Term Paper on "Pros & Cons of Inclusive Education"

Term Paper 8 pages (2294 words) Sources: 10

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Pros & Cons of Inclusive Education

Introduction

The American Dream is based on equality, or the idea that everyone

should be given an equal chance for success. If every citizen is given

the chance to receive a quality education, each citizen has the ability

to achieve. According to the White House, education has always been a

fundamental part of achieving the American Dream; an educated citizen is

more likely to hold a good job, escape poverty, own a home, start a

business, be free from crime, and participate in America's democracy. In

the past few decades, debates surrounding inclusion in education and

education for students with disabilities have emerged as a significant

issue, raising concern among disabled children, teachers, and those

serving on educational boards. Inclusion is a term which expresses

commitment to educate each child, to the maximum extent appropriate, in

the school and classroom he or she would otherwise attend. It involves

bringing the support services to the child, rather than moving the child

to the services, and requires only that the child will benefit from being

in the class instead of having to keep up with the other students.

Proponents of inclusion generally favor newer forms of education

service delivery, and argue that the child always should begin in the

regular environment and be removed only when appropriate services cannot

be provided in the regular classroom. Opponents of inclusion argue

against it because the regular class gets ready for the child, and

adaptations are made to the materials, the curriculum and/or the

expectations of the activities for the individual child. This paper will

discuss the reasons behind the debate regarding inclusive education, as

well as the pros and cons of the controversial issue of inclusion in

education. It will conclude with a brief summary and potential

recommendations for future action in this area.

Reasons Behind the Debate

According to the Wisconsin Education Association Council (2007),

inclusion remains a controversial concept in education because it relates

to educational and social values, as well as to our sense of individual

worth. In analyzing both sides of this debate, questions regarding the

equal manner in which children are valued must be raised, as well as the

question of whether there are there some children for whom inclusion is

inappropriate. In examining the pros and cons of inclusion, the concept

of mainstreaming, or the selective placement of special education

students in one or more regular education classes, must be taken into

consideration. Proponents of mainstreaming generally assume that a

student must earn his or her opportunity to be placed in regular classes

by demonstrating an ability to keep up with the work assigned by the

regular classroom teacher (Wisconsin Education Association Council,

2007). Those that support equal education for all stress the fact that

children should be given the equal right to receive the same type of

education. Between the two extremes are large groups of educators and

parents who are confused by the concept itself; they wonder whether

inclusion is legally required, what is best for the child, and question

what the schools must do to meet the needs of children with disabilities

(Wisconsin Education Association Council, 2007).

Laws for the Education of Disabled Children

There are several laws that have been enforced to meet the guarantee

that disabled children receive the same quality education as those

without disabilities. For example, the Individuals with Disabilities

Education Act (IDEA) is the main federal program authorizing state and

local aid for children with disabilities. The purpose of IDEA is "to

ensure that all children with disabilities have available to them a free

appropriate public education that emphasizes special education and

related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for

further education, employment, and independent living (Frishman, 2007)."

In December of 2004, a new law called the Individuals with Disabilities

Improvement Act was signed, making significant changes in the law for the

education of disabled children. The changes in this law include new

provisions regarding how schools can determine whether a child may

receive special education services. Another law, Section 504 of the

Rehabilitation Act of 1973, provides fewer protections than the IDEA.

Section 504 protects individuals from discrimination and entitles

children with disabilities that limit a major life activity, such as

learning, to a free appropriate public education designed to meet their

individual educational needs as adequately as the needs of children

without disabilities are met.

Section 504 is probably the law that provides the most coverage for

children with disabilities, because it states that all students with a

disability have the right to a free public education by law. This

includes special education and related services that are: (a) provided in

an Individualized Education Program (IEP); (b) designed to meet the

unique needs of a child with a disability; (c) meet state standards; and

(d) are provided at public expense (Frishman, 2007). This law has also

been the subject of some controversy; however, because it also provides

for learning in the least restrictive environment. This means that

children with disabilities should be educated with children who are not

disabled, and that placement in special classes or removal from the

regular education setting occurs only when the disability is so severe

that satisfactory education cannot be achieved in regular classes with

the use of supplementary supports. Section 504 also states that the

special education setting must be as close as possible to the students

local school (Frishman, 2007). Therefore, an analysis of Section 504

indicates that it supports both sides of the debate of inclusion in

education.

Pros of Inclusion

Proponents of inclusion generally believe that all students belong

in the regular education classroom, and that good teachers are those who

can meet the needs of all the students, regardless of what those needs

may be. Full inclusion means that all students, regardless of

handicapping condition or severity, will be in a regular

classroom/program full time, and all services must be taken to the child

in that setting. A majority of the research also sides with advocates of

inclusion, arguing that inclusion supports the social needs and growth of

children with disabilities. Children's social skills relate both to the

quality and success of their school experiences (Meisels et al. 1996).

Young children construct knowledge by interacting with others and their

environment (Bandura, 1986). In order to interact successfully in a

variety of circumstances and with a variety of people, children need to

possess interpersonal skills. They need to feel secure enough to join,

question and listen to their peers and adults. Other researchers

examined outcomes in children randomly assigned to Head Start and a

program wait list. These researchers found that when comparing health,

social skills, cognitive skills and language skills, social functioning

was not as strongly related to successful academic outcomes as were other

indicators such as phonemic awareness, receptive vocabulary and health.

Proponents of inclusion also cite the fact that there are many

studies that consistently report little or no benefit for students when

they are placed in special education settings. Research by Weiner

(1985), analyzed 50 studies comparing the academic performance of

mainstreamed and segregated students with mild handicapping conditions.

Weiner's (1985) results indicated that the mean academic performance of

the integrated group was in the 80th percentile, while the segregated

students score was in the 50th percentile. This conclusion supports the

theory that segregated programs are detrimental to students and do not

meet the original goals for special education. In addition, another

study confirmed a small to moderate beneficial effect of inclusion

education on the academic and social outcome of special needs students

(Carlberg & Kavale, 1980). Assessing inclusion from a cost-benefit

perspective, Affleck, Madge, Adams, and Lowenbraun (1988) demonstrated

that the integrated classroom for students with special needs was more

cost-effective than the resource program, even though achievement in

reading, math and language remained basically the same in the two service

delivery models.

Another study supporting inclusion, conducted by Johns Hopkins

University, measured student achievement in the Success for All programs.

In this study, a control group was compared with the students in Success

For All programs. Comparative measures included language proficiency,

reading difficulty, and student retention and attendance. Comparisons

were made at first, second, and third grades, and students identified

with exceptional education needs were included in all comparisons

(Wisconsin Education Association Council, 2007). While assessments

showed improved reading performance for all students, the most dramatic

improvements occurred among the lowest achievers. The research also

found the best results occurred in schools with the highest level of

funding, and concluded that when resources are available to provide

supplementary aids, all children do better (Wisconsin Education

Association Council, 2007). While this study concluded that as long as

more money was placed into inclusive classrooms to assist the disabled

students, the disabled students performed better academically. Thus,

proponents of inclusion have a very strong side, and their arguments are

supported by several research studies.

Cons of Inclusion

There are also many researchers and studies that… READ MORE

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