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[Institution’s Name]
Essay on Inclusion in the classroom
Although less frequently represented in the literature, inclusion on the school level represents a significant challenge for educators. Of particular concern are issues of academic complexity, pace of instruction, teacher attitudes, and the potential consequences of high-stakes testing. Inconsistencies in the observed patterns of results highlight the complexities of inclusive instruction on the secondary level. Educational inclusion of students with disabilities has been widely promoted in recent years, resulting in ever-increasing numbers of students with disabilities receiving all or nearly all of their services in general education classrooms. As a result, many students with disabilities, particularly learning disabilities, are now served in general education classrooms.
The 1997 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) specifically identified the general education setting as the most appropriate placement for all students, and about half of the students classified with a learning disability participate full time in a general education classroom. Full-time placement in the general education classroom is commonly called inclusion or inclusive education. In inclusion settings, students with disabilities may or may not receive additional support from a special education teacher. Some programs involve general and special education teacher collaboration, but in many cases the general education teacher is responsible for implementing all academic support services, curricular adaptations, and testing modifications. Moreover, most new standards-based reform initiatives require that students with learning disabilities meet minimum local and state competency requirements.
Despite t he extra responsibilities this places on teachers, many school districts continue to reshape the roles of their special education teachers and adopt a full inclusion model to provide services for students with learning disabilities. (Mastropieri, M. A., & Scruggs, T. E. 2000b).Therefore, general and special educators are looking for instructional approaches that best serve the needs of diverse students in inclusive education settings..............
