The Educational Research Institute, UNICEF, and the Ministry of Education and Science, in cooperation with universities and NGOs, are implementing the Accessible School for All project. The main aim of the project is to improve the competencies of specialist teachers (pedagogues, psychologists, special educators, speech therapists) in providing adequate support to all groups of recipients (children/students, parents, teachers). The project will provide tools to assist in conducting educational and specialist classes, including integration classes, ensuring a sense of community among children and students. There will be a particular focus on students who are refugees from Ukraine, and care will be taken to build a friendly climate in the classroom/school as part of protecting the mental health of children and students.
a. Project description
In cooperation with the academic community and NGOs, training courses will be developed and delivered to address the current challenges faced by specialist teachers. The training content will assist teachers in finding answers to the following questions:
How can you support the development of the pre-school/school as an organization that is increasingly accessible, safe, and welcoming to all children/students, parents, and teachers, and provide opportunities for the all-round development of all learners?
How can you implement educational and specialized activities to enhance the mental health of children and students?
How can you effectively carry out activities aimed at integrating a group of Ukrainian refugee children and students into the team/classroom/local environment?
How can you guide the educational process of students with migration experience?
How do you use diagnostic methods and diagnostic tools that are available in the functional assessment process?
How do you organize an environment conducive to student participation in the teaching and learning process?
The project participants will put the acquired skills and knowledge into practice and document the interventions, which include educational and specialized interactions with students and parents, as well as with a team of other teachers in the institution. To strengthen these interventions, the training of specialist teachers will be conducted in a modern format, including e-learning, consultations, counseling, and supervision of ongoing work with students. This will foster the expansion of competencies and the implementation of impact strategies into practice, ensuring that education is accessible to all students. Throughout the project, professional staff from participating institutions and parents of students will have the opportunity to benefit from consultations provided by specialists, NGO representatives, and mental health professionals (such as psychiatrists and clinical psychologists).
430 public and non-public schools, as well as 44 public and non-public pre-schools, both mainstream and inclusive, have qualified for the project. This makes a total of 474 schools and 1,176 specialist teachers employed there. Thanks to their participation in the project, these teachers will be prepared to act as learning accessibility advisors (DDUs). The project will also include a research and evaluation component, with the results of these activities used to produce evidence-based practices. This will strengthen the system of accessible and inclusive education for all. At the end of the project, a catalogue of good practices will be compiled and published, making it available to all teacher specialists.
improving staff competencies in providing educational and specialist support, as well as implementing educational interventions, including those aimed at refugee children;
the possibility for all teachers in a given institution to benefit from free consultations and supervision by subject matter experts (program authors, lecturers, workshop practitioners, NGO representatives), as well as mental health specialists (psychiatric doctors, clinical psychologists);
participating in innovative research aimed at developing a catalogue of successful, scientifically validated inclusive education practices;
participation in an international project implemented by UNICEF, the IBE, and the Ministry of Education;
UNICEF ‘Accessible School’ certificate.
Benefits for participants
development of knowledge and skills in providing educational and specialist support, including mental health protection for children and adolescents;
enhancing the competencies necessary for professional development and obtaining subsequent levels of professional advancement through online training;
participation in a unique training project based on a modern learning-by-doing model, which guarantees the integration of theory and practice through the support of participation in consultations and supervision;
digital confirmation of acquired skills and achievements in the form of Badge+ micro-credentials;
access to methodological resources on the Integrated Educational Platform (IEP) that can be downloaded and utilized in educational practice;
participation in cutting-edge research aimed at creating a catalog of effective practices;
participation in a competition for the best educational practices in supporting accessible education for all;
participation in seminars and conferences related to the project.
c. Project map
Map of the Accessible School for All project with links to applications, websites, and important information. Come and visit!
d. Who is the DDU (learning accessibility advisor) in the project?
This is the term used to refer to specialists (pedagogues, psychologists, special educators, speech therapists, and pedagogical therapists) employed in preschools and schools in accordance with Article 42D of the Teachers’ Charter: pedagogue, psychologist, special educator, speech therapist, pedagogical therapist.
The DDU (learning accessibility advisor) is a role undertaken by a specialist teacher in the Accessible School for All project. The role involves developing knowledge and expertise in supporting students with diverse learning needs, as well as conducting consultation and advisory activities for teachers and parents of preschools/schools to optimize the learning process.
e. Tasks of the teachers participating in the project
Getting familiar with the training materials available within the project at IEP, including completion of the exercises and passing the tests with a minimum score of 80%. Duration of this phase – until the end of February 2024. After the course is completed, the content will be available for the entire duration of the intervention.
Participation in online workshops on the ClickMeeting platform (attendance at a minimum of 70% of meetings). uration of this phase – March to end of June 2024.
Implementation of five selected interventions presented during the training or other activities should be based on the knowledge acquired during the training. These interventions should address the specific needs or circumstances of the work in the institution. Duration of this phase – until November 2024.
2. Project schedule
The following tasks are being carried out over the course of the project:
a. Consultations for teachers, parents, students
One of the tasks provided for in the UNICEF (ASA) project is consultations for the pedagogical staff of the participating preschools, schools, and institutions (subject teachers, specialists such as psychologists, pedagogues, special educators, speech therapists, and pedagogical therapists), parents or legal guardians of students, and adult students.
The first round of consultations was conducted between 3 November and 13 December 2023, in an online format on a platform provided by the IBE. Each consultation lasts for 50 minutes.
There are three areas of consultations provided:
Psychiatric consultations: include consultations for teachers, school professionals, parents of students, and adult learners on child and adolescent psychiatry, as well as adult psychiatry.
Psychotherapeutic consultations: include consultations for teachers, school professionals, and parents of students in the area of psychological support. This encompasses psychotherapy, addiction psychotherapy, and clinical psychology for children, adolescents, and adults.
Pedagogical consultations: include consultations for teachers, school specialists, and parents of students in the pedagogical (organizational) area of educational support for children and young people:
in the area of legal aspects of the special education process;
on assistive technologies for people with disabilities;
in the area of support for people with migration experience.
b. Training on the Integrated Educational Platform
UNICEF’s Accessible School for All training is delivered online via the Integrated Educational Platform in free access mode. Participants can log on to the platform at any time, spend any amount of time on the training, pause and continue from the last item viewed.
Each module includes a recording of a lecture given by specialists in the topic area, as well as materials for self-study and subsequent use in professional practice, such as lesson plans, case studies, handbooks, and guides. The intervention studies present specific solutions that can be applied in school work to make learning more accessible. For example, there is a method of simplifying texts that can be helpful when working with children with migration experience, or a program of workshops with students to help them develop the ability to see the perspective of others and foster a pro-inclusive school climate.
The materials are enriched with interactive exercises. You can proceed to the next modules by successfully passing a test, which consists of 15 multiple-choice questions in each case.
c. Workshops
The second stage of developing the project participants’ skills in supporting the accessibility of learning is workshops. These workshops consist of a series of short online meetings with expert trainers who will explain and detail the principles of implementing specific measures into educational practice.
d. Psycho-educational training
As part of the project, psycho-educational training is planned to increase the knowledge of specialist teachers regarding the symptoms of disorders and psychological difficulties in students. Teachers often observe various types of behaviors and need clarity on the underlying reasons for a student’s actions. Further details will be provided in Q1 2024.
e. Implementation of interventions
After reading the self-study training materials and participating in the workshops, the participants decide on the actions they will take to increase the accessibility of learning. They can implement any of the proposed interventions presented in the individual training modules, explained in the workshop, and briefly described in the catalogue of interventions in the Training/Interventions tab as part of their professional responsibilities. The interventions undertaken can also be activities designed by the trainee according to their current needs and capacities.
Duration of this phase – three interventions by the end of 2024 and two interventions by March 2025.
IMPORTANT! Participating teachers will report their activities using the provided sample report form below.
f. A competition for those interested, with a description of the implemented intervention.
Based on the submitted descriptions of the interventions, the best practices and most interesting interventions will be selected.
3. Project team and cooperating experts
The project team included a content-related team and an organizational team.
The content-related team, on the part of the Educational Research Institute (Project Leader), includes the following people:
Beata Papuda-Dolińska, PhD – Project Manager, Specialist for Students with Diverse Educational Needs, Doctor of Pedagogy, Typhlopedagogist, Early Childhood Pedagogue. She is also the author of numerous publications on the school situation and the diagnosis of the functioning of students with diverse educational needs. She has worked on adapting tests and post-diagnostic materials to meet the needs of visually impaired students in projects of the Ministry of Education and the ORE. Additionally, she is an expert in the POWR project, which resulted in the development of KAPP (Comprehensive Analysis of Cognitive Processes) diagnostic tools. Her expertise lies in the education and rehabilitation of visually impaired people, as well as in issues related to inclusive education.
Katarzyna Wiejak, PhD – Deputy Project Manager and content-related expert in the ASA project. She holds a Doctorate in Psychology and is an assistant professor at the Educational Research Institute. Her expertise lies in the field of psychological diagnosis, particularly in diagnosing and supporting students with diverse educational needs. She has authored publications on psychological diagnosis and the cognitive development of children and young people. She has also co-authored diagnostic tools for psychologists, pedagogues, and speech therapists, including the Comprehensive Analysis of Cognitive Processes computer battery, Reading Test Battery, Phonological Test Battery, and Writing Test Battery. Furthermore, she is a co-author of the Standards for Psychological Diagnosis in Education – published by PTP – and the Ombudsman for Children (2018).
Anna Blaszczak, PhD – Content-related expert, Doctor of Psychology, and Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology of Emotions and Personality at Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin. She specializes in educational psychology, the determinants of open and flexible thinking, and the diagnosis of cognitive function. She conducts research on strategies and activities that develop open and flexible thinking. Since 2007, she has been actively working with the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) as an examiner and co-author of final exam papers in psychology. She has extensive experience as a teacher of psychology in the International Baccalaureate Program (IB DP) and has taught students with diverse learning needs and migration experience. She is the author of publications on cognitive development, the ability to decenter, openness and flexibility of thinking, and the diagnosis of cognitive functions.
Tomasz Knopik, PhD – Doctor of Psychology, specializing in the diagnosis and support of the development of exceptionally gifted children. Assistant Professor at the Institute of Psychology, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University. Author or co-author of four diagnostic tools aimed at identifying the resources of students with above-average intellectual potential (Anchors of my career, PREiS, Sense of Autonomy Scale, Comprehensive Assessment of Support for Gifted Students). Expert of the Ministry of Education and ORE on inclusive education. Author of approximately 80 publications on psycho-pedagogy of abilities, inclusion, and emotional and social competencies of children and youth.
Izabella Kucharczyk, PhD – Content-related expert, Doctor of Pedagogy, with a master’s degree in psychology. Assistant Professor at the Department of Pedagogical Therapy at Maria Grzegorzewska University in Warsaw. Author of publications on children and young people with visual impairments and specific learning difficulties.
The organizational team includes:
Joanna Ciuraszkiewicz – Specialist in recruitment and organization of training in the UNICEF (ASA) project and a student of psychology. She has gained experience in international startups and recruitment companies.
Małgorzata Dadura – Expert in inclusive education, coordinator of EU co-financed projects in the field of education, and expert in social innovation in education at the Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy, with 30 years of experience in education, including 20 years in a managerial position.
Magdalena Lachowska – Administration and employment coordinator for the UNICEF (ASA) project, she is a graduate of the University of Engineering and Health in Warsaw. She began working at the Educational Research Institute in 2022, where she is responsible for overseeing the administrative aspects of project implementation on a day-to-day basis.
Marta Przybylak – Organizational coordinator of the UNICEF (ASA) project with a Master’s degree in management. A graduate of the Faculty of Management at Poznań University of Economics. Coordinator of several EU projects implemented in the public sector, including the Central Examination Commission, the OHP Headquarters, and the Educational Research Institute.
Paweł Satkiewicz – Lawyer, a graduate of the Faculty of Law and Administration at Jagiellonian University, and a tax advisor, he has gained experience advising businesses, employers’ associations, non-profit organizations, and other entities, such as global law firms. He has also worked with medium-sized and smaller organizations and as an independent freelancer. For three years, he served as the chief consultant in the Office of the SME Ombudsman. He is also a co-author of the commentary on the VAT Directive. Privately, he is a father of two sons.
4. Research component in the project
The Accessible School for All project also includes implementing a research and evaluation component. The results of these activities will be used to create a catalogue of empirically tested interventions (evidence-based) for implementing educational and specialized support at the pre-school level. The effectiveness of these interventions will be empirically validated.
Trained DDUs deliver interventions at two levels:
Level 1 – Learning for a minimum of 11,200 teachers, including specialist teachers (NS), is made possible through substantial support from DDUs and hands-on learning.Level 2 – DDU impacts directly on learners (children, students), or the DDU supports the impact of specialist teachers directly on learners.
The project also plans to develop a toolkit to explore the cognitive effects, attitudes, and beliefs of specialist teachers (DDUs – project participants) in a pre-test–post-test scheme.Pretesting will begin in December 2023.
The scientific experts in the project are: Prof. Grzegorz Szumski (University of Warsaw)
