Changing Role of Specialist Provision in Supporting Inclusive Education – Evaluation of Phase 2

Summary

The Changing Role of Specialist Provision in Supporting Inclusive Education (CROSP) project is focusing on the re-organisation of specialist, separate provision (schools, classes and units) and the perceived shift in the role of such provision to support the right to inclusive education for all learners.

The project has two phases:

• Phase 1 (2017–2018) covered a detailed mapping exercise on past and current trends and situations in countries in relation to specialist provision (SP), as well as on perceived future trends.
• On the basis of the main outcomes of Phase 1, Phase 2 (2018–2021) will focus on peer learning activities, to be organised in two or three groups. These will consider different aspects and stages of policy reform and development for SP to support inclusive education.

The project’s overall aim is to identify and analyse the factors (challenges and opportunities) within country policy and practice that influence the reorganisation and reform of special provision (schools, units, classes) towards inclusive education for all learners. It will specifically focus on the policy drivers for re-organising SP to support the right to inclusive education for all learners.

The project’s key questions will be:

• What type of cross-sectoral policy framework is needed to effectively support the changing role of SP (schools, units and classes) in supporting mainstream schools to be inclusive?
• What type of developments and reforms to different forms of separate SP are required to ensure that the rights of all learners to inclusive education are effectively met?

The project will initially aim to:

• collect information to map the change in the role of SP in recent years;
• collect information that provides a mapping of the current situation regarding separate SP in countries;
• highlight the critical levers within country situations that have led to these changes;
• change of role of SP in supporting the right to inclusive education for all learners.

ITA has been contracted to perform the formative evaluation of phase 2.

Project website: https://www.european-agency.org/projects/CROSP