Meeting the Needs of All Learners

Howery et al. (2013) states that “High-quality inclusive education is an issue of social justice and important to developing the human capital that is needed in today’s societies.”  The reconciliation of the mistreatment of Canada’s First Peoples is a contemporary hot topic.  In the education system efforts are being made to improve the success of Aboriginal students.  The BC Ministry of Education 2016/17 - 2017/18 Service Plan reported that in 2011/12 56% of Aboriginal students in grade 8 will complete school within six years.  This compared to the completion rate of 82% of all grade 8 students completing school within six years is shocking.  In an effort to improve these statistics the Ministry of Education identified several goals in their Service Plan Report, including the plan to “create an inclusive education system that recognizes and supports the needs of Aboriginal, French-language, English Language Learning (ELL), international, and rural students, as well as students with special needs.”  They also stated that “it is well known that engagement is a critical success factor in student achievement.”  Jennifer Katz (2013) also identified in her study the significant relationship between student engagement and student achievement, she even goes so far as to identify what a socially engaged student ‘looks’ like: “A student who is socially engaged interacts positively with their peers and teachers, feels a sense of belonging, and has a positive social self-concept.”  According to the Aboriginal Worldviews and Perspectives in the Classroom document put forth by the BC Ministry of Education (2015) one of the measures of success for Aboriginal Education is “students have ready access to learning environments that they find engaging, including differing sorts of “alternative” school environments.”  The topic of student space is addressed again in the chapter titled Attributes of Responsive Schooling under the section The Learning Environment and Resources; in this chapter is a quote from a Tsaxis participant that says “Making space for Aboriginal voice involves developing safe and caring environments and having actual physical space to meet and hang out. It also involves students knowing where the space is and accessing it” (p57).  In a local school, this ‘space’ is comprised of a separate classroom titled the AbEd room, where Aboriginal students can go to have a safe place to receive teacher assistance, a place to hang out, and even a place to get free snacks.  This appears to meet the “safe and caring environment” requirement as well as the student engagement requirement, but is this exclusive space truly meeting the goals of reconciliation?  

Howery, K., McClellan, T., & Pedersen-Bayus, K. (2013). “Reaching every student” with a pyramid of intervention approach: One district’s journey. Canadian Journal of Education, 36(1), 271-304.

​Katz, J. (2013). The three block model of universal design for learning (UDL): Engaging students in inclusive education. Canadian Journal of Education, 36(1), 153-194.