Nancy Hanks principal, special‑education teacher outline inclusive model to North Spencer school board

Jody Schmidt, principal of Nancy Hanks Elementary, and Carrie Blessinger, the school’s special‑education teacher, told the North Spencer County School Corporation board that the school uses an inclusion model in which special‑education staff push into general‑education classrooms and work with mixed groups of students on common skills.

The presentation, made at the board’s first March 2026 meeting, emphasized that inclusion keeps students with individualized education programs (IEPs) in the classroom for instruction and conversation with peers rather than pulling them out for isolated lessons. "Inclusion is a philosophy that was in place at North Spencer before I came here," Schmidt said, describing the model as a cultural shift that reduces stigma and ensures students access grade‑level conversations and peer learning.

Blessinger described her day‑to‑day schedule and how she deploys interventions. She said she leads social‑skills groups, rotates through guided‑reading and math blocks, and assigns teaching assistants and classroom teachers to carry out IEP goals under her oversight. "The main thing is everything that I do is driven by data," Blessinger said, describing regular progress monitoring and assessment updates to track whether students meet goals.

Both presenters outlined the district’s RTI (response to intervention) process: monthly meetings involving the special‑education teacher, principal, school psychologist and classroom teachers to review students who are below grade level, try targeted strategies and adjust group placement. They said students sometimes remain in targeted groups for a month or longer, and that some groups include students without IEPs who need the same skill work.

Board members asked whether guided‑reading groups mix students with and without IEPs; the presenters confirmed that groups are frequently mixed and that class composition changes as needs evolve. The speakers also said inclusion helps when students transition to middle school because strategies and supports carry forward.

The board did not take formal action on the presentation; trustees followed with routine business. Administration offered to answer further questions about IEP processes and inclusion if trustees or members of the public wish additional detail.