Caring and Responsive Rural Education (CARRE)

Montana’s Statewide Systems Change Project For Students with Severe Disabilities

Purpose

The purpose of this project is to increase the capacity of local schools to support students with severe disabilities in general education settings.

Outcomes

Toward that end, specific outcomes are as follows:

• to increase the awareness of educational approaches that enable general education classrooms to be more responsive to the individual needs of diverse students, including those with severe disabilities;

• develop a network of local schools that are using classroom practices that are successful in meeting the needs of students with varying abilities within the general education classroom;

• foster the exchange of ideas among local school districts looking for educationally responsive instructional and organizational practices;

• increase the availability and capacity of local and regional technical service providers to assist schools as they adopt more inclusive educational strategies;

• encourage the infusion of information about inclusive teaching practices into teacher training programs; and

• work at the policy level to ensure that the needs of all students, including those with severe disabilities, are reflected in planning and decision-making.

Project Description

CARRE is a systems change project focused on supporting the inclusion of students with severe disabilities in general education schools and classrooms. Project activities focus on: (a) training and technical assistance to schools that have applied to receive ongoing support and training for at least two years; (b) on-site student-specific technical assistance when this serves the purpose of modeling and on-site staff development; (c) general awareness and information dissemination about inclusive practices; (d) targeted support to families who need assistance in securing inclusive placements; and (e) work at the policy level to ensure that the needs of all students are considered in new and existing school policy and practices. Collaborative partners in the implementation of this project include Montana State University-Billings and Parents Let’s Unite for Kids.

For more information contact Marnie Bastian.