Inclusive Education vs. Self-Contained Settings: Academic Outcomes

Introduction

Educational institutions throughout the country are seriously considering inclusive education. There are serious limitations in the secluded education system. First, a specialized education system casts significant limitations on the disabled student. In the long run, when the student exits the protective environment of a secluded education system, he or she is not equipped with the skills needed to be successful in the broader world. In most cases, secluded education systems only shield the disabled student from the practical world rather than equipping him or her with the skills to hold a place in it.

While laws and court rulings have consistently supported the education of students within the least restrictive environment, there has not always been agreement as to what exactly that environment should look like for each child. There has been a great deal of debate regarding the benefits and drawbacks of both inclusive and self-contained education programs.

Hypothesis and Significance

It is hypothesized that students who are educated in an inclusive setting will achieve academically at the same rate as students who are educated in a self-contained special education setting.

The purpose of conducting this research is to gain clarity concerning the effectiveness of inclusion with regard to student achievement outcomes. The primary focus of this research project is to examine the academic achievement of students with disabilities who participate in inclusive programs as compared to the achievement of students who receive instruction in self-contained settings. Other aspects and implications of inclusive education are also discussed.

Main Issues in Inclusive Education

Though there is growing evidence from reports favoring inclusion, it is necessary to ascertain whether inclusion is conducive for students with all levels of learning disabilities. There is also a growing concern that inclusive education is recommended and advocated as a simple economic remedy without adequately studying the implications of such a program for both non-disabled and disabled students.

It would be worthwhile to design and implement a practical methodology for inclusive education and to analyze the outcomes of such an approach. Given the various research results that support inclusion, it is reasonable to conclude that an intensive educational system designed for an inclusive environment would corroborate the finding that inclusive education can improve educational standards without compromising quality. A review of the literature on inclusive education programs — with particular emphasis on academic performance and teacher training — therefore assumes great significance.

Review of Literature

Freund and Wald (1995): Academic Performance in Early Childhood Inclusion

A study by Freund, M. and Wald, P.J. (1995) focused on three important aspects of inclusion. This research examined the effects of early childhood inclusive education, monitoring special training for staff, the progress made by children with special needs, and the opinions of parents of both non-disabled and disabled children. The study attempted to correlate these different aspects of inclusive training and assess how each contributed to the success of the program. In total, 320 staff members were specially trained to help design suitable programs for young children with learning disabilities and to achieve optimum results in an inclusive environment.

The researchers studied the program over a period of three years (1991 to 1994). The specially trained staff were given freedom to create their own teaching systems and to work in a coordinated manner. The staff also received support from outside professionals in the implementation of the inclusive program. They designed "ways to work in concert with each other and with professionals from other disciplines. No single discipline can adequately meet all the needs of children with disabilities in an inclusive setting" (Freund and Wald, 1995, p. 2).

This study highlighted the important role of the teacher in the success of an inclusion program. Teachers bear the important responsibility of monitoring the success of training methodology and continuously adapting it to achieve optimum results. Furthermore, the collaborative effort on the part of teachers, other professionals, and administrative staff was found to be vital to the success of any proposed inclusion program. The study revealed that a 3:1 ratio of non-disabled to disabled children in a class would be ideal. The success of the program was measured on the BDI scale (Battelle Developmental Inventory). On the final evaluation in the third year, approximately 92% of students showed significant improvement on the BDI scale, while nearly all students (100%) registered success in social skills (Freund and Wald, 1995, p. 6). In summary, this research supports the claim that inclusive education is the best method — especially for young children — to improve overall skills rather than relying on a specialized education curriculum.

Pamela A. Cook et al.: GPA Comparison in High School Inclusion

A study by Pamela A. Cook et al. compared, over two years, the academic grade performance of 40 non-disabled high school students in the southeastern United States with that of disabled students in an inclusive environment. The students were in the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grades, and their grades were compared against overall grade point average (GPA). Statistical T-tests were conducted to reveal grade and GPA differences between the disabled and non-disabled students. The mean numerical grade for the 40 general education students was 83.625, while it was 80.325 for the disabled students. The standard deviation values were also roughly equal, indicating that students with special needs performed comparably in an inclusive environment (Cook et al.).

Debbie Staub: "Inclusion and the Other Kids" (1996)

This survey by Debbie Staub, an inclusion project coordinator, is a general review of numerous research studies examining the effects of inclusion on non-disabled students. In a study conducted on 300 parents of elementary school children without disabilities, approximately 89% expressed willingness to enroll their children in inclusion schools. Teachers from inclusion schools also reported that there was no evidence of academic retardation in non-disabled students as a result of inclusion.

Furthermore, Staub's study revealed that inclusion had several positive effects for both non-disabled and disabled students. For example, inclusion facilitates the development of friendship and greater mutual understanding between disabled and non-disabled peers. Researchers have documented that inclusion increases the tolerance level of non-disabled students. Inclusion has also been shown to improve the self-esteem of non-disabled students, as they tend to develop leadership qualities while helping their disabled classmates (Staub, 1996). Other researchers further support this finding: "When general education and special education teachers are placed in situations where they can work together, they have more to offer the students and each other" (Inos, 1995, p. 4).

Scruggs and Mastropieri (1995): Teacher Attitudes Toward Inclusion

This is an exhaustive analysis of approximately 28 surveys of teachers and administrators, conducted over a long period spanning from 1958 to 1995. Participants were drawn from different countries, including the United States, Canada, and Australia. Of the total of 10,560 participating teachers, approximately 68% supported inclusive education. The main finding of the research was that teachers were generally willing to accommodate children with mild to moderate forms of disability. Fifty-three percent of teachers were willing to teach disabled students in a combined setting, but noted that time constraints and a lack of adequate resources would make this a difficult proposition (Sevier County Board of Education).

Conclusion

With many studies indicating that inclusive education has a positive bearing on academic performance, moving toward an inclusive environment is a clearly positive step. There are two important considerations that must be evaluated in the context of implementing inclusive education. First, the question of whether inclusion is a complete solution for students with all levels of disability must be addressed. As discussed above, this question is complex and requires a specific approach based on the degree of disability of the individual student. Second, the effects that inclusion will have on the academic standards of non-disabled students must be carefully analyzed.

The success of the whole system hinges on the committed effort of teachers to understand the varying needs of their students and to adapt their teaching approaches to suit individual requirements without compromising educational standards.

Bibliography

Freund, M., & Wald, P.J. (1995). An early education program for children with disabilities: Final report. Washington, DC: Department of Teacher Preparation and Special Education.

Staub, D. (1996). Inclusion and the other kids. Retrieved May 3, 2004, from

Inos, R.H., & Quigley, M.A. (1995). Research review for inclusive practice. Honolulu, HI: Pacific Region Educational Lab.

Hallahan, D.P., & Kauffman, J.M. (1994). Exceptional children: Introduction to special education. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Sevier County Board of Education. Scruggs and Mastropieri 1995. Retrieved May 3, 2004, from http://www.slc.sevier.org/inclsumm.htm

Cook, P.O. Impact of inclusion. Retrieved May 4, 2004, from http://www.uscs.edu/academics/se/other_pdfs/cook.richards.duck.pdf