FW: Gratitude
by Burke, Mack
From the Havard-Baylor human flourishing project- MDB
From: VanderWeele, Tyler J. <tvanderw(a)hsph.harvard.edu>
Date: Tuesday, August 20, 2024 at 10:25 AM
To: Burke, Mack <Mack_Burke(a)baylor.edu>
Subject: Gratitude
You don't often get email from tvanderw(a)hsph.harvard.edu. Learn why this is important<https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification>
This research update discusses how gratitude not only affects well-being (as has been shown before) but also seems to extend life expectancy.
[Image removed by sender.]
[Image removed by sender.]
Research Update: August 2024
Dear Friends,
This research update from the Human Flourishing Program<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...> discusses our new research on how gratitude not only affects well-being (as has been shown before) but in fact also seems to extend life expectancy. We also announce an open search for our new Executive Director position<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...> at the Program and welcome applications.
Gratitude
In spite of much around us that is difficult, undesirable, or challenging, there is also a great deal in our lives that is good, that we can appreciate, and celebrate. The practice of gratitude involves seeing the good in things around us. When we fix our attention on these positive aspects of life, acknowledge that they are good, and realize that, in many cases, we are not their source, we can experience gratitude. We may be grateful to someone who has helped us, or who has given us something, or who has somehow brought about what is good. We may be grateful for the opportunities we have been given, that allow us to act to bring about something good. We may be grateful for the intrinsic goodness of nature, or of what surrounds us. We may be grateful to God for the goodness of creation. All of these various forms of gratitude involve a recognition of what is good.
[Image removed by sender. atalie Board/ Adobe Stock]
Gratitude and Well-Being
Past research has indicated important effects of gratitude on enhancing well-being<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...>. And simple easy-to-use interventions<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...> have been developed to increase gratitude in life, and thereby well-being. One might, for instance, try writing down three things one is grateful for three times a week over the course of a month or two, or even longer. Evidence from numerous randomized trials (summarized in this meta-analysis<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...>) suggests that such simple activities of focusing the mind on what is good in one’s past or present can help increase happiness<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...>, relieve symptoms of depression<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...>, and perhaps even improve sleep. There are of course numerous other variations on this exercise of expressing gratitude, but study after study has suggested positive effects of gratitude on enhancing well-being, and it is for this reason that we’ve promoted such gratitude exercises previously among helpful activities for flourishing<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...> and have included them among the activities in our flourishing app<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...>. While studies have indicated beneficial effects of gratitude on numerous outcomes, no one has previously examined the effects of gratitude on longevity… but that is effectively what we did in our most recent study…
Gratitude and Mortality
In a paper just recently published in JAMA Psychiatry<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...>, we used data on over 49,000 women in the Nurses’ Health Study and followed them up over four years after the initial gratitude assessment to examine mortality risk of those with high versus low levels of gratitude. Certainly objective circumstances, like baseline health, might affect both gratitude and subsequent mortality risk and so we controlled for a host of baseline health measures. And we controlled also for numerous other social, demographic, economic, health behavior, and psychological variables as well, including other aspects of psychological well-being such as depressive symptoms and optimism. Such rigorous control, with longitudinal data over time, is needed if we want to have any hope of making causal inferences<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...>. In spite of such rigorous control, we found that those with high levels of gratitude were 9% less likely to die over the four years of follow-up than those with low-levels of gratitude… and more specifically the high gratitude group was 15% less likely to die from cardiovascular disease. While the mortality reduction is not huge, it is meaningful; and while the effect of gratitude may be somewhat smaller than what one finds with optimism<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...> say, these effects of gratitude are present above and beyond the potential protective effects of optimism (for which control was made).
Implications
The effects on mortality risk, and also on well-being, are also important because anyone can practice gratitude. It can be hard to change optimism in any straightforward manner, and indeed some of the interventions that have tried to bring about such changes have failed. However, once again, anyone can practice gratitude. Anyone can recognize what is good around them. And, as noted above, there are interventions that we know work to increase gratitude, and to increase well-being… and our study suggests that such practices could help reduce mortality risk as well. Given the effects of gratitude interventions on well-being and on health, this information and these gratitude exercises could be widely disseminated in schools, in workplaces, in neighborhoods and communities. In each of these settings, it may be possible to run mini-gratitude campaigns, discussing the results of such research, providing examples of gratitude exercises, and perhaps even taking some time out of the day -in a school, or at a workplace- to practice gratitude together. In my family, we take time during family dinners to express what we are grateful and find it very helpful. In day-to-day life, such gratitude practices recognize the good around us, help us to be grateful for one another, contribute to our well-being, and bring life.
Gratitude for Those at the Human Flourishing Program
On a more personal note, I would like to express gratitude and appreciation for several people on the Human Flourishing Program<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...> research staff who have recently made the decision to move on to a new position. I would in fact like to express gratitude for the whole of the Program staff<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...> (and to the Institute for Quantitative Social Science<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...> staff who host us). It is an amazing group of people, and I am very blessed to be working with them, and I continually learn from their insights, and from all that they contribute to our knowledge of flourishing from their research (certainly including Ying Chen, who led the gratitude study). I do further want to express gratitude specifically to a few members of that staff who have had longer-term roles within the Program and have recently accepted what are, admittedly, wonderful faculty positions elsewhere. Dr. Jeffrey Hanson, our Senior Philosopher, who has been with us since the founding of the Human Flourishing Program in 2016, and has written on the philosophy of work<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...>, on meaning in life<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...>, on love<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...>, and on many other topics has accepted a faculty position in philosophy at New College in Florida; he will continue to collaborate with the Program on many of these topics but his presence with us will much missed. Dr. Xavier Symons, who served wonderfully as Coordinator for our Initiative on Health, Spirituality and Religion<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...> and also worked on numerous projects on bioethics<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...>, on flourishing at the end of life<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...>, and on the nature of well-being<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...>, left us in April to move to Australia Catholic University as associate professor and Director of the Plunkett Center for Ethics. And finally, our Associate Director, Dr. Flynn Cratty, after four years with us, has accepted a professor of practice and leadership position at UNC Chapel Hill’s new School of Civic Life and Leadership. Dr. Cratty helped oversee the expansion of Program over these past years; started our undergraduate Flourishing Fellows Program and Oxford Vivarium<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...>; and further helped found, and served as the Executive Director of, Harvard’s Council on Academic Freedom<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...>. The contribution of each of these three departing staff has been very considerable indeed, and I am very grateful for them; and so much of what they did will continue to benefit us at the Program, and Harvard more generally, and I believe also the world, and so I do wish to express sincere thanks for all of their many contributions and to wish them well in their new endeavors. Thankfully, with various continuing projects and ongoing collaborations, these are, in many ways, just transitions rather than formal farewells…
The departure of our Associate Director also means we have a very important opening in the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard. We have just launched a search for an Executive Director<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...> for the Program to help oversee and lead all aspects of the Program’s life and staff and public presence. While previously our Associate Director role was part academic and part leadership-administrative, we have grown to a sufficient size, with sufficient reach, that we need someone to devote full-time effort to help lead, manage, guide, and oversee all of the Program’s various activities. If you, or someone you know, might be interested in the position, we are encouraging applications, as the position is essential to help the Program in its work of studying and promoting human flourishing. Applications at this relatively high position grade at Harvard do require eight years of prior management experience; a cover letter can explain how this qualification is met if it is not immediately clear from the CV. We are also grateful to all of you -our readers, collaborators, and partners- for all that you do as well, to help us, and to help promote human flourishing.
Tyler J. VanderWeele<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...>,
John L. Loeb and Frances Lehman Loeb Professor of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health
Director, Human Flourishing Program, Harvard University
A permanent link to this research note is available here:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/human-flourishing/202408/gratit...<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...>
You are welcome to distribute or re-post the link to this research update elsewhere.
The Human Flourishing Program grants reporters and journalists permission to re-use and quote any of the above material, provided proper attribution is given.
Key References and Related Articles
* Chen, Y., Okereke, O. I., Kim, E. S., Tiemeier, H., Kubzansky, L. D., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2024). Gratitude and Mortality Among Older US Female Nurses<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...>. JAMA Psychiatry, July 3, 2024. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2024.1687.
* Simple Activities to Enhance Flourishing<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...>. Psychology Today. Human Flourishing Blog. November 2020.
* VanderWeele, T.J. (2020). Activities for flourishing: an evidence-based guide<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...>. Journal of Positive Psychology and Wellbeing, 4:79-91.
* VanderWeele, T.J. (2017). On the promotion of human flourishing<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...>. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 31:8148-8156.
Program Updates
Apply for Executive Director position of
The Human Flourishing Program
[Image removed by sender.]
As mentioned above, we just began our search for an Executive Director for the Program to help oversee and lead all aspects of the Program’s life and staff and public presence. If you, or someone you know, might be interested in the position, we encourage you to apply. This position is essential to help the Program in its work of studying and promoting human flourishing. Apply here!<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...>
Our Mission
The Human Flourishing Program<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...> at Harvard’s Institute for Quantitative Social Science aims to study and promote human flourishing, and to develop systematic approaches to the synthesis of knowledge across disciplines. You can sign up here<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...> for a monthly research e-mail from the Human Flourishing Program, or click here<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...> to follow us on Twitter. For past postings please see our Psychology Today Human Flourishing Blog<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...>.
If this email was forwarded to you, you can sign up here<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...>
[Image removed by sender. Twitter]<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...>
[Image removed by sender. Website]<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...>
Program Website<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...> | Support Us<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...> | Give Online<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...>
This email was sent to Mack_Burke(a)baylor.edu<mailto:Mack_Burke@baylor.edu>
why did I get this?<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/about?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92012&id...> unsubscribe from this list<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92...> update subscription preferences<https://harvard.us12.list-manage.com/profile?u=c6412613756a3f960a5d92012&...>
The Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University · 12 Arrow Street · Cambridge, MA 02138 · USA
3 months
FW: Multiple countries' perspectives on inclusion
by Burke, Mack
FYI- John Lloyd also did a summary and commentary on his blog on the international issue in inclusive education as well…my guess there is going to a lot of competition between various theoretical and conceptual camps in defining what inclusion means…or at least that has been the history of it in the US. MDB
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: John Wills Lloyd from Special Education Today <specialeducationtoday(a)substack.com<mailto:specialeducationtoday@substack.com>>
Date: Tue, Aug 20, 2024 at 4:00 AM
Subject: Multiple countries' perspectives on inclusion
To: <mburke.bear(a)gmail.com<mailto:mburke.bear@gmail.com>>
How is "inclusive education" viewed in different countries?
͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Forwarded this email? Subscribe here<https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc3BlY2lhbGVkdWNhd...> for more
[Image removed by sender.]<https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc3BlY2lhbGVkdWNhd...>
Hello and hiya! This is a post from Special Education Today that you’re getting for free. Please join the folks who support SET by becoming a paid subscriber.
Upgrade to paid<https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc3BlY2lhbGVkdWNhd...>
________________________________
Multiple countries' perspectives on inclusion<https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=388687&post_id=14785801...>
How is "inclusive education" viewed in different countries?
John Wills Lloyd<https://substack.com/@specialeducationtoday>
Aug 20
[Image removed by sender.]<https://substack.com/@specialeducationtoday>
[Image removed by sender.]<https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=388687&post_id=14785801...>
[Image removed by sender.]<https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=388687&post_id=14785801...>
[Image removed by sender.]<https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=388687&post_id=14785801...>
[Image removed by sender.]<https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9vcGVuLnN1YnN0YWNrLmNvb...>
READ IN APP[Image removed by sender.]<https://open.substack.com/pub/specialeducationtoday/p/multiple-countries-...>
The US journal Remedial and Special Education published eight articles about international perspectives on special education. These papers are each an entry in a special issue that is forthcoming. After an editors’ introduction, the authors of five of the papers discussed special education in specific countries— India, Japan, Norway, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea. The other three articles from the front and back of the series.
At the time I am writing this post, they have not yet been assigned full publication information (i.e., volume, issue, pagination), so I cannot provide complete citations for them. They are available on line, so I have provided links (digital object identifiers or DOIs) to the sources as I found them on the Internet. I encourage readers to find and read the original articles.¹
In this post for Special Education Today I provide previews of the papers in the form of their citations and abstracts. First, though, here’s a little eye candy. As I was working on this post I remembered this image of a plaque embedded in the ground surfaced of the famous Plaza Mayor in the center of Salamanca where one can see Escuelas Mayores, La Casa de las Conchas, San Esteban’s convent, and more. It is UNESCO World Heritage site #381<https://substack.com/redirect/5a3d2878-6375-4b37-876c-a72b04cfbbbc?j=eyJ1...>, as the plaque indicated.²
I mention it here not simply because we’ve been there and had a great time, but also because “The Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action on Special Needs Education<https://substack.com/redirect/17db4dbe-8f0f-4bee-96e7-354e8440f11a?j=eyJ1...>”³ is relevant in discussions of international special education.
[Image removed by sender.]<https://substack.com/redirect/20df0cfb-02ec-4c61-8e06-8fcda2e8a323?j=eyJ1...>
Introduction
The guest editors—Chris Lemons, Sharon Vaughn, and Abdulaziz Alsolami—wrote an introduction to the special series. In their introduction, Lemons et al. provide context by referring to the nearly 50-year history of special education in the US and then pose three pertinent questions⁴ about special education for the future or children and youths with disabilities in the diverse countries of Earth:
What do we mean by “inclusive special education?”
What makes special education special?
How do we prioritize the “individuals” in IDEA?
Here is the citation and abstract for the Lemons et al. introductory paper:
Lemons, C. J., Vaughn, S., & Alsolami, A. (2024). Inclusive special education: What do we mean and what do we want? Remedial and Special Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/07419325241268856<https://substack.com/redirect/1779477b-034a-418f-bd14-eced8bbf851e?j=eyJ1...>
The United States will soon recognize the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975. Considering the past 50 years in special education, we organized this special issue of Remedial and Special Education focused on inclusive education of students with disabilities in international contexts. Just as a broad array of educators in the US have grappled with improving how the education system might most effectively include students with disabilities, educational leaders in various countries across the globe have been addressing the same question: How can we design inclusive education for students with disabilities that effectively meets their needs? The manuscripts included in this special issue represent five countries—India, Japan, Norway, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea. Each paper presents background on the inclusion of students with disabilities within the focus country and highlights recent advances in and proposes next steps for policy, practice, and research. Collectively, we hope the issue expands readers’ thinking about what special education could be, encourages our community to set specific goals for our next ‘milestone anniversary,’ and ignites conversations about the specific steps we need to accomplish our goals.
The papers
Here are the citations and abstracts for the articles in the series. I have ordered them alphabetically; because the issue of the journal is not yet available, they may appear in print in a different order.
Alsolami, A. (2024). The educational journey of students with disabilities in Saudi Arabia: From isolation to inclusive education. Remedial and Special Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/07419325241240058<https://substack.com/redirect/e8a0d370-5364-49fe-82b9-cd379f1e26dd?j=eyJ1...>
In recent years, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has put considerable effort toward improving justice and equity for people with disabilities in education. One of the three main dimensions of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 program is to support all citizens, especially those with disabilities. However, more efforts are still needed to achieve meaningful inclusive education. This analysis sheds light on the challenges, successes, and important factors that have affected the educational landscape for individuals with disabilities in Saudi Arabia and offers recommendations for improving and sustaining inclusive educational practice. In particular, technology solutions need to be implemented to provide effective training for special education professionals, and the current curriculum should be reevaluated to suit special education standards. Preparing special education teachers and other personnel to adapt the curriculum to suit students with disabilities is an important step toward full inclusion in Saudi Arabia.
Balasubramanian, L., & Banerjee, I. (2024). Invoking the divine on the path to inclusive education: India’s contextual realities. Remedial and Special Education, https://doi.org/10.1177/07419325241260751<https://substack.com/redirect/60eccce5-4009-444f-aea4-be21db0e8a9e?j=eyJ1...>.
Understanding inclusive education challenges in India involves acknowledging the complex linguistic, cultural, religious, and caste-based diversity affecting marginalized groups. Ambiguity surrounds implementing the inclusion concept, necessitating critical evaluation and adaptation to align with India’s unique dynamics. Despite increased enrollment (61%), concerns persist about omitting some children from inclusive education benefits, suggesting exclusivity. The 2020 National Education Policy aims for equitable opportunities, but challenges remain in implementation and access. Interchangeable terms (e.g., inclusion vs. integration) and a lack of differentiation hinder progress. Robust research on classroom practices is vital to establish effective strategies, support families, and address diverse student needs. This multifaceted issue requires consideration of India-specific contexts. India’s interpretation of inclusive education varies based on disability severity, and solutions should account for political, historical, and cultural contexts and the beliefs and experiences of disabled individuals.
Kaizu, A., & Tamaki, M. (2024). Current issues and future directions of inclusive education in Japan. Remedial and Special Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/07419325241240061<https://substack.com/redirect/5e7a5173-bd1a-4eb9-b8c5-ed93a5fbfbf2?j=eyJ1...>
Inclusive education in Japan was developed on the foundation of special needs education (SNE), which began in the early 2000s. There are various arguments as to whether the current multi-track system of SNE extending from segregated special needs schools to general education classrooms will lead to inclusive education, which is the goal of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This study focuses on the movement for system reform of the SNE and examines its current status and challenges. It also discusses recent policy trends in general education classrooms that have affected the promotion of inclusive education. Furthermore, while making a global comparison using Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) data, this paper highlights Japan’s advantages and challenges in achieving inclusive education. Finally, it examines the conditions for realizing a new Japanese-style inclusive education.
Kim, U., Kim, A., Kim, B., & Baek, J. (2024). Inclusive education in South Korea. Remedial and Special Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/07419325241240060<https://substack.com/redirect/a158d162-4b9e-49ca-bdfb-cfd13cdf14f1?j=eyJ1...>
Over the past few decades, inclusive education in South Korea has continued to grow both in quantity and quality. The purpose of this article is twofold: (a) to report on the legal basis and the current status of inclusive education in South Korea and (b) to synthesize policy tasks and prominent outcomes related to inclusive education in South Korea. The major findings are as follows. First, according to the 2022 Special Education Annual Report provided by the Ministry of Education, approximately 73% of students eligible for special education received either part-time (56% of students) or full-time (17% of students) inclusive education. Second, it was found that there were significant outcomes in the five elements of support (i.e., human support, social climate support, physical environment support, curriculum support, and financial and operational support), which are quality indicators of inclusive education. Based on these findings, we discuss issues of inclusive education, future directions, and suggestions for the further development of inclusive education in South Korea.
Næss, K. A. B., Hokstad, S., Furnes, B. R., Hesjedal, E., & Østvik, J. (2024). Inclusive education for students with special education needs in Norway. Remedial and Special Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/07419325241260750<https://substack.com/redirect/f06a7c4f-5c3b-4b0c-bf93-3177814b4b20?j=eyJ1...>
This narrative review aims to present and discuss the Norwegian school system as a context for inclusive education. Despite its clear political intentions, Norway lacks a common definition of inclusion and has limited insight into the quality of inclusive practices that are commonly implemented for students with special education needs (SEN) and the results of such practices. This study reveals that students with SEN are often educated in segregated settings and by staff lacking educational competence. Hence, future policy actions should prioritize the development of a common terminology and a report system that includes students with SEN. As SEN resources in Norway are allocated based on a lack of satisfactory learning outcomes from mainstream education and often result in segregated actions, an increased focus on school society, learning environments, educational practices, and individual learning outcomes is required. Additional research is needed to identify practices that can promote high-quality inclusion of students in Norwegian schools.
Commentaries
As in customary in special series, the guest editors invited scholars of substantial renown to review the papers and offer comments about them. Two eminent colleagues contributed commentaries for this series: Douglas Fuchs and Michael Wehmeyer.
Fuchs, D. (2024). The Elusive Meaning of Inclusive Education in Five Countries—and the United States. Remedial and Special Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/07419325241268867<https://substack.com/redirect/5b8f8323-bc31-4144-bf55-2fc3a966077e?j=eyJ1...>
In this commentary, I reflect on the papers in this special issue that describe inclusion in five countries. More specifically, I highlight several themes among the authors’ descriptions of both progress and challenges as their respective countries try to provide students with disabilities a stronger, more inclusive educational experience. I compare and contrast this effort to efforts in the United States to properly understand and implement an inclusive education that benefits all children and youth with disabilities.
Wehmeyer, M. L. (20224). A fourth generation of inclusive education: A commentary. Remedial and Special Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/07419325241260753<https://substack.com/redirect/6ec5634c-7acf-4c24-b3d2-565ffcee268f?j=eyJ1...>
Special education as an organized, legislatively mandated entity is roughly 50 years old in many parts of the world. Most schools around the world continue to struggle to provide inclusive education for students with disabilities, sharing common barriers and experiencing their own unique barriers. This commentary discusses international initiatives that have focused on inclusive education and proposes a fourth generation of inclusive practices that align with worldwide changes in the education system.
Summary
So, there you have it. I suspect that this series of papers will be discussed widely among scholars. I also suspect that some readers will come away from reading these papers with a sense that the papers vindicate their own ideas. Others may come away irritated that the authors didn’t seem to mention (let alone validate) their particular biases about international issues in special education.
Even if it seems to be a new issue, inclusion has a long history. Michael Wehmeyer argues that the current emphasis on inclusive education is actually a fourth wave in a larger movement. Indeed, the matter of access to education has a much longer history in the US than just since the 1990s or even since the authorization of IDEA (as PL 94-142). Although she was not writing about international special education, Zedlar (1953; reread that year, please) argued that
The right of the exceptional child who is mentally or physically handicapped to equal opportunity for education with other children, regardless of deviation has evolved from a gradual but decided change in public opinion during the last three quarters of a century. [emphasis added]
This special series is the most recent example of examinations of international special education. As Potts (1995) argued, it is often difficulty to separate the reporting of history of special education and advocacy for a particular view of the endeavor. Still, interested readers may way to review papers by Armstrong (2002), Banks et al. (2015), Jahnukainen (2011), Keller and Martin (2024a, 2024b), Kim et al. (2019), Lloyd et al. (2007), Marches (1998), Wehmeyer and Patton (2017), Wood and Bates (2020), and others. It is also likely instructive to keep up with the Division of International Special Education and Services<https://substack.com/redirect/a436cab4-8930-4d33-ae82-bc51b0a88ac4?j=eyJ1...> (DISES) of the Council for Exceptional Children and the DISES journal,
It will be fascinating to watch for progeny of the articles in this special series. What will future scholars make of them? How will they be interpreted by other international scholars? To what extent will these articles prove to advance special education in in any one or many countries?
Share<https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=388687&post_id=14785801...>
References
Armstrong, F. (2002). The historical development of special education: humanitarian rationality or 'wild profusion of entangled events'? History of Education, 31(5), 437-456. https://doi.org/10.1080/004676002101533627<https://substack.com/redirect/0acbe619-89e0-4586-bdf2-b9725b09416f?j=eyJ1...>
Banks, J., Frawley, d., & McCoy, S. (2015). Achieving inclusion? Effective resourcing of students with special educational needs. International Journal of Inclusive Education 19(9), 926–943. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2015.1018344<https://substack.com/redirect/38a107bb-ea55-44b0-9f45-815f4a415298?j=eyJ1...>
Jahnukainen, M. (2011). Different strategies, different outcomes? The history and trends of the inclusive and special education in Alberta (Canada) and in Finland. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 55(5), 489-502.
Keller C., & Martin, S. (2024a). A History of International Engagement in the Council for Exceptional Children Since 1980. Part 1: Organizational Components. Journal of International Special Needs Education. https://doi.org/10.9782/JISNE-D-23-00005R2<https://substack.com/redirect/51b94692-a7e6-4440-9066-e3ea8c9e7342?j=eyJ1...>
Keller C., & Martin, S. (2024b). A History of International Engagement in the Council for Exceptional Children Since 1980. Part 2: Functions of a professional organization. Journal of International Special Needs Education. https://doi.org/10.9782/JISNE-D-23-00004<https://substack.com/redirect/6b138d63-8370-476c-a81b-670d59350eb0?j=eyJ1...>
Kim, E., Zhang, J., & Sun, X. (2019). Comparison of special education in the United States, Korea, and China. International Journal of Special Education, 33(4), 796-814. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1219486<https://substack.com/redirect/cbaf0a2d-6d12-4f90-9a86-fd133666fd7d?j=eyJ1...>
Lloyd, J. W., Keller, C., & Hung, L. Y. (2007). International understanding of learning disabilities. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 22(3), 159-160. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5826.2007.00240.x<https://substack.com/redirect/d248cd67-57f3-4ef4-9f4a-bb1e44cc927a?j=eyJ1...>
Marchesi, A. (1998). International perspectives on special education reform. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 13(1), 116-122.
Potts, P. (1995). What’s the use of history? Understanding educational provision for disabled students and those who experience difficulties in learning. British Journal of Educational Studies, 43(4), 398-411. http://www.jstor.com/stable/3121808<https://substack.com/redirect/f6c7b6ad-9625-46be-a386-4d5cb85655d9?j=eyJ1...>
Wehmeyer, M. L., & Patton, J. R. (Eds.). (2017). The Praeger International Handbook of Special Education (vol 1-3). Bloomsbury.
Wood, P., & Bates, S. (2020). National and international approaches to special education needs and disability provision. Education, 48(3), 255–257. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004279.2019.1664395<https://substack.com/redirect/9fb8fe26-544f-4ea6-aa3f-729698bf2932?j=eyJ1...>
Zedler, E. Y. (1953). Public opinion and public education for the exceptional child: Court decisions 1873-1950, Exceptional Children, 19(5), 187-198.
Upgrade to paid<https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc3BlY2lhbGVkdWNhd...>
Footnotes
1
I recognize that the full papers are likely behind the publisher’s paywall for some readers. Of course, academics among the readers will likely have access via their universities or organizations. If you don’t have direct access, you may be able to secure copies by going to a local institution of higher education and seeking help there.
2
I hope I have those spellings and landmarks right. Salamanca peeps, please correct me!
3
This document is sometimes known as “The Salamanca Declaration.” It is discussed by Balasubramania and Banerjee; Fuchs; Naess et al.; and Wehmeyer in their papers.
4
To my reading, it appears that there is a question of substantial importance included in the body of their paper that is not expressly highlighted in the headings of their manuscript (from whence I snagged the enumerated questions): How can we design inclusive education for students with disabilities that effectively meets their needs?
You're currently a free subscriber to Special Education Today by John Wills Lloyd<https://substack.com/redirect/f99f893d-8fd2-4af5-bbca-d52893c3795e?j=eyJ1...>. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription.<https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc3BlY2lhbGVkdWNhd...>
Upgrade to paid<https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc3BlY2lhbGVkdWNhd...>
[Image removed by sender.]Like<https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=388687&post_id=14785801...>
[Image removed by sender.]Comment<https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=388687&post_id=14785801...>
[Image removed by sender.]Restack<https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9vcGVuLnN1YnN0YWNrLmNvb...>
© 2024 John Wills Lloyd
932 Raymond Road, Charlottesville, VA 22902<https://www.google.com/maps/search/932+Raymond+Road,+Charlottesville,+VA+...>
Unsubscribe<https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc3BlY2lhbGVkdWNhd...>
[Image removed by sender. Get the app]<https://substack.com/redirect/6e0a1206-610c-4911-bf8f-aa004bb441c7?j=eyJ1...>[Image removed by sender. Start writing]<https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vc2lnb...>
[Image removed by sender.]
3 months
Special issue RASE
by Burke, Mack
Here is the complete RASE issue on the CRPD and special education. The commentary by Doug Fuchs from Vandy and Chris/Sharon V. from Texas are the more balanced pushback pieces that cite some of the issues we have brought up in the past as issues of disability and incluson are debated internationally- the dividing lines are inclusion v. full inclusion and individual v. group curricular programming/focus/instructional emphasis.
MDB
Mack D. Burke, Ph.D.
Department of Educational Psychology
Applied Behavior Analysis and Special Education Programs
Behavioral Education & Assessment Research (BEAR Lab)
School of Education, Baylor University
3 months, 1 week
International inclusive education issues
by Burke, Mack
Nice “hot off the press” paper by Doug Fuchs on international issues related to inclusive education. Cited Crockett and Martin from the special issue we did not long ago…MDB
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/07419325241268867
Mack D. Burke, Ph.D.
Department of Educational Psychology
Applied Behavior Analysis and Special Education Programs
Behavioral Education & Assessment Research (BEAR Lab)
School of Education, Baylor University
3 months, 1 week
Re: Project LEER - Agenda
by Burke, Mack
Thanks Dr. Boon- can you add Azizulla and send him the zoom link and time... he finally made it to the states (or rather- the most important state- which is Texas!).
To jog memories- he is a former international teacher of English- brings a strong statistics background, and will be great to help out with the peer tutoring study in San Antonio and perhaps some of the language translations.
I am also getting ready for APBS proposals as well if there is interest- it is in St. Louis this year.
We are doing it! As Dr. Bowman would say- Go Team!
Mack
PS- I forwarded the IRB response- we can use the old ones until we get the new languages added on...
________________________________
From: Richard Boon <Richard.Boon(a)utsa.edu>
Sent: Friday, August 16, 2024 9:30 PM
To: project.leer(a)lists.it.utsa.edu <project.leer(a)lists.it.utsa.edu>
Subject: [Project.leer] Project LEER - Agenda
Hi Everyone,
Please see our items to discuss below.
• IRB at Baylor - (Lisa S/Mack)
• CWPT Teacher Training on Monday, August 12 at 1:00pm - (Lisa BP)
• Meeting with Mr. Schraub/Ms. Su on Friday, September 6 at 12:00pm - (Richard/Lisa BP/Kathy/Celeste/Mack)
• CWPT Research Design - (Mack)
• Preference Assessment Form - (Lisa BP/Lisa S)
• PD Titles/Abstracts & Flyers for Denise at Region One - (Mack)
• PD at New Caney ISD on Wednesday, November 6 and Wednesday, December 4 - (Lisa BP/Lisa S)
• PD at La Vega ISD - (Richard)
• PD at Edgewood ISD - (Richard)
• PD at Progreso ISD - (Richard)
• PD at Marshall HS on Tuesday, November 5 at 9:00am - (Richard)
• IRB Renewal Request from SAISD for 2024-2025 - (Richard)
• Website - (Lisa S)
Thanks!
Kind regards,
Richard
3 months, 1 week
Project LEER - Agenda
by Richard Boon
Hi Everyone,
Please see our items to discuss below.
* IRB at Baylor - (Lisa S/Mack)
* CWPT Teacher Training on Monday, August 12 at 1:00pm - (Lisa BP)
* Meeting with Mr. Schraub/Ms. Su on Friday, September 6 at 12:00pm - (Richard/Lisa BP/Kathy/Celeste/Mack)
* CWPT Research Design - (Mack)
* Preference Assessment Form - (Lisa BP/Lisa S)
* PD Titles/Abstracts & Flyers for Denise at Region One - (Mack)
* PD at New Caney ISD on Wednesday, November 6 and Wednesday, December 4 - (Lisa BP/Lisa S)
* PD at La Vega ISD - (Richard)
* PD at Edgewood ISD - (Richard)
* PD at Progreso ISD - (Richard)
* PD at Marshall HS on Tuesday, November 5 at 9:00am - (Richard)
* IRB Renewal Request from SAISD for 2024-2025 - (Richard)
* Website - (Lisa S)
Thanks!
Kind regards,
Richard
3 months, 1 week
Fwd: IRBNet message from Cari Loeffler
by Burke, Mack
FYI- Mack
________________________________
From: Loeffler, Cari <Cari_Loeffler(a)baylor.edu>
Sent: Friday, August 16, 2024 11:39:58 AM
To: Burke, Mack <Mack_Burke(a)baylor.edu>
Subject: Re: IRBNet message from Cari Loeffler
Hi Mack,
Yes of course. You can use any documents that were previously approved until the amendment is approved.
Best regards,
Cari Loeffler
Research Compliance Specialist
Office of the Vice Provost for Research | Research Compliance
One Bear Place #97310
Waco, Texas 76798
t: (254) 710-3125 | baylor.edu/research<http://www.baylor.edu/research>
[cid:fe2c2621-d80c-4ae0-b730-c39e842d0e47]
________________________________
From: Burke, Mack <Mack_Burke(a)baylor.edu>
Sent: Friday, August 16, 2024 11:24 AM
To: Loeffler, Cari <Cari_Loeffler(a)baylor.edu>
Subject: Re: IRBNet message from Cari Loeffler
Hi-
Is it possible to use the already approved IRB consents for the English and Spanish speaking students while we work on the additional languages? We will hold off on the non-English and Spanish speakers. It is the first week of school and the teachers are anxious to get them distributed and back. MDB
From: Cari Loeffler <no-reply(a)irbnet.org>
Date: Tuesday, August 6, 2024 at 9:29 AM
To: Burke, Mack <Mack_Burke(a)baylor.edu>
Subject: IRBNet message from Cari Loeffler
Message from Cari Loeffler:
Re: [1873950-4] Literacy, Language, and Social-Emotional Support for English Learners With and Without Disabilities in Inclusive Settings
Hi Mack,
Good morning! I heard back from our AVP and she did not recommend changing the review level. We have conducted the pre-review for this submission and included the modifications requested below. Please be sure to mark the revisions as complete in IRBNet when you are ready to resubmit the IRBNet package for review.
F-02 Vulnerable Populations Supplement:
Question 1: Please state the age range instead of the grade levels for the participants.
Question 15: Please remove the statement “(other languages may be added based on school needs) as an additional amendment would need to be submitted with translated parent permission and assent forms if additional languages are added in the future.
F-11 Form:
Description of changes:
The F-02 form states that the parent permission, consent, and assent forms will be translated into Swahili and Urdu as well, please add Swahili and Urdu to the list of languages in the following statement or remove Swahili from the response to question 15 on the F-02 form:
“Our project can provide support for all English Language Learners with and without disabilities. Schools that have agreed to work with our project have students whose native languages are Arabic, Pashto, Farsi/Persian, and Spanish, therefore the translated parent consent forms need to omit the phrase "To participate, your child's first language must be Spanish or Spanish is primarily spoken in the home."
Please add a description of all changes being made to existing study documents and list the study documents being added. For example:
Revised existing Minor Assent Forms (Spanish and English versions) to remove the following statement:
“In order to participate in this study, your primary language needs to be Spanish.”
Revised existing Adult Student Consent forms (English and Spanish versions) to remove the following statement:
“To participate in this study, your primary language needs to be Spanish.”
Revised existing Teacher Consent Forms (English version to remove the following statement:
“The primary language of the English learners must be Spanish.”
Removed Spanish version of the teacher consent form as all teachers are fluent in English.
Translated the following study documents into Arabic, Pashto, Urdu, Swahili (remove if not being translated), and Farsi/Persian:
Minor assent form
Adult student consent form
Parent consent forms
IRBNet Package:
Missing documents: Please attach copies of the following documents to the IRBNet package:
Track changes versions of the following revised study documents:
ENGLISH T-03 Minor Assent Form - LEER - 2.27.24.docx
SPANISH T-03 Minor Assent Form - LEER - 2.27.24 (1).docx
SPANISH T-02 Adult Student Consent Form - LEER - 02.27.24 (2).docx
ENGLISH T-02 Adult Student Consent Form - LEER - 02.27.24.docx
SPANISH T-04 Parent Permission Form - LEER - 2.27.24 (2).docx
Translated versions of the following new study documents (if documents will be translated into Swahili, otherwise ignore this comment):
SWAHILI T-03 Minor Assent Form
SWAHILI T-03 Adult Student Consent Form
SWAHILI T-03 Parent Permission Form
Protocol (both revised and clean versions)
Title page: Please update the version date on the first page and within the footer of the document
Section 3.0:
Age ranges of participants and the total enrollment numbers and any group/cohort breakdown numbers must be stated in this section.
Translation attestation form:
Add Swahili to the list of languages if documents will be translated into Swahili.
Have a great day!
Regards,
Cari Loeffler
3 months, 1 week
teacher’s union recommendations
by Burke, Mack
Here is a couple more to share…unfortunately, we are in a field that is on the front line of politics.
The Chicago teacher’s union voting proposition is an example of some of the “institutional stupidity” going on…and one of the most powerful chapters of teachers unions in the country. - they include DIBELS and AimsWeb in the list- the premise is that tests are racist because black/brown kids can't pass them- from this perspective regarding the social construction of reality- the test creates the deficit rather than showing the need that objectively exists.
Funny quote:
“Districts and school boards use these tests for other purposes: to stratify schools, blame teachers and parents and to categorize as failing the schools in Black and Brown communities that they have deprived of adequate and equitable resources for decades.”
https://www.ctulocal1.org/rights/concerns/workload/testing/
If they are providing assessment tools like AimsWeb and DIBELS (I am biased because I know the developers for sure),those are at least some of the resources they need…some in the field seem to think that if the test goes away, somehow, the deficit will also (rather than just being ignored as it usually is or issuing a referral to special education). And then….somehow the union isn’t engaging in bias and discrimination and is off the hook because they refuse to use or aren't teaching or using the tools to teach kids how to read, which promotes inequity and makes disparity gaps even worse.
And this op ed I shared earlier is quite true and has been an issue for a very long time…hopefully something some of you can help us figure out.
https://thehill.com/opinion/education/579750-many-of-americas-black-youth...
“According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), a sector of the U.S. Department of Education, 84 percent of Black students lack proficiency in mathematics and 85 percent of Black students lack proficiency in reading skills. This astonished me, and the hour-long show became dedicated to examining what’s behind these numbers.”
Fortunately, the NEA and AFT, despite having some problematic views in other areas I think- seem to be still promoting MTSS. Which is a good thing as they are powerful influencers of education policy.
https://www.nea.org/professional-excellence/student-engagement/tools-tips...
State tests- they don’t like so much… people have talking about this for a long time- somehow- it is overlooked that if you can’t read, well- you aren’t going to do well on any type of test (so of course they are biased toward people who can’t read) and somehow, it then gets generalized that black/brown people can’t learn how to read rather than they haven’t been taught how to read, and of course- the kids then come to us in special education- now they have a learning disability (rather than a curricular disability).
https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/racist-beginnings-standar...
“Many of these same communities have suffered the most from high-stakes testing. Since their inception almost a century ago, the tests have been instruments of racism and a biased system. Decades of research demonstrate that Black, Latin(o/a/x), and Native students, as well as students from some Asian groups, experience bias from standardized tests administered from early childhood through college.”
You can parallel this conversation in math as well- with the movement to get rid of Algebra for black and brown kids- rather than, well, actually teaching them algebra (I don’t buy into this view that somehow based on skin color one group is less able to learn than another…where many seem to be landing somehow). And somehow, that will help improve disparities in STEM…strange times and recommendations from those that one would least expect it to come from… more for all of you to help us figure out…MDB
Mack D. Burke, Ph.D.
Department of Educational Psychology
Applied Behavior Analysis and Special Education Programs
Behavioral Education & Assessment Research (BEAR Lab)
School of Education, Baylor University
3 months, 1 week
