Inclusive School Communities

Portland Public Schools Special Education: Our Role, Our Work, Our Children

Do the best you can until you know better.

Then, when you know better, do better.

~ Maya Angelou

Inclusive School Communities is a district-wide initiative in Portland Public Schools (PPS) designed to provide special education services within a student's home school rather than in segregated focus classrooms. This approach is grounded in the core belief that special education is a service, not a place, and that federal law (IDEA) strongly prefers that children with disabilities be educated in general education settings with their peers. By supporting students alongside their siblings and neighbors, the district aims to build a more compassionate school community overall and eliminate the "othering" of vulnerable students.

Core Goals and Vision
The Inclusive School Communities vision focuses on fostering academic and social-emotional growth while empowering students to shape their own futures. To achieve this, the district is following a strategic plan centered on three primary goals:

• Establishing Systems and Structures for Inclusion: Incorporating special education needs into professional development, curriculum adoption, and budgeting.
• Promoting an Inclusive Mindset: Implementing practices like Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) to ensure instruction is responsive to all learners.
• Building Advocacy Power: Empowering students to lead their own Individual Education Plan (IEP) processes and expanding resources for families.

The Implementation Framework
Inclusive School Communities is an initiative focused on our core academic and social-emotional instructional program, grounded in the foundational principle that special education is a service provided to students, not a specific place where they are sent. This district-wide effort is detailed in the Blueprint for Inclusive School Communities Implementation, which serves as a formal guide for school leadership teams to transition from segregated focus classrooms toward inclusive environments.

As a general education initiative, this model requires the demonstration of equity-centered inclusive mindsets and welcomes students with disabilities into grade-level classroom settings to the greatest extent possible. 

The blueprint document reinforces three core goals of the district’s strategic plan: establishing systems for inclusion, promoting an inclusive mindset through practices like Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), and building the advocacy power of students and their families.

By following the framework outlined in the blueprint, schools aim to enhance student achievement and a sense of belonging by ensuring that all children—regardless of whether they have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP)—can attend their neighborhood school alongside their siblings and peers. 

This transition is operationalized through the Principles and Practices Assessment Tool, which allows school leadership teams to self-assess and implement the necessary instructional and structural changes to sustain an inclusive environment:

1. Inclusive Mission and Vision: Defining inclusion clearly for all staff and students.
2. Inclusive Building Schedule: Prioritizing inclusionary practices and co-planning time for general and special education teachers.
3. Collaborative Structures: Establishing shared leadership and roles for all educators.
4. Inclusive Instructional Practices: Embedding specially designed instruction (SDI) into the general curriculum.
5. Flexible Service Delivery: Utilizing all learning spaces (classrooms, pods, etc.) for any student to receive support.
6. Inclusive Individual Education Programs (IEPs): Involving families as partners and aligning goals with grade-level standards.
7. Sustained Family and Community Engagement: Ensuring communications are strengths-based and inclusive of all primary languages.

Measurable Outcomes and Timeline
The impact of Inclusive School Communities is evaluated through four specific impact areas: Sense of Belonging, School Climate, Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), and Student Achievement. The district uses the Fidelity Implementation Tool (FIT) to measure progress, aiming for high implementation rates in leadership and integrated educational frameworks. 

The rollout began incrementally, with schools like Sitton and Marysville starting in 2023. In the 2024-2025 school year, the model expanded to include Astor, Cesar Chavez, Rosa Parks, James John, Peninsula, and Whitman Elementary Schools. 

For the 2025-2026 school year, a Joint Inclusive Services Team (JIST), comprising district leadership and Portland Association of Teachers (PAT) representatives, will oversee the program's success and monitor its impact on student outcomes and educator workloads.
 

Resources and Staffing
For Inclusive School Communities, special education staffing is allocated based on a Level of Need (LON) model, ensuring that resources follow the student based on their IEP requirements.