Promoting Inclusive Educational Practices in the United States

Public Law (P.L.) 94-142 (1975), now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandated a “free and appropriate public education (FAPE) for all handicapped children.” Within this law was the concept of Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), which meant each student is to be individually evaluated and placed on a continuum of options including general education classes, separate classes, separate schools, home, or a hospital setting ranging from part to all of the school day.  Mandates within P.L. 94-142 were enormously important in providing students with disabilities access to public education. Unfortunately, far too many placement decisions still foreclosed students to separate facilities, an indication that a largely segregated system, often referred to as a “parallel system,” had been created. The law’s mechanism for identifying the LRE was often misinterpreted or misused rather than being treated as a legal and valid option for placing a student with a disability in a general education classroom. Lipsky and Gartner (1997) and Linton (1998) found reformists, disability rights advocates, activists, and others criticized the LRE mandate as a loophole, which allowed institutions of education to maintain the non-integration of people with disabilities into schools and therefore society at large.

Related to the least restrictive environment (LRE) mandate within the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Lipsky and Gardner (1997) examined beliefs and practices in education dating back to 1975.  They found mainstreaming practices typically assumed a student with a disability could cope with the academic and social demands of a general education classroom. Specifically, they found mainstreaming practices were traditionally considered only “applicable to those students who were considered to be most like normal” (p. 77).

By contrast, when highly qualified teachers and administrators willingly utilize available information and resources to promote best practices, inclusion rates are positively impacted.  Inclusive educational practices signify that a student with a disability can benefit both academically and socially from the general education classroom, even if goals for students with disabilities were different from typically developing students. Historically, too often mainstreaming and inclusion were used interchangeably in the educational literature. However, they differ significantly in terms of both definition and philosophy. In a critical commentary on the field of special education, Kauffman (1998) stated, “Inclusion has become virtually meaningless, a catch-word used to give a patina of legitimacy to whatever program people are trying to sell or defend” (p. 246).

Fortunately, the p,  eriod following 1997 marked a clear point of change in the field of special education. Requirements increasing accountability using standards-based assessment for all students as stated in the re-authorization of IDEA (1997, 2004) stressed increased access to the general education curriculum and inclusion of general educators as members of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team. These explicit mandates promoted the opportunity for increased inclusion to become firmly established as the foundation for placement decisions. Although requirements for placement within the least restrictive environment had been in special education legislation since 1975, the explicit mandates of IDEA 1997 increased academic expectations, resulting in a shift in policies and practices within education. An effective “inclusion movement” helped ensure educators will, to the greatest extent appropriate, provide access to the general education curriculum in the least restrictive environment (LRE) for students with disabilities. 

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires each state to develop and submit annual reports, known as the State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR).  The SPP/APR allows evaluation of each State’s efforts to implement the requirements and purposes of the IDEA and describes how the State will improve its implementation.  The Monitoring and State Improvement Planning Division (MSIP) within the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) is responsible for ensuring States' compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). MSIP uses data from the reports to ensure that States and other public agencies continue to implement programs designed to improve results for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities. Based on collected and certified data, the 17 Indicators for Part B of the SPP/APR and 11 Indicators for Part C of the SPP/APR allows dis-aggregation of each State’s compliance with IDEA.

For instance, Part B Indicator 5 requires states collect data on educational environments for children ages 6-21, which allows the USDE to monitor inclusion rates.  This allows the USDE to identify, evaluate, and monitor each State’s attempt to address concerns related to the inclusion of students with special needs in the least restrictive environment (LRE). States also collect data on variables that may be influencing its districts’ practices related to the inclusion of students with special needs in the LRE. Identification of effective progress toward satisfaction of LRE mandates, as identified by Indicator 5 measures, can therefore be further analyzed and help determine whether certain variables are more present in those States deemed highly inclusive. Indicator 9 examines the percentage of students ages 3–21 served by IDEA and the percentage distribution of children and youth receiving services for specific disabilities. This indicator also examines the rate at which students ages 14–21 served by IDEA exited school. 

Status and Trends in the Education of Racial and Ethnic Groups examines the educational progress and challenges students face in the United States by race and ethnicity. Monitoring of the data may help the USDE and SEAs utilize leadership principles that promote inclusive practices.  Knowing how to interpret and utilize data allows administrators and teacher leaders to differentiate between what Stephen Covey (1992) metaphorically described as “…good managers (who) will take you through the forest, no matter what.  A leader will climb a tree and identify when, ‘This is the wrong forest.’”  

Traditionalist theorists led by Andrews, Carnine, Coutinho, Edgar, Forness, Fuchs & Fuchs (2000) long contended current teacher preparation standards were sufficient for promoting the education for students with special needs in the least restrictive environment. By contrast, reformists or substantial re-conceptualists (Paul & Ward, 1996) advocated for explicit teacher competency standards to be requisite for ensuring inclusive education for students with special needs in the least restrictive environment. Because of the historical problems in ethically and legally providing a student with a disability her or his LRE, it is prudent to review and adjust, as needed, to ensure each state’s teacher competency standards- as presented in its teacher preparation programs- will optimally promote inclusive educational practices.  Minimally, teacher preparation programs should ensure that teacher candidates review user guides to increase understand and competency related to the expectations of the 17 Indicators for Part B of the SPP/APR and the 11 Indicators for Part C of the SPP/APR.

To Cite:

Anderson, C.J. (February 28, 2020 Promoting inclusive educational practices in the United States  [Web log post] Retrieved from http://www.ucan-cja.blogspot.com/

References:

Andrews, J. E., Carnine, D. W., Coutinho, M. J., Edgar, E. B., Forness, S. R., Fuchs, D., & Fuchs, L. (2000). Bridging the special education divide. Remedial and Special Education, 21(5), 258-260, 267.

Gartner, A., & Lipsky, D. K. (1987). Beyond special education: Toward a quality system for all students. Harvard Education Review, 57 (4), 367-395.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA),

 P. L. No. 108–446, 20 U.S.C. sections 611–614.

Kauffman, J. M. (1999). Commentary: Today’s special education and its messages for

 tomorrow. The Journal of Special Education, 32 (4), 244-254.

Lipsky, D. K., & Gartner, A. (1997). Inclusion and school reform: Transforming

 America’s classrooms. Baltimore: Paul Brookes. 

Paul, P. V., & Ward, M. (1996). Inclusion paradigms in conflict. Theory Into Practice,

35 (1), 4-11.

Reynolds, M. C. (1989). An historical perspective: The delivery of special education to

mildly disabled and at-risk students. Remedial and Special Education,10 (6),7-11.