Building Collaborative Teams to Include Students With Extensive Support Needs in General Education Contexts

Including students with extensive support needs (ESN) in general education schools and classes across a district and school can be challenging. To be successful and sustainable, students with ESN need education teams with a wide range of expertise and, at minimum, a district-wide system of inclusion. This article demonstrates how one district and their school teams used a scaffolded tool (5-15-45 Tool) and a five-step implementation process to increase the inclusion of students with ESN at the school and district levels. The tool was designed to support collaborative teams to implement evidence-based practices in general education contexts. Using vignettes, completed examples from the 5-15-45 Tool, and an external link to a grade-level lesson, this article illustrates how education teams, schools, and districts can use the 5-15-45 Tool and five-step process to include students with ESN in general education contexts and to enhance inclusive education across a district.