CALSA's Summer Institute 2026

This session explores how school systems can be intentionally designed to ensure that all students experience coherence, access, and belonging. In many districts, curriculum and instruction, special education, and student services operate in parallel, each addressing important aspects of the student experience but often without full alignment. This fragmentation can lead to inconsistent expectations, reactive supports, and gaps in how students experience school.


Participants will examine inclusion as a systems design challenge rather than a program or placement decision. The session centers on the idea that inclusion is created through the alignment of instruction, behavior systems, and student supports. When these elements are coordinated, students experience predictable expectations, consistent adult responses, and access to high-quality learning across settings.


Using Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) as an organizing framework, the session highlights how academics, behavior, and wellness can be integrated into a unified system that supports both students and educators. Practical examples will illustrate how strengthening Tier 1 instruction, aligning practices across departments, and building leadership capacity can reduce fragmentation and improve outcomes.


Participants will engage in structured reflection to identify areas of misalignment within their own systems and consider actionable next steps. The session is designed for district and site leaders seeking to move from isolated initiatives to coherent, sustainable systems that better support diverse learners and the adults who serve them.