In October 2023, EALA led a School Study Tour in Chicago, where educators had the opportunity to explore inclusive approaches designed to better support students with disabilities. Through school visits and in-depth conversations with practitioners, participants examined how inclusive practices are embedded into classrooms, school culture, and leadership strategies. The following resources capture those insights—featuring case studies, reflection guides, videos, and school-developed tools—to help school teams translate what they learned into meaningful, actionable change in their own schools and districts.
Feedback from Participants:
Experiencing promising practices and seeing the impact on students firsthand makes the promising practices much more memorable and relevant. – Chicago School Study Tour Participant
“The time to reflect with other participants was phenomenal and gave us time to further our connections with the work being done in other districts.” – Chicago School Study Tour Participant
“We were able to see so many unique perspectives on those promising practices. Participation in the EALA school visits allowed me to gain a better understanding of the nuances associated with each of them in very diverse settings.” – Chicago School Study Tour Participant
Want to learn more about School Study Tours? Sign up for our updates.
Resources:
 |
Creating a Student-Centered School: Lessons from Willowbrook High School: This Case Study will examine the benefits of a student-centered approach, and how one high school has implemented this strategy. |
 |
A Deep Dive Into EALA’s School Study Tours: Translating Knowledge into Practice: In this case study, we will look deeper into EALA’s initiative, School Study Tours. What are School Study Tours? What are the benefits? How can they be recreated on a smaller scale? |
 |
Creating a Student-Centered School: Lessons from Willowbrook High School: EALA is joined by Dan Krause, Principal of Willowbrook High School and former School Study Tours host school leader. In this episode we discuss the importance of, and how to’s of creating a student centered school. |
 |
Translating Knowledge into Practice: EALA School Study Tours Chicago 2023: A blog that dives into EALA’s October 2023 School Study Tours. |