Registration is now available for five regional "Arkansas Schools Are For All Kids" (AR-SAFAK) workshops on inclusion, to be sponsored during the 2000-2001 school year by the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE), Special Education Unit. The two-level, four-day training will be offered at five regional sites around the state. Level I is scheduled for two days in the fall at each of the five sites. Level II of the training will be held for two days at the same sites in the spring of 2001.
The AR-SAFAK workshops have been adapted from training developed by the California Research Institute on the integration of students with severe disabilities, and from materials from other sources, such as the Vermont Systems Change Project. The adaptations were developed by a committee of Arkansans from school districts, higher education, state consultants and the ADE, Special Education Unit.
For the training, and to assist the schools in developing and implementing inclusive policies, school districts are encouraged to identify an AR-SAFAK School Building Inclusion Team. This team is expected to identify a specific student around whom the team planning will occur during the training. Schools are strongly encouraged to include the identified student's parent(s) on their teams.
School teams must include the building principal or assistant principal. Other suggested team members are general and special education teachers, the identified student's parent(s), and a member of the school improvement committee. The teams may also include superintendents, special education supervisors, related service personnel and any other staff involved with the identified student. Team membership should not exceed six members. The same AR-SAFAK School Building Inclusion Team members from each participating district must attend both levels of the workshop, and are also expected to attend both levels at the same site.
The registration fee will be $45 per person, which includes the following:
- 4 days of training
- training materials
- follow-up visits
- lunch provided on all 4 days
- breaks/snacks on all training days
The training sessions will begin at 8:30 a.m. and conclude by 4:00 p.m. each day. The schedule for the workshops and registration form are attached.