Grace L. Francis

The Perspectives of Students with and without Disabilities on Inclusive Schools.

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of students with and without disabilities being educated in inclusive schools, documenting their perceptions of the culture of their school, inclusion, and the practices that were implemented to support all students. Focus groups were conducted with 86 students with and without disabilities from six schools that were recognized as exemplars of inclusive schoolwide practices. Three major themes emerged: (a) students’ sense of belonging in their school culture, (b) inclusion and its impact on students, and (c) school and classroom practices, such as positive behavior support systems, co-teaching, and instructional practices related to student self-determination and direction, feedback and re-teaching, multiple means of representation and expression, and technology utilization. Implications of these findings for implementing inclusive practices in other schools are discussed.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Family Employment Awareness Training in Kansas: A Pilot Study.

Working in competitive employment (employment in community settings with nondisabled peers for minimum wage or higher) has many positive benefits for people with disabilities who have individualized support needs (Johannesen, McGrew, Griss, & Born, 2007). Nonetheless, many of these individuals work in segregated settings or are unemployed entirely (National Disability Rights Network, 2011). The Family Employment Awareness Training (FEAT) in Kansas sought to increase expectations for competitive employment and knowledge about employment services, supports, and resources among people with disabilities who have individualized support needs, their families, and the professionals that support them to increase competitive employment outcomes. Our findings from this pilot study indicate that FEAT succeeded in raising expectations and knowledge among these individuals.

Understanding Barriers to Competitive Employment: A Family Perspective

Abstract This study reports the results of a survey and interviews with families who attended Family Employment Awareness Training (FEAT), a training designed to increase expectations for competiti...

Fostering Family–School and Community–School Partnerships in Inclusive Schools: Using Practice as a Guide

Partnerships between school staff, families, and community members are vital for ensuring the success of all students in inclusive schools. This article reports the results of a synthesis of two original studies: one study that examined the perspectives of family members and another study that examined the perspectives of community partners in developing partnerships with school staff at six inclusive knowledge development sites located in five geographic regions within the United States. The current synthesis study analyzes the original studies’ overlapping themes to inform concentrated efforts aimed at strengthening family and community partnerships in inclusive schools. Themes of this synthesis study include positive, inviting, and inclusive school culture; strong administrative leadership driven by a clear vision of inclusion; attributes of trusting partnerships; and opportunities for reciprocal partnerships and involvement. Implications for practice and research are discussed.

The Family Employment Awareness Training (FEAT): A mixed-method follow-up

This is the authors accepted manuscript. The original publication is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/JVR-130652.

A Never Ending Journey Inclusive Education Is a Principle of Practice, Not an End Game

A team from Schoolwide Integrated Framework for Transformation (SWIFT), a federally funded technical assistance project focused on creating cascading, aligned systems for inclusive education, conducted a series of focus groups and interviews with school administrators, general and special educators, and related service providers in six schools across the United States. Six themes merged from the study that highlighted the importance of defining inclusive education as well as building the capacity of people to understand and implement the components of a system of inclusive education. These themes suggest that leadership for inclusive education requires attention to the structures and processes used to signal that inclusive education is an undergirding principle of practice. Equally important is the development of relationships among students, teachers, and families that cement the structures. Networking, planning and organizing, using time and space strategically, and connecting schools with their communities were all aspects of capacity building. In addition, data revealed the importance of paying attention to the context of inclusive education within schools and in their surrounding communities. Further, enthusiastic support from and communication with families emerged as an important theme.

Identifying and Defining the Structures That Guide the Implementation of Participant Direction Programs and Support Program Participants A Document Analysis

Participant direction (PD) programs offer the individual with a disability or his or her surrogate decision maker varying degrees of choice and control over the individual’s supports and services. We conducted a document analysis using grounded theory methods to identify the design elements of participant direction programs in long-term care. We analyzed 53 documents across multiple disabilities and funding sources. We identified and defined two major components of participant direction programs: policy and aid and assistance. The component of policy was represented by three structures that guide implementation of participant direction programs: (a) option to participant-direct, (b) participation stipulations, and (c) provider qualifications. The component of aid and assistance was represented by 11 structures that support program participants: (a) financial management services, (b) employer of record, (c) emergency back-up, (d) worker registry, (e) advice/counseling, (f) managerial assistance, (g) information dissemination products, (h) service quality monitoring, (i) service coordination, (j) participant training, and (k) provider training. Each structure was represented by one or more continua depicting the range of choice and control participants may have over the structure. The findings of this study have implications for improving the standardization of research on participant direction programs and the development of long-term care policy.

An Exploratory Investigation into Family Perspectives after the Family Employment Awareness Training.

Competitive employment (i.e., employment in community settings among people without disabilities for minimum wage or higher) improves quality of life for people with disabilities who have individualized support needs (ISN). However, attaining competitive employment can be challenging for people with ISN. This study used a mixed methods design to evaluate the perspectives of 68 families who attended the Family Employment Awareness Training (FEAT). Findings indicated that families who attended FEAT (a) accessed competitive employment resources following FEAT and (b) reported competitive employment outcomes for their family members with ISN following FEAT. We discuss implications of these findings and recommendations for future research.

Increasing the Social Skills of a Student With Autism Through a Literacy-Based Behavioral Intervention:

Social skills instruction is as important for many students with disabilities as instruction in core academic subjects. Frequently, students with autism require individualized social skills instruction to experience success in general education settings. Literacy-based behavioral Interventions (LBBIs) are an effective intervention that instructors may use to increase positive social skills among students. This article describes LBBIs, provides step-by-step instructions for creating an LBBI, and describes the benefits of LBBIs.

Partnership Bound: Using MAPS with Transitioning Students and Families from All Backgrounds.

The McGill Action Planning System (also referred to as Making Action Plans or MAPS) is a supportive, strengths-based process that enables teams to understand each other and work together to support students in achieving their dreams. This process can work very well with all transitioning students with disabilities and their families, including those who are culturally and linguistically diverse (including refugees and immigrants), as it brings together school personnel, community members, and family members who support the student, and each participant can learn from the others. This article explains nine steps required to implement MAPS with families whose children have disabilities.