CALIFORNIANS FOR INCLUSIVE SCHOOLS

Californians for Inclusive Schools (CIS) works in the legislative and regulatory arenas to promote incentives and remove barriers to expansion of high-quality, inclusive schools, especially as they pertain to children with disabilities.

Inclusive schools offer supportive learning environments that welcome and nurture children with disabilities and students with disabilities and their diverse cultural, language, ethnic and economic backgrounds to the general community of the school.

Californians for Inclusive Schools (CIS) is a coalition of advocacy, family, and professional organizations and individuals committed to ensuring that all students are provided with the opportunity for an effective inclusive education. Compliance with federal and state laws ensures the membership of students with disabilities in general education classrooms with the supplementary aids, support services and modifications they may need to benefit from the regular education core curriculum and achieve identified goals and objectives.

Organizations forming the steering committee of Californians for Inclusive Schools include the Supported Life Institute (SLI), California Chapter of the Association for Persons with Severe Disabilities (Cal-TASH), Disability Rights Education Defense Fund (DREDF), and Protection & Advocacy, Inc (PAI). These organizations are committed to the following principles:

All students with disabilities have the right to experience education with their nondisabled peers in the general education classroom and school they would attend if they did not have disabilities.

Each student with disabilities has the right to a full array of supplemental support services and alternative service delivery models to ensure their participation in the general education classroom. Such services might include assistive technology, instructional aides, consultations from specialists, adaptation of curriculum, and other accommodations that facilitate participation in the general classroom.

Students with disabilities participate in the general education program in age-appropriate groups and have equal access to all general class and school activities, programs, curricula, and facilities, including extracurricular activities. All persons who are responsible for providing educational services to students and their families are important, fully participating members in the individual planning team's (IEP/IFSP)⁽¹⁾ decision-making process to determine appropriate education services.

Special education and general education teachers collaborate to ensure that all students participate as regular members and achieve their educational goals and objectives.

Special education students who are fully included in the general classroom are considered a part of the total class count.

Schools with diverse student populations should include those with disabilities, and should provide maximum opportunities for students to learn from each other, communicate, and develop friendships.

Teachers must be supported with training to ensure a successful educational experience for students in inclusive settings.

Federal disability civil rights laws that promote the full participation of people with disabilities in our society, should be broadly implemented and protected, including equal opportunity gained by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

CALIFORNIANS FOR INCLUSIVE SCHOOLS VOLUNTEER APPLICATION FORM

Your Name: ___________________________________________ Phone: _________________

Address: ______________________________________________ Fax: ___________________

City/State/ZIP: _________________________________________ E-mail: _________________

Name of your State Senate Representative: __________________________________________

Name of your State Assembly Representative: ________________________________________

Name of your U.S. Congressional Representative: _____________________________________

(If you do not know your representative's name, call your County Elections Office to find out, then mail us your application form.)

Name of legislative staff (district or Capitol) with whom you have a relationship: ____________

Are you willing to meet with a legislator? ____ Speak at policy meetings? ____ Write letters? ____

Are you willing to contribute $10, $15, $20, $25, $50, $100, $______ on a one-time basis?

Are you willing to contribute $10, $15, $20, $25, $50, $100, $______ on a monthly basis?

Please make checks payable to "Cal-TASH for CIS"

Please tear off this section, place it in an envelope with your check payable to "Cal-TASH for CIS," and mail it to: Californians for Inclusive Schools, c/o Ann T. Halvorson, Board Member, Cal-TASH, Department of Educational Psychology, CSU Hayward, Hayward, CA 94542

Californians for Inclusive Schools - Steering Committee

Ann T. Halvorson, Board Member, Cal-TASH, Tel: (510) 885-3087, Fax: (510) 885-7457, ahalvors@csuhayward.edu

Tom Neary, Board Member, Supported Life Institute, Tel: (916) 798-0312, Fax: (916) 641-5871, spencer201@aol.com

Disability Rights Education Defense Fund, Tel: (510) 644-2555, Fax: (510) 841-8645

Dale Mentink, Senior Attorney, Protection & Advocacy, Tel: (916) 488-9950, Fax: (916) 488-9960, dale.mentink@pai-ca.org

Californians for Inclusive Schools
Governmental Affairs Office

Protection & Advocacy, Inc.
555 Capitol Mall, Suite 747
Sacramento, California 95814
Tel: (916 497-0331), Fax: (916) 497-0813
 

Publication #5256.01
September 2002

---

1. Individual Education Plan/Individual Family Services Plan