Our Journey Toward Inclusive Education at Highline Public Schools
At Highline Public Schools, we are committed to transforming our district to ensure every student experiences true belonging and academic success within their neighborhood school. This is inclusion. Inclusion means students with diverse needs learn alongside their peers in the same classroom, with the necessary support to help them thrive.
This approach represents a fundamental shift from traditional models where students with specific needs—such as behavioral challenges, English language development or disability status—were placed in separate classrooms or programs. This change means services and resources, such as specialists or specific tools, are brought into the classroom to meet student needs, instead of requiring students to leave their classroom to access support.
We aim to create classrooms where all students’ unique strengths and needs are supported, and they can learn together within their regular classroom. By breaking down these barriers, we provide equitable learning experiences for all students while fostering a stronger sense of community and belonging.
Our Cohort Model
To build an inclusive educational system, we developed a cohort model, where schools are brought into this approach in phases. Each cohort is supported by our inclusion specialists. Below is a list of current schools in cohorts one through three. Our last cohort will begin later this spring.
Cohort Schools
- Cohort 1: Bow Lake Elementary, Des Moines Elementary, Gregory Heights Elementary, Hilltop Elementary, Marvista Elementary, McMicken Heights Elementary and Highline High School
- Cohort 2: Cedarhurst Elementary, Hazel Valley Elementary, North Hill Elementary, Parkside Elementary, Shorewood Elementary, Sylvester Middle School, Tyee High School
- Cohort 3: Beverly Park Elementary, Mount View Elementary, Seahurst Elementary, Big Picture Middle and High School, Chinook Middle School, Highline Virtual Academy, Innovation Heights, Maritime High School
Celebrating Inclusion
As we put these changes into action, we have seen many reasons to celebrate inclusion.
Welcoming All Kindergarteners
Historically, kindergarten students with disabilities often could not attend their neighborhood schools if those schools didn’t have a specialized classroom to meet their needs. This year, nine elementary schools welcomed all neighborhood kindergarteners, regardless of their support needs. These schools provided the necessary services and support to enable students to learn alongside their peers to the greatest extent possible.
Sylvester Unified Track Meet
Sylvester Middle School will celebrate its new track by hosting a unified track meet in the spring for all Highline middle school students in Adaptive Physical Education classes. Students will practice track and field skills and compete in adapted track events at Sylvester with coaching and support from their general education peers. It will be a day of celebration, support, inclusion, and fun!
Chinook Middle School: Teaming Up for Reading Success
At Chinook Middle School, teachers and staff from multiple disciplines, including Special Education, Multilingual Learning, and instructional coaching, have teamed up to create a program that helps students improve their reading skills.
This program ensures students who need extra help get consistent, focused support tailored to their needs. By working together, staff avoid overlaps or gaps in services and share effective teaching strategies.
Students benefit from having a team of educators who collaborate to provide personalized support. This approach has boosted their confidence and helped them make real progress toward grade-level reading skills.
Looking Ahead
We look forward to expanding this work as more schools join our inclusion efforts. In the coming months, we will:
- Strengthen our inclusive practices by engaging students with more complex learning needs
- Provide intentional support to students as needed.
- Offer professional development to general education staff and special education case managers.
We thank our families, staff, and community for partnering with us to build a more inclusive future for every student at Highline Public Schools.