Inclusive School Communities Essay example -- Inclusion Education Clas

Inclusive School Communities One of the most significant and controversial trends in education today is the inclusion of children and youth with disabilities into general education classrooms. Inclusion refers to the practice of educating all students regardless of disability in the same classroom as students without disabilities. Though the term is relatively new, the underlying principle is not, and reflects the belief that students with disabilities should be educated in the least restrictive environment (LRE), or as close to the mainstream of general education as possible. The LRE principle is one of the key components of federal special education law. Advocates of inclusion believe that in most cases, if not all, the LRE for students with disabilities should be the general education classroom, not only for students with mild disabilities but for all students, regardless of the severity of the disability. Inclusion supporters contend that education in the general education classroom will result not only in superior educational outcomes for students with disabilities but also other positive developmental outcomes such as increased socialization (Hunt and Goetz, 1997). Additionally, many advocates of inclusion believe that inclusion not only benefits students with disabilities, but also students without disabilities (Staub, 1995). While proponents of inclusion have often focused on the social benefits for children and youth with disabilities, especially the idea that it promotes social interactions between students with and without disabilities, critics have pointed to the possible disruption that inclusion may have on the overall quality of education for students without disabilities. However, there is litt... ...arson/Allyn and Bacon. Stainback, W. C., & Stainback, S. (1990). Support Networks for Inclusive Schooling: Interdependent Integrated Education. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Staub, D. (1995). Qualitative research on school inclusion: What do we know? What do we need to find out? Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, San Fransisco, CA, November 30-December 2, 1995) Staub, D., & Peck, C. A. (1994-1995). What are the outcomes for nondisabled students? Educational Leadership, 52, 36-40. Voeltz, L. M., & Brennan, J. (1983). Analysis of the interactions between nonhandicapped and severely handicapped peers using multiple measures. In Perspectives and Progress in Mental Retardation, ChapterVI: Social Psychology and Educational Aspects, edited by J. M. Berg. Baltimore, MD: University Park Press.