About

 

The Inclusionary Practices Technical Assistance Network (IPTN) is a collaboration between the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), WestEd, and education partners across Washington State dedicated to disrupting segregated systems and reducing exclusionary practices.

The Inclusionary Practices Project (IPP) launched in 2019 to improve inclusion rates in Washington schools. With initial state inclusion rates at 56.6%, the project raised them to 63.4% in just four years. IPP became a statewide movement -- engaging over 264 districts, providing professional development, and leading to increased choice and opportunity for students with disabilities.
 
In 2023, IPP transitioned into the Inclusionary Practices Technical Assistance Network (IPTN). Building on IPP's success, IPTN focuses on educational justice and equal opportunity for Washington students experiencing the most exclusion: students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, and Black students with disabilities.

In addition to this focus, the efforts on inclusionary practices were joined with the statewide scale-up of Washington’s Multi-Tiered System of Supports to begin developing a coherent Technical Assistance model.

 

• L1: Data collection must center the voices of those most impacted.
• L2: Expand beyond current data systems by incorporating additional data sources that capture individual academic growth and student experience/belonging to more fully measure the lived impact of inclusionary practices.
• L3: Building trust is foundational for meaningful data collection.
• L4: Advancing meaningful inclusion for all students - especially those with significant cognitive disabilities - requires using data purposefully and with fidelity.
• R1: Build accessible, culturally responsive data systems that engage students, families, and staff in identifying and using meaningful inclusion data.
• R2: Collect data using diverse methods to capture the full experiences of Black students with IEPs and students with IDD.
• R3: Provide PD to help teachers analyze and use data to improve outcomes for students with disabilities.
• R4: Create a cross-department team to align inclusion goals with district strategy and monitor progress.
• R5: Use short, equity-focused improvement cycles to test and refine inclusive practices in real time.

 

• L1: Strategic resource use requires guidance and support to allocate funds in ways that promote inclusion, especially for students with IDD and Black students with disabilities.
• L2: Leaders need ongoing training to make inclusive, anti-racist, and anti-ableist resource decisions through models like co-teaching and coaching.
• L3: Inclusion must be treated as a general education priority, not just a special education funding issue.
• L4: MTSS can drive inclusion, but staff need clearer guidance to ensure students with IDD and Black students with disabilities benefit fully from core supports.
• R1: Form a cross-program district team to assess needs and create a shared vision for inclusive resource use.
• R2: Provide training to leaders on using and braiding funds to reduce barriers for students with IDD and Black students with disabilities.
• R3: Use MTSS as the framework for inclusive support, directing resources to evidence-based practices like UDL and culturally responsive teaching.
• R4: Involve families and students in at least one key resource decision annually and measure its impact on inclusion and related outcomes.
• R5: Invest in district-wide efforts to build awareness of inclusion and the value of disability diversity, especially among those without direct contact with students with disabilities.

 

• L1: Inclusion means more than placement—it requires engagement, access, effective instruction, and representation of student and family voice.
• L2: Inclusive schools thrive on shared responsibility and co-planning that align instruction and goals across all educators.
• L3: Equity-centered leadership challenges exclusion by promoting power-sharing, reflection, and co-design with those most impacted.
• L4: Shifting adult mindsets toward inclusion requires confronting bias and presuming competence in every student.
• L5: Community feedback structures build trust and surface inequities, helping districts co-create inclusive, responsive solutions.
• R1: Use student-centered indicators like engagement, access, and voice to measure inclusion—go beyond placement data to reflect real student experiences.
• R2: Build systems and time for general educators, specialists, and families to co-plan and align inclusive practices across classrooms.
• R3: Develop adaptive leadership skills to help leaders navigate complex challenges and model equity-focused decision-making.
• R4: Launch PD that helps educators interrupt deficit thinking and recognize how bias, racism, and ableism impact student outcomes.
• R5: Create feedback structures that elevate student, family, and staff voices to shape school climate, instruction, and system-wide inclusive practices.

 

• L1: Inclusion is strengthened when general and special educators co-plan and all students are placed on general education rosters.
• L2: Ongoing, embedded PD and coaching are essential for sustaining inclusive practices.
• L3: Shared beliefs about inclusion must be cultivated through intentional leadership and collaborative school culture.
• R1: Inclusive master schedules give all students access to core instruction and enable co-planning and professional learning.
• R2: Ongoing, embedded PD on inclusion, MTSS, and equity strengthens instructional practice and promotes system-wide growth.
• R3: Strong leadership teams drive inclusive systems change by aligning vision, structures, and resources around equity.

 

• L1: Belonging improves when districts center family and student voice in IEPs and school activities.
• L2: Many families feel schools aren’t designed for their children, leading to mistrust and weak partnerships.
• L3: Bias in policy and practice drives disproportionality; MTSS and equity-focused PD help disrupt it.
• L4: Staff need tools and training to build trust and connect meaningfully with families.
• L5: Family focus groups offer critical insights and support relationship repair and system change.
• R1: Make IEP planning accessible and inclusive by bridging families, educators, and community partners—especially for those facing participation barriers.
• R2: Create protocols and assign liaisons to build trust and repair relationships with families of students with IDD and Black students with IEPs.
• R3: Review district policies for equity in language, culture, and ability to prevent disproportionality and strengthen family partnerships.
• R4: Provide ongoing staff PD on bias, anti-ableism, anti-racism, and their impact on belonging and disproportionality.
• R5: Use focus groups to gather insights and elevate family and student advocacy in shaping inclusive school practices.

 

• L1: Inclusive, supportive leadership improves educator retention through positive culture, clear roles, and job-embedded coaching.
• L2: Grow Your Own programs help diversify the workforce by recruiting and training local community members.
• L3: Special educator attrition is driven by external, employment, and personal factors.
• L4: Sustained mentoring and coaching strengthen school culture and support long-term educator retention.
• R1: Align school and district leaders around a shared vision for inclusion, clarify roles, and provide ongoing PD on special education law and inclusive practices.
• R2: Invest in Grow Your Own programs to recruit, support, and retain diverse, community-rooted educators committed to equity.
• R3: Provide tiered, job-embedded mentoring and coaching that supports inclusive practices, collaboration, and leadership development across career stages.
• R4: Build a supportive school culture with manageable workloads, access to services, recognition, and transparent communication.