ACEL National Inclusion and Disability Conference
“Do we talk to parents about diversity as a strength?”
Professor Martin Westwell, Chief Executive of the Department of Education in South Australia invited attendees at the ACEL Inclusion and Diversity Conference held in Adelaide this year, to consider the culture shift that is needed to ensure we are truly inclusive and to understand what we really mean when we use the term diversity. It was a conference where educators and leaders were challenged to lead and provoke, to truly believe that all students are capable of high expectations (Kathleen Janecek), to reflect on how and if what we are doing is delivering on the broader goals of education (Kathryn Tully), and to consider the impact on our community when children are segregated and don’t grow up together (Kate Reid).
Sam Brain, Inclusive Education Lead at Deloitte Access Economics, provided insights around shaping conditions under which schools operate and how using effective system design to achieve inclusion is essential. Inclusive funding reform includes system accountability, network collaboration that leverages existing relationships, and taking a whole school approach to support. This involves evaluation and progress monitoring, increasing the collection of evidence and building networks that have a strategic focus. A functional needs approach, which moves beyond the medical model of a diagnosis to considering what is needed to support learning and thriving, is central, as is the prioritisation of inclusion through capacity building in mainstream schools.
“Inclusion is not something we add. It is something we design.”
Kathleen Janecek, Principal, Woodridge State High School, Queensland
We heard case studies of schools shifting culture and building engagement and capacity. At Woodridge State High School, this involved both physical and timetabling changes to de-implement full segregation of students needing support and move to providing all students with access to age-appropriate classes. Inclusion is something that is intentionally designed at Woodbridge High School. A Multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) framework has been implemented to ensure all students can achieve through evidence-based instructional practices and the application of a whole school behaviour and effort matrix. Enablers include providing 160 minutes of collaboration time for every full-time teacher, a clear alignment between practices and school values, and building strong connections with the school’s community, including its First Nations families. These significant transformations occurred through courageous leadership. Principal, Kathleen Janecek noted it was her job to provoke and shared three key words that have underpinned the school’s success and continued trajectory: measured, intentional and growth.
Professor Linda Graham’s keynote presented an updated MTSS framework - the inclusive, I-MTSS. Professor Graham noted that while we are often good at removing physical barriers, we are not so intentional or skilled at removing barriers for comprehension. Two core practices were outlined: accessible assessment and pedagogies; and designing adjustments with students.
Professor Graham highlighted that while there is frequent focus on working memory capacity and the bottleneck which occurs between working memory and long-term memory, the impact of language is often overlooked or underestimated. Complex language contributes to working memory overload. We were challenged to consider the role of language in our learning design, to minimise the extraneous cognitive load and increase accessibility, where accessibility is the result of anticipating and designing out barriers, to include as many participants as possible from the onset. This involves considering the linguistic, visual and procedural complexities of tasks, being aware of teachers’ spoken language and including student insights. The keynote was followed with a practical workshop, co-designed with Dr Haley Tancredi, focusing on using accessible assessment design to remove barriers to comprehension.
There are approximately 400,000 children in Australia with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), however only around 350 have access to NDIS funding. As a Global Ambassador for RADLD, Raising Awareness of Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), I was provided with an opportunity to share key information, practical strategies and resources for teachers to support students with this common condition which is more prevalent than autism but much lesser known. As a condition that flies under the radar, it is essential that teachers have a strong understanding of what DLD can look like, how it might impact academic achievement and social/emotional wellbeing, and the small but powerful actions that make a difference. You can find out more on this curated DLD Padlet.
The tone of the conference was one of curiosity and collegiality. There were moments of disbelief as we were immersed in contexts where support or understanding was sometimes absent. We shared also moments of optimism as educators shared their journeys and students shared their talents.
Each attendee will have left the conference with their own story to tell of the conference’s impact. The program provided a range of different opportunities to learn, discuss, question and connect. Some will have left with more questions than answers, however there was a strong sense of connection and a collective willingness to maintain momentum.
The sketchnotes here provide a few takeaways from the two days of the conference.