Inclusion Education Initiative (IEI)

Home

The Inclusive Education Initiative (IEI) is a two year initiative awarded to the Interdisciplinary Human Development Institute (IHDI), a unit of the Office of the Vice President for Research at the University of Kentucky and part of a nationwide network of University Centers for Excellence. IEI is funded by the Kentucky Council on Developmental Disabilities.

The great majority of students who meet the federal definition of developmental disabilities can be found under the following categorical groups: Functional Mental Disabilities, Autism, Deaf-Blindness, and Multiple Disabilities.

The goal of IEI is to improve outcomes for students with developmental disabilities through education in inclusive settings with appropriate supports. The initiative will select ten schools committed to high expectations for all students and help them develop the skills necessary to utilize high quality, collaborative teaching arrangements. Each school will receive support to implement an action plan developed to sustain its inclusionary efforts. Resources may include a mini-grant to support costs of professional development, training and equipment, allocation of a "critical friend," a professional who has both content and research expertise in inclusive education (Jorgensen), and professional development by nationally recognized specialists in areas such as Universal Design for Learning (UDL), collaboration, and assistive technology.

Each school will market its success through efforts that might include conference and workshop presentations, serving as a model site, and mentoring services.