IPP Demosites

Professional Networking

We are examining professional networks, or collaborations and learning communities, among and between schools who visit our IPP Demonstration Sites. These professional networks allow us to determine the reach of our IPP across WA State (e.g., schools that adopt and implement what they learn from our IPP Demonstration Sites in their own school contexts). We are additionally using social network analysis to understand, monitor, and evaluate the implementation process of inclusionary practices in participating schools. Social network analysis is a well-validated methodology for investigating collaboration and intervention diffusion through graphical analysis. This methodology allows us to identify and connect demonstration sites within professional networks. For example, we are able to identify how schools are connected through school visits, shared materials, and communication. Click the links below to see the baseline and midpoint data results.

The Inclusionary Practices Professional Development Project (IPP) demonstration sites have highlighted the ways inclusion and transformational learning is inherently a collaborative endeavor – it takes more than one person to shift and change the culture of our schools to make them better for everyone. Professional and social networks have been built and continue to grow with demonstration sites and with other organizations in the IPP cadre. These relationships are essential as we look to continue to make progress but also build capacity to create more sustainable, equitable and inclusive organizational structures in our districts and schools. IPP Demonstration sites are demonstrating that inclusive education requires deep, ongoing reflection and meaningful, sustained partnerships with students, families, educators, and the community. We are seeing strategic and effective distributive leadership occurring in the IPP Demo Sites, and visiting schools are learning from the sites and beginning to put some foundational pieces in place that allow for educator collaboration which has an enormous impact on schools becoming more inclusive. Where previously inclusion was seen as a special education initiative, our IPP demonstration sites are showing evidence that being inclusive is a cultural shift toward equitable education that benefits all students. It has been notable to see attention and action from our demonstration sites partners where they are making professional development commitments and integrating more inclusive systems into their school improvement plans and seeing intersectionalities in terms of their antiracist practices. This is resulting in the development of more equitable and just school communities where all students thrive, especially students who have been most marginalized in our public schools.