By: Ana Pliego
Inclusion in General Education Classrooms
The conversation about inclusion in general education classrooms has been a topic of debate in the modern era, both before any type of educational establishment was formed for students with special needs and after the 1970’s, when the Department of Education passed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. In the meantime, before IDEA passed, special needs students were forced to be segregated, which is a reason for many people’s speculation that back in their day, they did not ‘have’ an autism problem. It is because they had completely different schooling institutions. Now moving forward, research has shown that inclusion in general education settings has changed academic outcomes. Not only does it strengthen academic achievement, but it also builds a sense of belonging among students of underrepresented backgrounds. Henceforth, recognizing the student-teacher relationship is essential to note, as the interactions displayed here are what other students will use to follow when interacting with students of special needs.
To begin with, student-teacher relationships define expectations for what other students need to follow. As stated by Crouch et al (2014), “This quite sweeping national change in education affects some of the most marginalized populations in public schools. It is also an ecological phenomenon that affects both students and teachers. Community psychologists have a history of ecological study, school-based research, and giving voice to marginalized populations,” (21). It is important to point out that the author explains how this ecological relationship affects both students and teachers; giving a voice to marginalized populations is much more significant. In the past, students with exceptional needs were separated from the general education as a whole. Working in two separate school districts has given a unique perspective on this ecological relationship. Being in the outlook as the smaller population, the actions of the students were being observed firsthand. One thing is apparent: the way the teacher sets the tone for the student with exceptional needs determines how the student will be treated. There is also the other side, where some schools have no special day classes, or have minimal students of high needs. In these circumstances, the authors of the article also expressed, “The finding[s] that teachers’ relationships with students are important to students’ feelings of belonging is consistent with the literature, and emphasizes the critical social function that teachers and school staff play in student success,” (Crouch et, al 2014).
In one particular school that had two separate students with individualized educational plans, one teacher tolerates their emotional outbursts differently from the other. While one made the student feel embarrassed for crying, the other gave them their space to express themselves in a way that felt comfortable to them. This caused one student to feel better adjusted, while the other started to think he should be better off being a different way of being. This is why it is so critical to validate feelings in the classroom, especially those in inclusive environments where other general education students see how they are being treated. Next, we will cover the effects of inclusion in academic settings.
Starting with the research done at Indiana University, Professor Sandi Cole illustrates key findings from her study conducted by the Center on Education and Lifelong Learning. The results were as follows: “…outcomes for students with high-inclusion placements were higher than their peers in mixed or less inclusive placements.” (Cole, 2019).
Clearly, placing students with special needs in general education should not concern either parents or teachers. This study also points out that students in less inclusive environments had below-average academic performance, whereas students with special needs in inclusive environments had better achievement outcomes. Professor Cole reiterates,” And, for educators and parents who struggle with making the right decision, this study provides greater certainty that inclusion has a strong relationship to academic achievement for students with disabilities” (Cole, 2019).
All in all, inclusion should be a model that needs to be adopted nationwide, not just a handful of classrooms scattered across school districts. It certainly does begin with the teachers, as noted empathetic teachers yield a better sense of belonging, while teachers with a harsher style create feelings it misidentifies. It is important to take notice that although inclusion is a relatively new model for students with disabilities, it does not mean that other children will perform worse in academic environments. Inclusion needs to be the norm rather than being viewed with skepticism.
Reference:
Indiana University. (2019, January 29). Inclusion improves academic outcomes for students with disabilities, IU study shows. Indiana University News. https://news.iu.edu/live/news/25722-inclusion-improves-academic-outcomes-for-students
Ronald Crouch, Christopher B. Keys & Susan D. McMahon (2014) Student– Teacher Relationships Matter for School Inclusion: School Belonging, Disability, and School Transitions, Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community, 42:1, 20-30, DOI: 10.1080/10852352.2014.855054
