Page 12 - FDLRS Focus 2019

FIN (Florida Inclusion Network)

How the BPIE Assessment is Helping Schools Prioritize and Improve Inclusive Practices

As the 2018-2019 school year continues,
the Florida Inclusion Network and FDLRS/
Alpha continue to make incredible strides
supporting and promoting inclusive practices
throughout the school district of Palm Beach
County. As the state enters its second year-long
cycle of mandated Best Practices for Inclusive
Education(BPIE) Assessments, FIN is assisting
every school in Palm Beach County with the
assessment of inclusive needs on each campus.
These BPIE meetings are allowing school-based
teams to analyze indicators and prioritize needs to continue to promote inclusion on every single campus in
Palm Beach County.
The Best Practices for Inclusive Education assessment originated from legislation passed initially in July
2013 which called for both district and schools to complete an internal assessment once every three years
to facilitate the analysis, implementation, and improvement of school and district-based inclusive practices.
Florida Inclusion Network provides training to help facilitate each assessment with the overall goal being short
and long term improvement efforts outlined for schools to continue to partner with FIN with customized and
targeted training and support on campuses to improve teacher and administrative practices.
As Palm Beach County entered its second round of school-based BPIE in 2018-2019, each region’s ESE
Resource Teacher received personalized training in the facilitation of BPIE and have partnered with FIN
to help facilitate BPIE meetings on every single school campus in Palm Beach County. At each meeting,
administrators self-select a small school-based team including administrative, general education, ESE teacher
and parent representatives to rate 34 specified indicators under the domains of Leadership and Decision-
Making, Instruction and Student Achievement, and Communication and Collaboration. From these indicators,
the school teams bring supporting data and work to prioritize select indicators for improvement. After the
assessment, FIN helps support each school in
crafting short and long term improvement plans
to help continue to better inclusive practices in all
areas of the campus.
While BPIE assessments take place once every
three years, FIN continues to support professional
development needs by providing customized
support crafted around continual conversations
with school and district-based staff to promote
inclusion in many ways. As BPIE indicators are prioritized by school-based teams, FIN is contacted and
able to provide professional development, technical assistance, and continued customized support on dozens
of campuses to hundreds of teachers and administrators in all four regions of the district. Professional
development, training, and coaching is ongoing and trainings in collaborative teaching, differentiated
instruction, inclusive scheduling, maximizing support facilitation, and other specified supports relating to
specific school-based needs. Incredible successes in inclusive practices are happening in the
district and FIN and FDLRS/Alpha continue to be on the front lines of supporting teachers
and school-based teams in how to best ensure that all students truly reach their maximum
potential. By Bryan Russell, Florida Inclusion Network Facilitator FDLRS/ALPHA.

Page 12 FDLRS Focus