ERIC Number: EJ1191012
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018
Pages: 9
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1539-9664
EISSN: N/A
Has Inclusion Gone Too Far? Weighing Its Effects on Students with Disabilities, Their Peers, and Teachers
Gilmour, Allison F.
Education Next, v18 n4 p8-16 Fall 2018
The model of special education known as inclusion, or mainstreaming, has become more prevalent over the past 10 years, and today, more than 60 percent of all students with disabilities (SWDs) spend 80 percent or more of their school day in regular classrooms, alongside their non-disabled peers. This is not the full inclusion favored by some disability advocates, wherein all SWDs would be educated in inclusive classrooms all day; however, many supporters celebrate the increasing acceptance of differently abled students in general education as an opportunity to improve the academic and long-term trajectories of these traditionally underserved learners. In theory, inclusion provides SWDs with access to the grade-level curriculum and the same educational opportunities as their peers. In this article, the author explores policies and existing research on inclusion to describe what we know, what we do not, and how current knowledge should inform decisions about where to educate SWDs. An underlying theme of this discussion is that inclusion influences not only SWDs but also their peers and teachers. The interplay between and among these three groups suggests areas of research that can inform future discussion about inclusion and how it can work well for all stakeholders.
Descriptors: Inclusion, Special Education, Mainstreaming, Disabilities, Outcomes of Education, Individualized Education Programs, Equal Education, Educational Legislation, Federal Legislation, Educational Environment, General Education, Academic Ability, Student Placement, Bias, Regular and Special Education Relationship
Hoover Institution. Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-6010. Tel: 800-935-2882; Fax: 650-723-8626; e-mail: educationnext@hoover.stanford.edu; Web site: http://educationnext.org/journal/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Laws, Policies, & Programs: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A