. Apparently, this had been by chance, although she had directed him to the front of the class, to “keep a close eye on him.” Apparently, José can be very disruptive at times. They discuss different tactics for monitoring potentially difficult students.

SURPRISES.Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the debate concerns the ways of addressing differences within the classroom. The teacher referred to an experience early in her career that had influenced her thinking. She commented, “All children surprise us… they can all surprise us.”

The two colleagues recalled the different ways in which this class had provided opportunities for “surprises,” while at the same time offering individuals varying degrees of support so that they could participate. They recalled, for example, the way some children were encouraged to respond by using carefully worded questions. They also commented on how the teacher had subtly offered different levels of support once the children began the writing task. For instance, she immediately provided additional oral instructions to those she assumed would need them. She also handed out additional instruction sheets to some children, but in a way that did not draw attention to their need for extra help. In this way, all children participated in a common class, within which they shared a similar program, but in a way that attempted to respond to their particular needs.

The two teachers felt that their discussions had helped them to reflect in detail on aspects of their own thinking and practice. In this regard, the experience demonstrated the value of the opportunity to observe teaching practice and the quality time to engage in detailed discussion of their shared experience.

REPORT 4: Coordinating support for learning

Keep these questions in mind when reading this report:

• Does every student in your school have someone to talk to when they experience difficulties, violence, or bullying?
• Do you have control systems that allow you to mobilize support when necessary?
• Does this report indicate the presence of elements in your school that may need review?

Located in a large social housing complex on the outskirts of a city, the school has about 900 students between 11 and 16 years old. The problem of poverty has a huge impact on their work.

The school faces a particular problem with student mobility. For example, of the 160 students who graduated last summer, only 100 had started the following course. Meanwhile, in the five years prior, 227 students had been part of the system at one time or another.

There is also a more hidden form of mobility, with students moving between the homes of different parents, or other family members. Poor health is said to be a dominant influence on absenteeism in a way that, according to school members, is not understood in broader circles.

The school’s strategy for fostering inclusion has two interconnected elements. These elements are: monitoring progress and supporting learning.

TRACKING PROGRESS. The tracking strategy involves a complex web of many different tactics, all of them aimed at helping staff and students focus on each other’s growth. In this case, the school principal is very clear that “we have to know what’s going on!”.

In a variety of ways, up-to-date information on attendance, effort, and progress is used to motivate, to celebrate success, and, of course, to identify barriers to progress. In this case, evidence analysis is the means by which appropriate use can be made of the student support teams that are to be used. At the same time, it is important to note that all students are encouraged to do well.

Teachers regularly receive spreadsheets summarizing each student’s progress. These progress reports are discussed with the students, especially those who are a cause for concern, and individual goals are set.

Each member of the leadership team is responsible for overseeing a subject department. In addition, the leadership staff take on a wider supervisory role across the whole school. This means that teachers have considerable direct support when dealing with disruptive incidents in their classes.

LEARNING SUPPORT. The visitor to the school is struck by the concern to provide students with support for their learning. The way in which the members of the school are able to articulate the purposes of the support and their sensitivity to potential dangers is unusual. Also impressive is the way in which staff from different categories work together to provide a support strategy that gives a sense of “unity.” As a result, support seems to be readily available, to the extent that anyone needs it.

The school’s inclusive philosophy has led it to take on broader responsibilities as a resource center for students with physical difficulties, some of whom use wheelchairs, and others classified as having severe learning difficulties. This means that even greater support from adults is required. However, what is interesting in this case is that, since these students spend most of their time in regular classes, the support provided to them is available to others who may require it.

Throughout the school, among students and staff, it is perceived and taken for granted that disabled people have the right to be in the institution. In fact, their presence is considered to have a positive influence.

The general reason for providing support to students in school is explained in terms of the goal of “access with flexible support.” That is, support is only provided when necessary and withdrawn as soon as possible. As one teacher commented, “if you don’t need it, it’s withdrawn.”

THE IMPORTANCE OF ETHOS. In many respects, the organizational structures of the school are quite traditional. However, what is strikingly different is the nature of the working relationships that cut horizontally across these rather hierarchical systems. One of the deputy head teachers explained it in terms of what she considers to be the ethos that permeates everyone’s work, whatever their status. She commented:

“The staff members are much closer to the students here than in other schools. It’s a much more holistic approach.”

He recalled that when he first arrived at the institution, it seemed “incredibly unique,” especially the high expectations staff have for students. A young teacher spoke about the support she had received, noting that “you learn everything from those around you.” A head of department explained that changes in attitudes and expectations had paralleled significant advances in classroom practice. He commented:

“To be honest, a lot of my early teaching years were spent looking after the children. Now we are all focused on improving performance and there is a growing ethos of school as a learning center. However, our real strength is the teamwork of all the staff.”

It is significant that the debates in school often seem to return to the theme of collaboration. As a result, the many pressures under which the school has to work seem to have become an advantage.

ACTIVITY 4. Using collaborative consultation to develop inclusive teaching and learning

Objective

Introduce a procedure to analyze and promote inclusive teaching and learning.

Process

The instructions presented here are intended to guide a collaborative consultation process aimed at making inclusive teaching practices in the classroom more inclusive. This approach should be used with some flexibility, taking into account local factors and circumstances. The process is assumed to be led by a coordination group established in a school.

The language of practice

These suggestions are based on evidence from international research on strategies for fostering approaches to teaching that are effective in engaging all members of a class. This suggests that it is unlikely that developments in teaching practice will occur, especially among more experienced teachers, unless they know what different teaching looks like, and unless they know someone who can help teachers to understand the difference between what they are doing and what they aspire to do.

Central to these kinds of processes in schools where changes in teaching practice have taken place is the development of a common language of teaching practice with which colleagues can talk with each other and, indeed, with themselves, about detailed aspects of their teaching. Without such a language, teachers find it difficult to experiment with new possibilities. This is why having the opportunity to see colleagues at work is so crucial to the success of developments in teaching practice. It is through shared experiences that colleagues can help each other to articulate what they are currently doing and to define what they would like to do. It is also the means by which a space is created in which taken-for-granted assumptions about particular groups of students can be subjected to mutual critique.

Lesson Study

This raises the question of how best to introduce this approach into professional development. One strong approach is lesson study, a systematic procedure for teaching development that is well-established in Japan and other Asian countries.

The goal of lesson studies is to improve the effectiveness of the experiences that teachers provide for all their students. The main activity involves collaborative research on a shared area of interest that is generated through discussion. The content focuses on a planned lesson, which is used as the basis for gathering data on the quality of the experiences students receive. These lessons are called lesson studies and are used to examine students’ responses to the planned activities.

Group members work together to design the lesson plan, which is then implemented by each teacher in turn. Observations and post-lesson meetings are organized to facilitate the improvement of the lesson study among each trial. It should be noted that the main focus is on the lesson and the responses of the class members, not the teacher.

Evidence collection is a key factor in lesson study. Where possible, this may involve the use of video recording. Emphasis is also placed on listening to students’ perspectives in a way that tends to introduce a critical nuance into subsequent discussions.

Procedures

The suggestions made in these notes are based on the experience of using lesson studies in many schools and in different parts of the world. However, it is important that they are used flexibly and adapted to the traditions and circumstances of each context.

It has been found useful to hold an initial workshop to introduce these guidelines for the creation of lesson study groups. Then, over a few weeks, the teachers involved follow a version of the following step-by-step procedure:

1. Teachers form trios, usually made up of colleagues with different levels of experience. They work together to test and evaluate the idea of lesson studies as a means of reinforcing teaching and learning in relation to topics considered relevant. For example, student engagement, responding to diversity, and fostering independent learning.
2. The trio chooses and plans a lesson that each will teach. The goal of this lesson study will be to bring together available knowledge in order to engage all class participants.
3. As each staff member teaches the lesson, their two colleagues observe the process, focusing specifically on student responses. If possible, the lesson will also be video recorded, and a sample of students will be interviewed to determine their reactions and the extent of their learning.
4. After each research lesson, the trio reflects on what occurred, using their notes, student feedback, and video recording to analyze the processes and outcomes. The lesson plan is then adapted before it is taught by the next member of the trio.
5. Once each member of the trio has delivered the lesson, a brief report is prepared summarizing the findings of the process and recommendations for future teaching practice.

At the end of the lesson study period, another staff meeting can be held where each trio presents the results of their research and the conclusions they have reached. The whole group then considers the implications for their school’s policy and teaching practice.

Some issues to consider

LESSON TO INVESTIGATE PLANNING. Learning goals are the backbone of a class and provide the “reason” for teaching and observing. Teams usually begin by selecting a subject, concept, topic, or unit of the course they want to study. Many teachers are drawn to topics that are particularly difficult for students to learn or for teachers to teach. Others select a topic that is presented at a later stage of the course, so they have enough time to plan and design the lesson. Others focus on topics that are new to the curriculum or that are especially important for students’ understanding.

Learning goals should be expressed in terms of what students will understand and what they will be able to do as a result of the lesson. Goals specify the desired forms of student learning, thinking, engagement, and behavior. Everything teachers decide to do in class will be considered in light of these goals.

During the planning phase, team members often begin by sharing how they have taught or would teach the lesson, discussing and debating the merits of different types of class activities, assignments, exercises, and so on. However, so as not to lose sight of student learning, teachers also bring to the table their knowledge of how students have learned or struggled to learn the topic at hand. Once past experiences and personal approaches are on the table, the team can begin to design an inquiry lesson that will help students achieve the chosen learning objective.

Throughout the process, teachers practice what has been called cognitive empathy. This involves seeing the subject matter from the student’s point of view, working to understand how they learn. When planning the lesson, teachers anticipate how students will perceive, interpret, and deduce the topic and lesson activities. Lesson plans are designed to anticipate student responses in terms of learning, thinking, and engagement.

EVIDENCE COLLECTION.As preparation for teaching the lesson, teams should think about how to gather evidence that will help them determine the degree of achievement of the learning objectives. Teams can develop an observation protocol based on their predictions about student responses and decide what types of evidence will be collected from them.

Before the actual class period, it may be helpful to inform students about the research lesson and the presence of observers in the classroom. Before the lesson, Observers are introduced to the class, explaining that the overall goal is to find ways to improve their learning.

Traditional lesson observations tend to focus on what the teacher does during the class period. However, research lesson observations focus on students and what they do in response to the teaching.

EVIDENCE ANALYSIS.The analysis phase addresses three questions:

• In what ways did students achieve the lesson objectives?
• How could the lesson be improved?
• What have we learned from this experience?

After teaching the lesson, while it is still fresh in everyone’s mind, the group should meet to discuss and analyze what happened. Participants offer their observations, interpretations, and comments on the lesson. The goal is to thoroughly analyze and evaluate the lesson in terms of student learning, thinking, and engagement.

To prepare for this post-lesson session, it is useful to identify someone to take careful notes and gather additional data from observers. Japanese teachers call these post-lesson sessions “colloquium,” during which the teacher, study group members, and, if applicable, external observers discuss the lesson studied. The person who taught the lesson usually has the opportunity to speak first, followed by the study group participants and other observers. The discussion should focus on the instruction (not the teacher) and analyze what, how, and why students learned, or did not learn, from the experience.

Recommended readings

• AINSCOW, M., DYSON, A., GOLDRICK, S. AND WEST, M. (2016). Using collaborative inquiry to foster equity within school systems: opportunities and barriers. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 27(1), 7-23.
• AINSCOW, M. AND MESSIOU, K. (2017). Engaging with the views of students to promote inclusion in education. Journal of Educational Change, 19(1), 1-17.
• DYSON, A., HOWES, A. AND ROBERTS, B. (2004). What do we really know about inclusive schools? A systematic review of the research evidence. In D. Mitchell (Ed.), Special Educational Needs and Inclusive Education. Major Themes in Education. London: Routledge.
• FLORIAN, L., BLACK-HAWKINS, K., AND ROUSE, M. (2016). Achievement and Inclusion in Schools (2nd Ed). London, Routledge.
• LEWIS, C., PERRY, R., & MURATA, A. (2006). How should research contribute to instructional improvement? The case of lesson study. Educational Researcher, 35(3), 3–14.
• SKYHAR, C. (2021). Teacher-directed action research as a mediating tool for professional learning in rural contexts. Australian and International Journal of Rural Education, 31(1), 12-29.

Links to relevant resources

Note: Before presenting these resources to others, it is important to ensure they are appropriate for the specific context.

• Lesson Study: A Guide. This is a guide on how to use lesson studies to develop and refine teaching and learning: https://lessonstudy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/new-handbook-revisedMay14.pdf
• Learning Assessment. This introductory guide explains how teachers should offer students opportunities to reflect and talk about their learning, their progress, and their next steps https://www.nfer.ac.uk/media/3094/assessment_for_learning.pdf
• Reaching those who are hard to reach. This professional development material focuses on dialogue between teachers and students as a strategy to foster inclusive classrooms (available in five languages): https://reachingthehardtoreach.eu
• Teachers helping other teachers. A 30-minute team problem-solving process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SI8_aQGjzvI
• Developing inclusive practices. This video examines how inclusive teaching practices are developed in South Africa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=828QHy53JFQ
• Schoolwide culturally responsive practices. Educators invest in a shared approach: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztnwmVBMfd0
• Integrate culture into teaching and learning. Integrate culture into teaching and learning practice in daycare: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ_Ra8MnFe8
• Learning in classes. Examples of inclusive practices: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL10g2YT_ln2hmTkac8YDMkCeFUcrPxOu6
• Facing bullying.https://en.unesco.org/news/what-you-need-know-about-school-violence-and-bullying

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Guide 3 – Working with external agents

This third guide encourages schools and other educational centers to collaborate with families, with other schools, and with representatives from the wider community. It is based on the premise that this type of collaboration can strengthen a school’s capacity to respond to student diversity. The material addresses the following question:How can schools involve families, partner schools, and the wider community in their efforts to be inclusive and equitable?

The aim is to guide and support schools in analyzing and developing their relationships with external stakeholders. While the exact approach to this will need to be developed in relation to specific contexts, a set of procedures is recommended through the following activities:

ACTIVITY 1Schools collaborate with external agents: Explore the role of external agents in supporting schools’ efforts to promote inclusion and equity.

ACTIVITY 2:Use the external agents analysis framework: Begin the process of analyzing the school’s work with external agents.

ACTIVITY 3: Practice reports: Learning from how other schools have cooperated with external agents.

ACTIVITY 4Use collaborative research to promote partnerships: Develop school priorities to involve external agents.

All these activities involve structured group activities that aim to stimulate participation in discussion, exchange of experiences, and efforts to work with external agents.

Once these activities have been carried out, participants should agree on an action plan to develop a strategy for promoting external partnerships. In this way, the school can become a center for coordinated community action to strengthen the inclusive and equitable educational offer in its local area. Further reading and links to relevant resources are suggested at the end of this document.

ACTIVITY 1: Schools collaborating with external agents

Objective

To explore the role of external agents in supporting schools’ efforts to promote inclusion and equity.

Process

1. Read the discussion material “Schools contact external agents.”
2. Discuss the content with a peer.
3. In larger groups (four to six people), discuss the following questions:
   • What are the most interesting ideas in this document?
   • What do you think about the idea of schools cooperating with external agents?
   • To what extent does your school cooperate with external agents?
4. Present your findings to the other groups and consider the implications for future actions at the school.

Discussion material: schools that collaborate with external agents

As you read this material, consider the following questions:

• To what extent does your school cooperate with external agents?
• Is your educational center a member of any association or network?
• What are the main challenges and how can they be addressed?

“….The reduction of the gap in outcomes between people from more and less advantaged backgrounds will only occur when what happens to children both outside and inside schools changes.” AINSCOW, DYSON, GOLDRICK & WEST (2012).

The general approach presented in Guides 1 and 2 is based on the idea that people working in schools collect and engage with diverse forms of evidence in order to stimulate movements to create more inclusive ways of working. The research summarized in these guides provides encouraging evidence about the potential of this approach. However, it also sheds light on some of the difficulties in putting this type of thinking into practice. Thus, the limitations of intra-school strategies are pointed out, suggesting that these should be complemented by efforts to foster greater cooperation with families, other schools, and community associations. These collaborative partnerships should be characterized by mutual respect and understanding, as well as clear and friendly communication among those involved.

Involving families

Family participation is particularly important. In some countries, parents and education authorities already cooperate closely in developing community-based programs in relation to specific groups of students, such as those excluded due to their gender, social status, or disabilities. The next logical step is for these parents to become involved in supporting inclusion and equity in schools.

If parents lack the confidence and skills required to participate in these types of events, it may be necessary to strengthen this capacity through support networks. This could include the creation of parent groups, which support them in developing new ways of working with their children, or by developing parents’ advocacy skills to negotiate with schools and authorities. In this regard, it should be added that the opinions of families, including children themselves, have been shown to be useful in bringing new ideas to schools’ efforts to develop more inclusive ways of working.

All of this means changing the way families and communities work, and enriching what they offer children. In this regard, there are many encouraging examples of what can happen when what schools do is in line with a coherent strategy regarding the efforts of other local actors, such as employers, community groups, universities, and public services. This does not necessarily mean that schools do more, but it does imply partnerships beyond the school, where these links multiply the impacts of each other’s efforts.

Schools that collaborate

There is a wealth of research data suggesting that collaboration between schools can reinforce improvement processes by expanding the range of available knowledge. These studies also indicate that collaboration between schools has enormous potential for fostering their responsiveness to student diversity. More specifically, this shows how collaboration between schools can help reduce polarization among them to particularly benefit marginalized students at the margins of the system, whose performance and attitudes are a cause for concern.

There is also evidence that partnerships can strengthen the capacity of individual schools to respond to the diversity of students. When schools try to develop more collaborative ways of working, this can have an impact on how teachers perceive themselves and their work. In particular, comparing teaching practices across different schools can lead teachers to view underperforming students from another perspective. In this way, students who cannot easily be accommodated within the established routines of the school are not seen as ‘having problems’ but as a challenge for teachers to re-examine their teaching practices to make them more responsive and flexible.

However, developing collaborative partnerships between schools is not a straightforward process. Too often, it can be limited to holding meetings without any significant action.

There is also concern that the schools that could most benefit from engagement are the least likely to do so.

Research points to certain necessary conditions for collaboration between schools to be effective. In summary, these conditions are as follows:

• The development of positive and respectful relationships between colleagues or groups of schools, in some cases across local authority boundaries;
• The presence of incentives that encourage key stakeholders to explore the possibility that collaboration will be in their own interest;
• The presence of management staff in schools with sufficient will and capacity to drive collaboration focused on collective responsibility, while facing inevitable uncertainties and turbulence; and
• The creation of common improvement programs that are considered relevant to a wide range of stakeholders.

It is also useful to have the external support of reliable consultants/advisors (from a local authority or similar) who are willing to learn alongside their school collaborators, exploring and developing new functions and relationships as needed.

Local associations

Cooperation to promote inclusion and equity can be fostered through area-based initiatives that involve a wide diversity of external agents working together in a coordinated manner. Schools are often key to these partnerships and can sometimes be their main drivers. However, it is not simply a matter of schools demanding that other agencies and organizations support their improvement programmes. Rather, area-based partnerships aim to improve a wide range of outcomes for children and young people, including, but not limited to, educational outcomes and far less restricted to narrowly conceived performance outcomes. This reminds us that health and well-being, personal and social development, early years’ prosperity and positive employment outcomes are as important as children’s performance in relation to the school’s academic programme.

None of this is to underplay school achievements, but rather to recognise that all outcomes for children and young people are interrelated. Furthermore, the factors that promote or inhibit one outcome are very likely to be the factors that promote or inhibit outcomes overall.

These initiatives focus on the population of the area, not just the students of a specific school, and can be led by non-educational organizations, such as community associations or volunteer organizations. Furthermore, they should be considered long-term, with a ten-year horizon, and commit to acting strategically, basing their actions on a thorough analysis of the challenges and possibilities underlying the local area.

Collective impact

In poor urban neighborhoods in the United States and other countries, there are a number of initiatives that link schools and other organizations in this form of local area-based action. The idea of what is known as “collective impact” is particularly significant in these urban developments. In other words, the complex challenges that plague schools, as well as all public services, in the context of diversity, inequality, disadvantage, and vulnerability, are considered to require multi-level responses at the local level.

On the Enabling Education Network (website) you can find reports of strategies based on areas that have been carried out in poor countries. Working with limited financial resources, these examples illustrate how community representatives can work together to provide educational opportunities for their children and young people. Leadership for these initiatives may come from family action groups or volunteer organizations. Schools themselves can also play a role in coordinating these collaborative efforts.https://www.eenet.org.uk/what-we-doThese advances reflect thinking similar to the acclaimed Harlem Children’s Zone in the United States. This project strives to improve the outcomes for children and young people in a disadvantaged area of New York through an approach characterized by being “doubly holistic.” That is, the initiative aims to develop coordinated efforts to address the factors that disadvantage children and enhance the factors that are positive for them, in all aspects of their lives and throughout their lives, from conception to adulthood.

These advances reflect thinking similar to the acclaimed Harlem Children’s Zone in the United States. This project strives to improve the outcomes for children and young people in a disadvantaged area of New York through an approach characterized by being “doubly holistic.” That is, the initiative aims to develop coordinated efforts to address the factors that disadvantage children and enhance the factors that are positive for them, in all aspects of their lives and throughout their lives, from conception to adulthood.

The Harlem project has been described by researchers as “possibly the most ambitious social experiment to alleviate poverty of our time.” Another American program, StriveTogether, acts as a central organization for sites using similar ideas adapted locally across the United States. These initiatives are guided by indicators that cover young people’s lives “from cradle to career” and progress is determined using tests at all stages of development.

Local coordination

It must be remembered that policy is made at all levels of an education system, not just at the school and classroom level. Therefore, moving to a more inclusive way of working requires changes throughout the education system. These changes range from changes in the values and ways of thinking of policymakers, enabling them to offer a vision that shapes a culture of inclusion, to significant changes in the work of teachers. Incorporating the principles of equity and inclusion into educational policy also requires the participation of other sectors, such as health, social welfare, and child protection services.

A culture of inclusion in education requires a shared set of assumptions and beliefs among policymakers and management staff at the national, district, and school levels who value differences, believe in collaboration, and are committed to providing educational opportunities for all students. However, changing the cultural norms that exist in an education system is difficult to achieve, especially in a context that faces so many competing pressures and where professionals tend to work alone in solving the problems they face. Therefore, leaders at all levels, including those in civil society and other sectors, must be prepared to analyze their own situations, identify local barriers and facilitators, plan an appropriate development process, and provide leadership for inclusive practices and effective strategies to monitor equity in education.

Local coordination is necessary to foster these forms of collaboration. In fact, four of the most successful national education systems (Singapore, Estonia, Finland, and Ontario) have a coherent “middle tier,” regardless of their different degrees of school autonomy or the transfer of decision-making. Specifically, all of them have district-level structures that offer a coherent vision that, to maintain equity and excellence, requires an authoritative coordinating influence with local responsibility.

Implications

These kinds of events have implications for the key players in education systems. In particular, teachers, especially those in positions of responsibility, have to consider that they have a deeper responsibility towards all children and young people in their area, and not just towards those who attend their own schools. They also have to support each other to develop working models that allow them to have the necessary generosity and flexibility to cooperate with other schools and their wider communities. It also means that those who administer school systems have to adjust their priorities and ways of working in response to the improvement efforts that are directed from schools and their local communities.

ACTIVITY 2. Using the school collaboration analysis framework

Objective

Process

1. The school’s Collaboration Analysis Framework is presented to participants, noting that the indicators and questions are based on international research regarding the factors associated with inclusive and equitable teaching and learning strategies.
2. Using the following four-point rating scale, individual participants score the extent to which the school engages with external agents with respect to the indicators, where:
   • A means: The school is doing well. There are several significant strengths and no obvious weaknesses.
   • B means: The school is functioning quite well. Overall, strengths outweigh weaknesses.
   • C means: The school is not functioning very well. Overall, weaknesses outweigh strengths.
   • D means: The school performs poorly. There are no evident strengths and several significant weaknesses.
3. After this, participants should reflect on the following questions:
   • What collaborations should our school develop?
   • What are the main challenges when working with external agents and how can they be addressed?
   • What should be the next steps?
4. Finally, participants share their ideas on this process and discuss the implications for the next steps.

Collaborative analysis framework

3.1 The school is organized in such a way that allows staff to interact with external agents.
• Is there flexibility in the organization of the school day so that staff members have time to interact with external agents or other parties outside of school hours?
• Do management staff members consider that part of their role involves establishing links with external agents?

3.2 Teachers involve families to support their children’s learning.
• Are family members encouraged to come to school to support learning and social activities?
• Are parents/caregivers involved in their children’s learning activities at home?
• Are there meetings where teachers and parents discuss their children’s progress?
• Are these relationships culturally sensitive?

3.3 Families are provided with regular information about their children’s progress.
• Do families receive reports on their children’s progress?
• Are families contacted when their child makes a significant contribution at school?
• Does the school send out newsletters or use other methods to keep families informed of interesting news?

3.4 The school is a member of school networks and associations.
• Is the school an active member of any school network or association?
• Does the management team participate in the coordination of school networks or associations?

3.5 Occasionally, teachers have opportunities to visit partner schools to share teaching practices.
• Are visits to other schools encouraged and organized?
• Does the center encourage teachers from other centers to visit?

3.6 School leadership supports colleagues from partner schools in analyzing teaching policies and practices.
• Does the school principal and other members of the leadership team participate in peer review processes with colleagues from other schools?
• Is the school willing to provide support when another school is experiencing difficulties?

3.7 The school collaborates closely with other agencies that work with children and their families.
• Do staff from health, social welfare, and child protection services participate in the school’s work?
• Does the school have links with volunteer organizations, including family support groups?

3.8 The school has strong links with local community organizations.
• Does the school have links with local businesses, volunteer organizations, or higher education institutions and indigenous communities?
• Does the school use the media to promote its work?

ACTIVITY 3. Practice Reports

Objective

Learn from the way other schools have cooperated with external agents.

Process

1. Participants individually read one of the four reports, so that a quarter of the group examines each one. It is explained that the reports may have different contexts in terms of national policies and available resources.
2. Groups are formed with participants who have read the same report. Once the report has been discussed, they agree on a summary of the key ideas that have emerged.
3. The groups meet and explain the reports they have read and the key ideas that have emerged from their discussion.
4. Reflection on the lessons learned from this activity in relation to the following questions:
   • What have we learned from these practice reports?
   • What are the implications of what should happen in our school?
   • What should be the next steps?

Practice Reports

These examples aim to stimulate debate on what schools should do to involve external agents in promoting educational inclusion and equity. When reading the reports, it is important to remember that contexts and resources differ. Therefore, the approaches used in these examples would need to change to suit the circumstances in different communities.
The common factor in the four examples is the emphasis placed on using evidence to analyze the barriers faced by some students and the importance of collective efforts in addressing these difficulties. This also points to the importance of coordination and leadership in achieving progress.

REPORT 1: Overcoming barriers

Keep these questions in mind as you read this report:

• Is your school a safe place for all children?
• Are behavioral difficulties at your school addressed quickly and effectively?
• Are there strategies mentioned in this report for involving families that you could try?

The word “boundaries” comes up frequently during a visit to this primary school, which serves a diverse and multicultural community. First, the visitor notices the metal fence with spikes that delineates the school’s physical boundaries, while also deterring potential intruders. Then, there is talk of the cultural boundaries that children cross every day as they move between contexts influenced by different traditions, religions, and languages. There is also talk of the boundaries created by well-articulated rules and procedures that dictate how staff and children navigate their way.

The report is especially interesting because until not long ago, student behavior in school was a major problem. Nowadays, things have improved a lot.

RESPONDER A LA DIVERSIDAD.The school takes special measures to support children and families as they adapt to different cultures. Upon arrival at nursery, many of the children have limited language and this must be a priority, which often leads to rapid progress. Staff are also sensitive to the fact that some of the children attend extra classes at the local mosque late in the afternoon.

Considerable efforts have been made to ensure parental support for the school’s efforts to foster a more cooperative working environment. The principal explains that she tried to convince parents that it was necessary to “break the cycle of violence.”

There was also a period when some mothers and fathers, particularly fathers, would enter the school exhibiting abusive behavior towards the principal and other staff members. At times, the principal used what she called “veiled threats.” For example: “I’ve told them that I would exclude their child if things don’t improve.”

In fact, the principal is opposed to excluding students, although she has sometimes been forced to use this approach, especially to attract support from people outside the school. However, parents’ opinions have gradually become much more positive, as reflected in their participation in morning assemblies and their support for other school events. In this regard, the family literacy program that the school has introduced has proven particularly successful.

TENSIONS. At the same time, tensions between home and school continue to exist. For example, a teacher comments that many of the children are related and sometimes bring family disputes to school. Differences in expectations also emerge on occasion. The principal explains:

“For example, some mothers dress the boys and let the girls dress themselves.”

A teacher, talking about her class of eleven-year-olds, points out:

“Here all the kids smoke. They steal cigarettes at home.”

However, the visitor is struck by the calm atmosphere and the sense of peace and order that prevails in the school. The management staff explains how they have worked with parents to foster this environment. One of them explains: “We tell them that they have to serve as a model for the behavior they expect from the children.”

LEADERSHIP. So, what has driven these striking improvements? In particular, what forms of leadership practice have been used? It seems that two overlapping phases of development have taken place, each of which has emphasized quite different approaches.

During the first of these two phases, much of the leadership seemed to be centered on the head teacher herself. More recently, a different approach has been observed, characterized by a much greater emphasis on shared and distributed forms of leadership.

The head teacher seems particularly attuned to the challenges faced by her colleagues. She notes that “everyone is under too much pressure.” That said, she appears to have succeeded in developing a sense of common purpose and a commitment to mutual support. In this case, there is little evidence of a distinction between the roles of teaching and non-teaching staff. One teaching assistant commented, “We all pitch in with everything.”

FOSTERING INCLUSION. The move towards more participative forms of leadership has occurred alongside the emergence of a well-developed strategy for fostering inclusion. Central to this strategy is an emphasis on monitoring the effectiveness of current provisions for teaching and learning.

Initially, this supervision was largely the responsibility of the school principal. However, it has gradually become a shared responsibility, with staff members using various forms of information gathering, such as peer observation and student opinion surveys, in order to monitor the situation in the school. Through these processes, areas of concern are identified and defined as priorities within the school’s development plan. An effort is also made to involve family members in this process.

Internal supervision processes are reflected in the concern for locating external opportunities for staff development. However, the principal ensures that staff only participate in projects related to the established priorities.

REPORT 2: Supporting the community in times of crisis

Keep these questions in mind when reading this report:

• What lessons do you draw from this report?
• In what ways has your school collaborated with the community during the pandemic?
• What have been the challenges and how have they been addressed?

The COVID-19 pandemic has led many schools to strengthen their engagement with families and communities. This report explains what happened in a school serving an urban community with high levels of economic disadvantage.

CRISIS RESPONSE. The school has 900 students aged between 2 and 18 years. When the country entered a state of lockdown, staff began to plan their response to the crisis. This led to the school leading the coordination of a multi-institutional response across the local community.

During the lockdown months, students continued their education online from home. At the primary school level (ages 4 to 11), the completion rate for assignments was 98%, dropping slightly to 85% at the secondary school level (ages 11 to 18). Senior staff attribute this to the strong inclusive school culture and whole-organisation expectations.

The obvious barrier was the lack of internet access at home or a computer among some of the families. In cases where home IT service issues predominated, students were invited to complete their work online individually.

THE SUPPORT SYSTEM. The school has been committed to inclusion from its inception. Therefore, the formation of strong relationships with both students and parents is the central core of the school’s culture. This typically involves regular contact with students’ families and, evidently, the response to COVID-19 included this aspect.

All families received at least one weekly contact from their class teacher in the early years and primary levels, or from a known member of staff in secondary levels in the upper school. For the most vulnerable parents, this was increased to a daily check-in phone call or a home visit.

The requirement for students to submit their work daily created another point of contact between the school and families. If a student did not submit some work on a given day, they would be called to ensure everything was okay and to offer them further support if needed.

COMMUNITY SUPPORT. To prepare for lockdown, the school convened different organizations in the area for a virtual meeting on how best to support the local community during the crisis. These included charities, churches, local government representatives, schools, and youth groups, all of whom completed a survey sent out to identify the most vulnerable groups of people and where support would be most needed. From this, three working groups were created: food and essentials, mental health and wellbeing, and financial information and advice.

The response from the food and staples group focused on both school and community. Just over a third of students typically receive a free school lunch due to their families’ low incomes. During the lockdown period, this service continued, even during holiday periods.

Fortunately, the school has its own catering service and is responsible for providing its own meals to students. This allowed the school to expand its offer of free meals beyond its student and family population.

The school’s meal service prepared 400 meals daily for families. This included meals for eligible families from three other local schools, as well as for 25 vulnerable elderly individuals who were asked by the government to self-isolate for 12 weeks. Those who were able collected their free meals outside the school on Mondays and Thursdays. Additionally, a team of staff delivered food to 50 local families who could not come to the school due to transportation issues, self-isolation, or vulnerability.

OTHER FORMS OF SUPPORT. The mental health and wellbeing group created a support package that contained a wide range of activities, videos, and blogs that suggested strategies for stimulating mental health. The package also contained information on where to seek professional help.

The financial information and advice group gathered information on personal and business financial support, which was made available on the community website. The school anticipated that families would need advice on how to access government financial aid due to the high number of job losses as a consequence of COVID-19.

REPORT 4: Fostering inclusion and equity in urbanization

Keep these questions in mind when reading this report:

• What lessons do you draw from this report?
• In what ways could you cooperate with community organizations in your locality?
• What are the challenges and how can they be addressed?

Sometimes, schools collaborate with local community organizations to address the challenges of promoting educational inclusion and equity. In this example, the impetus came from an association that provides low-rent housing in a small downtown neighborhood.

In recent years, the city in which the neighborhood is located has benefited from economic growth. However, to a large extent, this urbanization is alien to it. It has a bad reputation, continues to be characterized by poor youth outcomes, and residents often lack the skills and income needed to access new opportunities in the area. Around 50% of residents are first-generation migrant families who can easily find themselves socially isolated and have little knowledge of how to access certain services.

OBJECTIVES. One of the main objectives of the housing association’s initiative was to achieve a long-term reduction in child poverty in the urbanization. To this end, the association brought together a range of services from local authorities and voluntary and community services to increase:

• The number of residents of all ages in employment, education, and training;
• The help available to parents through informal support networks, training courses, and strengthening intrafamilial relationships; and
• Early intervention and prevention with the youngest children in the neighborhood, from 0 to 5 years old.

The initiative faced specific challenges in trying to connect with children’s school experiences. There are no schools in the housing development, and the local school system is highly competitive. Consequently, schools have tended to focus intensely, and in isolation, on their internal improvement at the expense of association activities.

PREPARING FOR SCHOOL.Children in the area attend various local schools. This means that school staff only know a small proportion of the local student population. Consequently, teachers may not be aware that their students face potential learning barriers related to the housing development’s context, or appreciate that parents may have little knowledge of the school system or the school’s expectations on how parents should support their children’s learning. Therefore, the housing association set out to create a formal mechanism for collaboration with local schools, connecting them with services that could help resolve these issues.

The association identified a local primary school that accepts around 20 children from the housing development in its annual admissions process. The common goal of fostering school readiness was used as a basis for developing a tripartite partnership between the primary school, the housing association, and a local community centre that provides support for families with young children. As a result, additional funding was secured to employ a part-time teacher to work on what was termed a ‘school readiness’ project.

This project is designed to provide children and parents with support before they start primary school (once they know they have a place), and in the first year at school. Specifically, it aims to:

• Help children from the housing development make a successful transition to primary school, and support their learning and well-being during the reception year.
• Support parents to better support their children’s learning;
• Reduce wider obstacles to family well-being and ensure families can access and use services;
• Strengthen the links between school, home, and community.

In the preschool stage, the teacher’s role is to work with families to identify what is needed to support each child’s learning and prepare them for the transition, connecting them with the activities of the childcare center and developing individual and group learning sessions as needed.

The housing association also has parent advisors who work alongside the teacher to help connect parents with the development’s services, ranging from support with financial management and access to employment, to informal networking and parental support. Once children start school, the teacher’s role is to work closely with primary school reception staff to help them settle into school and support their learning, providing an active link between school, home, and the wider community.

IMPLICATIONS. This example suggests that in places where the school system is fragmented and the links between schools, families, and communities are weak, organizations outside the school system may be best placed to fill those gaps. In this example, it was a housing association with strong family and community ties that became the catalyst, securing the support of schools.

REPORT 4: Cooperation between schools

Keep these questions in mind as you read this report:

• What lessons do you draw from this report?
• Does your school have links with other schools?
• If so, what has been the impact?

A network of primary schools has worked in collaboration with the education department of a local university to bring together teachers and researchers. The schools follow a collaborative research model similar to that recommended in this resource box, drawing on teachers’ professional knowledge and broader research knowledge to explore new ways of supporting students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Overall, the aim is to improve learning opportunities, experiences, and outcomes for all children, and particularly for those who face barriers to learning.

Each school determines its own approach to research, starting by identifying issues that cause concern or are in some way puzzling. They then follow a structured research program in which teachers and university researchers collect and share evidence, both from broader research and about school practices, so that they can develop a rich and deep understanding of what is happening to students in school. This data is used to stimulate new ideas and professional learning about current teaching practices and to identify strategies that respond to research findings.

Learning from differences. Schools have used exchange visits to generate evidence about their agreed approach to developing more inclusive teaching practices. The aim of these visits is to specifically examine the strengths and weaknesses of the schools in the network, using differences to stimulate new ideas.

The most successful visits are usually characterized by a sense of mutual learning between hosts and visitors. It was also observed that it often took time to identify and clarify the purpose of these visits. In fact, the preliminary negotiations that took place were themselves a key aspect of the process.

An example. During one of these visits, the visiting teachers were invited to observe two children each. A simple observation framework, designed by the research group of the host school’s staff, focused on the children’s interactions with their peers and teachers.

The children to be observed were chosen by the class teacher, who was the school’s deputy head. They were named on the basis that they were the children he knew least about in his class. In addition to the observations, the visiting teachers were asked to interview these children. Once again, a flexible structure was designed, but the main emphasis was on the visiting teachers following up on what they had seen during the observations.

Then, one of the visiting teachers said the day had been “absolutely fascinating” and added, “There is no way of doing this in your own school.”
This seems to be confirmed in some of the metaphors used by the students in reference to their teacher during the interviews that day. For example, one student commented, “He is like a piranha swimming around the class. He knows when I am not listening.” And another student commented, “He could be a good teacher if he knew how to explain, but he gets too frustrated.” The teacher’s jokey response to these comments was, “I want to go home! I’ve had enough!”

Facing the challenges. The personal nature of these observations and the teacher’s willingness to listen to these comments with colleagues from their own school and another present, illustrate the extent of the challenge that this type of collaboration sometimes entails. In fact, these visits were not “welcoming” nor always a bed of roses.

However, the key factor seems to be mutual challenge within a respectful and supportive relationship. In this particular instance, the teacher’s seniority and the fact that he had volunteered for this degree of scrutiny may have been factors in creating a climate in which he felt able to engage in such challenging dialogue with colleagues from another school.

Many other issues arose during the conversation as a direct result of the observations and conversations that the teachers had with the students. Some of these focused on detailed issues relating to teaching practices that have implications for the degree to which members of the class participate in lesson activities.

ACTIVITY 4. Collaboration with community agents

Objective

Develop school priorities to involve external agents.

Process

1. Teachers (and, if available, support staff) work in small groups to consider the ways in which external agents participate in the life of the school. The questions for discussion are the following:
   • Who do we involve from outside the school?
   • Who could contribute most to our efforts to improve the presence, participation, well-being, and achievement of all our students?
2. Groups do a Nine of Diamonds activity. This interactive group activity is a way to encourage participants to reflect more deeply on the commitment of external community stakeholders.
3. Groups are given up to 15 cards with words such as:
   • Families
   • Other schools
   • Health workers
   • Social services
   • Places of worship
   • Companies
   • Universities
   • Youth workers
   • Psychologists
   • Art associations
   • Sports organizations
     There are two blank cards that groups can use to add other external agents.
4. One member from each group commits to chairing the discussion. Groups are asked to choose nine cards and arrange them in a diamond shape (see diagram), placing the one they consider most important at the top and the one they consider least important at the bottom.
5. After the activity, the group discusses what they have learned and what measures the school should take. Their ideas are shared with the other groups to agree on the next steps to collaborate with external agents.
6. Following this analysis process, it will be necessary to develop a strategy to advance the priority actions that have emerged. Ideally, it should be led by an implementation group headed by a member of the management staff and include a wide range of participants.

Recommended readings

• AINSCOW, M. (2016). Collaboration as a strategy for promoting equity in education: possibilities and barriers. Journal of Professional Capital and Community, 1(2), 159–172.
• AINSCOW, M., DYSON, A., GOLDRICK, S., & WEST, M. (2012). Developing equitable education systems. London: Routledge.
• DOBBIE, W. & FRYER, R.G. (2009). Are high-quality schools enough to close the achievement gap? Evidence from a bold social experiment in Harlem. Cambridge: Harvard University.
• DYSON, A. & KERR, K. (2013). Developing children’s zones for England: What’s the evidence? London: Save the Children
  https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/node/13661/pdf/developing_childrens_zones1.pdf
• FULLAN, M. (2021). The right drivers for whole system success. CSE Leading Education Series. https://michaelfullan.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Fullan-CSE-Leading-Education-Series-01-2021R2-compressed.pdf
• HARGREAVES, A., & AINSCOW, M. (2015). The top and bottom of leadership and change. Phi Delta Kappa, November, 2015.https://doi.org/10.1177/0031721715614828
• KERR, K., DYSON, A., & RAFFO, C. (2014). Education, disadvantage and place: Making the local matter. Bristol: Policy Press.
• MASON, P. & BARNES, M. (2007). Constructing theories of change: methods and sources, Evaluation, 13(2), pp. 151-170.
• MILES, S. (2002). Family Action for Inclusion in Education. Manchester, Enabling Education Network: https://www.eenet.org.uk/resources/docs/family_action.pdf
• MUIJS, D., AINSCOW, M., CHAPMAN, C., & WEST, M. (2011). Collaboration and networking in education. London: Springer.
• RINCÓN-GALLARDO, S. & FULLAN, M. (2016). Essential features of effective networks in education. Journal of Professional Capital and Community, 1(1) 5 – 22.
• STRIVETOGETHER (2021). Theory of Action: Guiding framework: https://www.strivetogether.org/what-we-do/theory-of-action
• WHITEHURST, G. J. & CROFT. M. (2010). The Harlem Children’s Zone, promise neighbourhoods, and the broader, bolder approach to education. Washington: The Brookings Institution.

Link to relevant resources

Note: Before presenting these resources to others, it is important to ensure they are appropriate for the specific context.

• The UNESCO Open File on Inclusive Education. An introduction for policymakers and managers who have an important role to play in achieving the change needed to make inclusive education a reality: https://www.eenet.org.uk/resources/docs/132164e.pdf
• ‘Children’s Neighbourhoods Scotland’. It adopts a place-based approach to improving outcomes for children, young people and their communities Children’s Neighbourhoods Scotland
• ‘The Harlem Children’s Zone’. It seeks to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty, with comprehensive on-the-ground programming that creates opportunities for children and families to thrive in school and work: https://hcz.org
• ‘Strive Together’. A network of communities across the United States working and evolving together to advance equity so that local success stories can become a reality for all children: https://www.strivetogether.org
• ‘Give Your Child the Best Start’. This guide offers useful advice to parents to help them collaborate with educators in advocating for a quality educational offer for early childhood development: Give your child the best start: Laying the foundation for quality learning.
• ‘Students as researchers’. Participatory action research by young people: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ5dHttlwRU
• ‘School-community partnership’. Example of schools in Australia that connect with Indigenous communities with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander roots:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjUkyufiSw8
• ‘Youth-led peacebuilding in Kenya’. A youth initiative for peace: A youth initiative for peace:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvsNeKlbbss