TrueNorth Educational Cooperative 804 offers this professional learning program for general and special educators to collaboratively learn, reflect, and plan for building inclusive practices and culture in classrooms and buildings. In this year-long program, participants will develop a strong foundation in philosophy, knowledge, and skills to support all learners in an inclusive general education environment. This program empowers participants to align to evidence-based practices for educating all learners. Research shows that there are academic and social benefits for all students educated in inclusive environments in which all are welcomed as valued members of the school community. This program will focus on knowledge and skills to support educators in the core elements of inclusive education.

Outcomes:

• Educators will be forming an active professional network that benefits the educators and their students
• Educators will learn collaborativley

Who Should Attend: The program is designed for a partnership of a Special Education Provider with a General Educator. This could expand to a Grade Level or Content/Department Team. Course content is delivered through professional learning workshop sessions and multi-district cohort communities influenced by Carol Quirk (MCIE), Paula Kluth, Cheryl Jorgensen, and TrueNorth coaches. More information about the work of MCIE can be found on their website, https://www.mcie.org/. The overall conceptual framework for defining inclusion is based upon the Beyond Access Model: Jorgensen, C.M., McSheehan, M., & Sonnenmeier, R.M. (2010). The beyond access model. Promoting membership, participation, and learning for students with disabilities in the general education classroom. Baltimore: Paul H Brookes Publishing Co.

Satisfactory completion requirements:

• Attendance is based on your signature in and out of the session. Failure to provide a signature in and out will result in no credit. Virtual attendance is taken via the Zoom Chat.
• Participants are expected to attend the entire session to earn credit.
• Participants are expected to attend all sessions in their entirety (Part 1, Part 2, etc) to earn credit.
• Participants must complete an electronic course evaluation within two weeks of the series completion date to be sent a certificate.
• Accommodations, questions and complaints can be directed to: professionallearning@truenorth804.org

Cost Information: Participation fees are waived for TrueNorth employees, TrueNorth member district employees, and parents of students in our TrueNorth member districts. For individual participants who do not meet the above criteria, this course participation fee is $TBD. Participation or material fees will be billed directly to the school district that employs the participant after the session is complete or the first session in a series is complete. Individuals are asked to not bring payment to the session.

Cancellation and Refund Information: There is no cancellation fee, though we ask for advance notice to open the spot for another person. TrueNorth reserves the right to cancel any session due to low enrollment. TrueNorth does not charge prior to the start of the offered session. If an individual attends the first day of a learning series but is unable to attend the remaining sessions, the school district that employs the participant is able to designate an alternate person. It is up to the individual no longer attending the program to give their replacement the information learned in the first session.

About the Presenters: The cohort sessions will be facilitated by TrueNorth staff; Jessica Boraca, Mary-Kelsey Coletto, and Tyra Jambois in collaboration with Lindsay Kiraly, Director of Professional Learning and Coaching and Lynn Clarke, Director of Instruction.
Financial Disclosure: The presenters are all employees of TrueNorth Educational Cooperative 804 and receive a salary.
Non-Financial Disclosure: The Presenters have no relevant non-financial relationships.

*Member Districts include:

Northbrook 27, Northbrook 28, Sunset Ridge 29, Glenview/Northbrook 30, West Northfield 31, Glenview 34, Glencoe 35, Winnetka 36, Kenilworth 38, Lake Bluff 65, Lake Forest 67, Bannockburn 106, Deerfield 109, North Shore 112, Township HS 113, Lake Forest 115, New Trier 203, Glenbrook 225.

Have a question? Check out the Professional Learning FAQs or contact professionallearning@truenorth804.org.