Inclusive Practices

"Inclusion is a way of thinking - a deeply held belief that all children, regardless of ability or disability, are valued members of the school and classroom community."Causton-Theoharis & Theoharis, 2008

All UUSD students, regardless of the challenges they have or face, are placed in the least restrictive environment in their neighborhood schools. Our students can expect to receive high quality instruction, intervention, and appropriate levels of support that enable them to obtain success in our established core curriculum.

Our schools operate on the premise that students with disabilities are as fundamentally competent as students without. All students can be full participants in their classrooms and in their local school communities. Successful inclusion happens through accepting, understanding, and attending to student differences and diversity.

The driving principle is to make all students feel welcomed, appropriately challenged, and supported. This includes an entire team of general education teachers, special education teachers, faculty, staff, and parents, all who are the stakeholders in developing positive experiences in our inclusion classroom settings.

Many studies over the past three decades have found that students with disabilities and their same-aged peers demonstrate social, emotional, and academic gains in an inclusion classroom setting. Inclusion cultivates a school climate of appreciation for students' gifts instead of their challenges. UUSD promotes a diverse climate that allows our students to feel celebrated and respected for their unique qualities.