INCLUSION OF STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS IN THE REGULAR SCHOOL CLASSROOM AND CURRICULUM
The purpose of this study is to develop a broad and comprehensive investigation of the inclusion of special needs students in regular classrooms in public schools. Inclusion has been, and continues to be, a hotly debated area in education. Until fairly recently, much of this debate has focused on the ethical issues or social benefits of inclusion. Recently, however, the research is turning toward the efficacy of the process. There are efforts to develop, implement, and share effective administrative, instructional, and assessment strategies that support inclusive environments. What is not present is an effort to asses the effects of inclusion policies on the great majority of the students who do not have special needs, but whose legitimate educational needs may be compromised by inclusion.
The movement for the inclusion of special needs students in general classrooms has been reinforced since the 1970s by (a) litigation and (b) laws (e.g., the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990, in particular). While the federal laws do not require the full inclusion of special needs students in general classrooms, pressure groups, educational theorists, educational psychologists, school administrators, and others have continually pushed toward the full inclusion of special needs students in general classrooms in public schools. In most instances, the drivers of the inclusion movement do not (a) have to teach in such classrooms and (b) seldom have children in such classrooms (Shade & Stewart, 2001, p. 37).
Providing academic services to students with disabilities is an increasingly demanding task in the contemporary social and educational environments. The proportion of students classified as disabled in one form or another has increased more than fourfold since the late-19...