Inclusion

Inclusion refers to the practice of educating students with disabilities in a general education classroom with students without disabilities using specially designed instruction and supports. The term is generally distinguished from mainstreaming, which describes educating students with disabilities in the general education setting without specially designed instruction or supports. The emerging ideology of inclusion is that all children with or without disabilities have the right to participate actively in a general education setting as valued members of that learning community. This entry describes the background of inclusion in K–12 schools and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of inclusion.

A philosophical underpinning of the inclusion movement in the United States is a principle called normalization that emerged in Sweden in the 1960s. Normalization is a guiding principle for persons with disabilities that refers to making everyday life of the mainstream society available to them. However, individuals with disabilities in the United States were not allowed access to many aspects of mainstream society, and students with disabilities were not guaranteed access to public education until the mid-1970s.

[Page 809]In 1973, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act was passed and provided that any individual with a disability could not be excluded from any program or activity receiving federal funds, including public schools. Then, the passage of PL 94-142, the Education for Handicapped Children Act, was passed in 1975 and later reauthorized as the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act. This law afforded students with disabilities the right to a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment. The least restrictive environment mandate states that students with disabilities should be educated in the general education setting with nondisabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate. The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act also requires that a continuum of placement options be available to meet the needs of students with disabilities. Although students with disabilities were allowed access to public schools, in the decade that followed, they were mostly educated in segregated classrooms.

The mid-1980s saw the launch of the Regular Education Initiative that encouraged a merger between general and special education to support greater academic gains for students with disabilities. This movement was a precursor to inclusion because it emphasized educating students with disabilities in general education classrooms and making adaptations to accommodate their needs. The Regular Education Initiative encouraged more mainstreaming for students with mild disabilities. However, it created much controversy and many educators rallied against it.

Parents and advocates of students with disabilities continued to push for more inclusive educational opportunities during the 1990s. These groups argued that segregated classes were exclusionary and stigmatizing, and there existed a lack of agreement as to the meaning of least restrictive environment. In 2001, another push for inclusion came in the form of the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, known as the No Child Left Behind Act. The No Child Left Behind Act held states accountable for improving the quality of education for all students and expected schools to work toward 100% of their students meeting proficient status in reading, math, and science. Failure of any group of students in a school to meet the adequate yearly progress targets meant accountability measures for the entire school. With the No Child Left Behind Act’s focus on academic outcomes and access to the general curriculum, the pressure increased for educating students with disabilities in general education classrooms. Another legislative push for inclusion came in 2004 with the reauthorization of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, which mandated that students with disabilities be included in statewide assessments. This increased the focus on access to the general education curriculum for students with disabilities and on moving toward full inclusion.

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