Introduction/Definition
What is "Inclusive Education?"
"Inclusive education," is based on a belief system that each person has the right to belong in his/her school, classroom and community and that this right extends to family, work, and recreation. In an inclusive school, each student is accepted as a valued and contributing member.
All decisions in inclusive schools are based on HOW to successfully include all students, not IF all students SHOULD be included.
By definition, inclusive education is when students of the same age, with and without disabilities, are educated together in their neighborhood school with supplementary supports and services provided as needed in the general education classroom. When each student is participating as a valued and contributing member of the classroom, the goal of inclusive education is achieved.
As early as the 1980's, studies measuring the effectiveness of special education demonstrated that separate special education services have little or no positive effects for students regardless of the intensity of students' needs for supports or the types of disabilities with which they have been diagnosed (Lipsky & Gartner, 1989). Other studies indicated that students with disabilities educated in the general education classroom do better academically and socially than comparable students educated in non-inclusive settings (Baker, Wang, & Walberg, 1994). Researchers have also found that students with significant disabilities have no adverse effects on typical peers' academic or behavioral success as measured by standardized tests and report card grades (Hollowood, Salisbury, Rainforth, & Palombaro, 1994; Sharpe, York, & Knight, 1994). In addition, the inclusion of students with significant disabilities in general education classrooms enhances their achievement, self-esteem, and school attendance as well as that of their peers (Cole & Meyer, 1991; Costello, 1991; Kelly, 1992; Strain, 1983; Straub & Peck, 1994).
Best Practices in Inclusive Education
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