Does Inclusion Work?

Inclusion seems like a fair way to give all students an equal education. If inclusion is actually doing what it is meant to do though, then why are graduation rates so low for students with disabilities?

Inclusion for students with mild disabilities had a large increase from 2003 to 2008, for students in grades 8 through 12. For those same years, the graduation rates for students with mild disabilities decreased or stayed about the same. The graduation rate for students without disabilities increased over that same time period.

How would students without disabilities be benefiting from inclusion? Teachers who have a student with a disability in their classroom will often teach a little more slowly and clearly, and will often repeat things more than once. The repetition and decreased speed have been beneficial in improving the grades of students without disabilities. These students are often said to be more accepting of people’s differences. These are great results, but unfortunately these same results to not apply to students with disabilities.

Why would inclusion not be greatly benefiting students with disabilities? For one, when students are placed in a regular classroom they are expected to perform the same tasks that students without disabilities are expected to do. This includes graduate examinations. If a student doesn’t pass the exam or they believe that they can’t pass the exam, then the student may drop out. Also, teachers often don’t have the resources to give the students with disabilities the attention that they need. This can be due to the fact that some IEPs (Individualized Education Programs) do not clearly outline the goals and needs of the student. Others are very in-depth and the teacher does not have the time to go through the entire program for each student she has with an IEP. Additionally, meetings regarding the goals and progress of students with IEPs are often held during the school day, when teachers cannot attend. Teachers that do have success with inclusion in their classrooms usually also have another teacher that works with them in their classes. This allows the work of going through IEPs, providing extra support, and attending meetings to be split between two teachers.  

I believe that inclusion is a great way to provide an equal education to all students. For inclusion to work, teachers need to be given extra support, especially when they have students with multiple IEPs in their classroom. A second teacher or an aide is a great place to start in trying to improve the success of inclusion.      

 

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