Inclusive Support
Depending on the campus and grade level, provide self-contained special education classrooms for students with intensive needs that cannot be met by the general education program, resource specialist program, or designated instruction services.
Consider including restrooms in classrooms for any students that need easily accessible restrooms for toileting or personal care needs, rather than only in Medically Fragile or increased needs special education classrooms. For a more inclusive campus, consider the vision to also plan for more restrooms on campus that can support students with special needs to learn life skills and how to use typical restrooms they will encounter in the world outside of school. Some mainstream restrooms should have changing tables in a private large stall with necessary equipment to lift heavier students.
Teacher Collaboration Workrooms will provide professional workstations in a shared workspace between teachers that is outside the classroom for more fluid collaboration and to make more space in the classrooms. A small mobile podium in each classroom that can raise or lower will take up less space than a typical large teacher's desk. Research has shown that when teachers collaborate more highly, they are better able to help each other help their students who need the most support.
The Ed Specs serve to illustrate concepts that will inform the master plans based on OUSD's aspirations to the audience of future architects who will implement them as well as for OUSD stakeholders to understand the reasoning behind modernizations.
Active Learning Stations
Are there a variety of activity stations to engage students?
Furniture Flexibility
Is furniture adjustable for a variety of students including wheelchair accessible furniture?
Storage
Are resources organized into categories to help create structure and remove visual clutter?
Break out Spaces
Are there opportunities to relax in multi-purpose therapeutic calming rooms adjacent to SPED or General Ed classrooms?
Push-in Support
Is there dedicated mobile storage teachers and students can pull in and out into centralized spaces?
Supervision
Do teacher collaboration rooms with shared storage have visibility into the Special Ed classrooms?
Enhanced Acoustics
Do all learning spaces have enhanced acoustics for improved academic performance, behavior, information retention and less distractions?
Life Skills
Do spaces in Special Ed classrooms have kitchenettes and restrooms for learning life skills when appropriate?
Centralized Resources
Support services should be easily accessible to all learners. A centralized location helps destigmatize services for special education.
Student Access
Connect primary circulation pathways with the Special Education for easy access to all learners and educators.