The Effects of an Inclusive School Program on Students with Mild and Severe Learning Disabilities

TLDR

The study examined the impact of an Inclusive School Program on reading and math achievement of students with learning disabilities. A curriculum‑based measure was used to assess progress of students with LD in the ISP. Students with LD in the ISP made significantly more progress in reading and comparable progress in math versus resource class peers; mild LD students in the ISP matched general education peers in reading, while severe LD students showed comparable progress in both subjects regardless of setting.

Abstract

This investigation used a curriculum-based measure to examine the effects of an Inclusive School Program (ISP) on reading and math achievement of students with LD. Results revealed that students with LD in the ISP made significantly more progress in reading and comparable progress in math when compared to the students who were provided services in resource classes. Furthermore, significantly more students with mild LD who were educated in the ISP made progress in reading that was comparable to general education peers than did the students with mild LD who were educated in noninclusive settings. Students with severe LD made comparable progress in reading and math, regardless of the setting. The implications of these results for practice are discussed.