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Conejo Valley Unified School District's Commitment to Inclusion

  • The Conejo Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) recognizes that every child is unique, and that celebrating these differences fosters a community built on inclusivity, kindness, and respect, ultimately enriching the learning experience for all. CVUSD is dedicated to acknowledging historically marginalized individuals and communities, working collaboratively to break down barriers and ensure full, equitable access to opportunities and resources.

    In the 2022-2023 school year, CVUSD developed a Strategic Inclusion Plan for Students with Disabilities, a reflection of our ongoing commitment to equity. Our team regularly reviews and monitors the progress of all action items within the plan to ensure continuous improvement and impact.

Universal Design for Learning in CVUSD

  • Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an instructional mindset that acknowledges the variability of all learners and seeks to remove barriers to learning by providing multiple means of engagement, representation, action and expression. UDL strengthens the universal instruction provided for all students by intentionally designing a learning environment to be more accessible and inclusive for diverse student learners.

    UDL was introduced to all CVUSD teachers during a full day of professional development in August 2019. The event featured a keynote address by renowned author and educator Dr. Katie Novak. In November 2019, teachers engaged in collaborative sessions to identify barriers to student learning and apply the UDL Guidelines within their grade-level or content area departments.

    Since the initial launch, CVUSD has continued to provide ongoing UDL training through various channels, including additional teacher collaboration, district-led training for administrators, principal-led professional development at individual school sites, and regular "UDL Learning Walks," where teams of educators observe and discuss UDL practices in their colleagues' classrooms.

    At the start of the 2024-2025 school year, CVUSD partnered with the California Association of Bilingual Education (CABE) to offer continued UDL training, further supporting the district's commitment to inclusive and effective teaching strategies.

     

Multi Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)

  • According to the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) is a “comprehensive continuum of evidence-based, systemic practices to support a rapid response to students’ needs, with regular observation to facilitate data-based instructional decision-making.” In CVUSD, the MTSS process embraces inclusion and diversity while providing the supports that students need. MTSS is a collaborative problem-solving process used to identify concerns, develop interventions, and evaluate the effectiveness of said interventions in a multi-tiered system of service delivery.

Co-Teaching in CVUSD

  • Co-teaching is an inclusive instructional strategy in which one general education teacher and one special education teacher partner to create a cohesive learning program.  Co-teachers co-plan, co-teach, and co-assess to provide all students access to the universally-designed course content. Co-teaching provides students with and without disabilities the opportunity to benefit from two educators, as well as their peers with diverse backgrounds and abilities, in the least restrictive environment possible.

    CVUSD offers co-taught classes in English, social science/history, science, math, p.e., theater, foods, health, and life management for grades 6 through 12.  Students with IEPs may access their Specialized Academic Instruction services in a co-taught class based on IEP team decisions. If your student's IEP does not specify that a co-taught class is required as part of the least restrictive environment, and instead lists a CP course that is not co-taught, you may request a co-taught class by contacting the school counselor.  (This does not guarantee placement and is based on each student's required course of study and the school site's overall master schedule). 

    Co-Teaching FAQs

Community Based Instruction

  • Community-based instruction (CBI) is a teaching method that promotes the teaching and use of academic and functional skills for students with disabilities in their community. CBI is designed to teach and support student independence as often and in as many off-site environments as possible.  Within their classrooms, students are provided explicit instruction in the areas of independent and supported living, employment, and recreational skills and activities.  CBI provides the means with which these skills can be practiced and generalized outside the more typical classroom.

    CVUSD's specialized program classes access CBI in settings that are relevant and age appropriate to the students, with an emphasis on the fostering of independence. Through CBI, students work on IEP goals in real-world situations.  Students develop communication, social, and behavioral skills through opportunities for inclusive interactions with community members, and they gain familiarity with community layouts, resources, services, and support systems.  CBI is an essential component of CVUSD’s high school and post-secondary specialized Learning Essentials Academic Programs (LEAP). 
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