An Administrator's Guide to Preschool Inclusion
 

ECRII GOALS:

Identifying what facilitates and presents barriers to the inclusion of disabled young children with typically developing peers.

• Developing, testing and disseminating strategies for supporting the participation of young children with disabilites and their families in classrooms and communities.

In order to ensure that this comprehensive project addresses the ethnic and cultural diversity of our nation's young children, ECRII was awarded to a consortium of researchers at five universities from coast to coast:

San Francisco State University
University of Maryland
University of North Carolina
University of Washington
Vanderbilt University

ECRII GUIDING PRINCIPLES:

1. Weaving a complex web. Inclusion is a complex process influenced by many factors within families, classrooms, communities, and society.
2. Learning from the inside. Viewing inclusion from the perspective of individuals involved in the process--family members, teachers, administrators--is fundamental to understanding and developing strategies to support inclusion.
3. Recognizing community and culture. Children and inclusive classrooms exist within a community and cultural context.
4. Supporting the family's role. Family values and perspectives influence directly the nature of inclusion.
5. Acting on knowledge. Responsible applied research requires a commitment to social action informed by empirical knowledge.