Toward Inclusion of Special Education Students in General Education

TLDR

The study aimed to assess how students with disabilities are included in general‑education classrooms across eight elementary and secondary schools, comparing service delivery models and support strategies within the least restrictive environment. Staff perceptions were gathered through semi‑structured interviews with most classroom teachers, special‑education teachers, instructional assistants, and principals at each school. Educators generally supported inclusion but preferred to accompany students with special‑education teachers or assistants, favored instructional assistants for all students, reported positive collaboration and administrative backing, and noted that inclusion had a neutral or positive effect on other students’ performance on statewide tests.

Abstract

The primary intent of this program evaluation was to determine the degree of inclusion of students with disabilities in general education classes in four elementary and four secondary schools; the similarities and differences in how special education services were offered; and the ways in which students with disabilities were supported in the least restrictive environment. Staff perceptions of special education services were examined by conducting personal interviews with a large majority of the classroom teachers, special education teachers, instructional assistants, and principals in each school. The findings include descriptions of how far along each school was with inclusion, the amount of time students spent in general education, the roles of the special education teachers, the rates of student referrals for special education consideration, the attitudes of all staff toward inclusion and toward collaboration, and the skills of the teachers related to the inclusion of special education students. The findings also include descriptions of the impact of inclusion on other students, the performance of all students on a statewide test, and the qualitative responses of educators toward inclusion. Overall, educators were positive about educating students with disabilities in general education settings. They were conservative about how to best do this, with many of them preferring to have the included students accompanied by a special education teacher or instructional assistant or continuing to have resource room services. Nearly everyone favored using instructional assistants to help all students, not just the students with disabilities. Most educators reported feeling positive about working collaboratively and felt they had administrative support to offer inclusive education programs.