This study was designed to describe the experiences of general education students in elementary settings where the inclusion of students with disabilities was responsibly implemented. The research question investigated was: Do general education students have a meaningful opportunity to learn when sharing classrooms with students with disabilities? The participants in this study were assigned to two inclusion classrooms in an elementary school in northeastern North Carolina. The classrooms were observed during the months of January and February, 1999. Effective educational practices in inclusion classrooms were researched. Data were also collected and analyzed in four areas: (1) principal and teachers' definitions of inclusion, (2) principal and teachers' perceptions of how inclusion is implemented in the school, (3) effects of inclusion on teachers' instructional practices, and (4) effects of inclusion on the learning opportunities for general education students. There were no observable effects of inclusion on the learning opportunities for general education students. / Ed. D.

Since the late 1990s there has been a considerable increase in the number of students with disabilities who receive instruction in inclusive settings. The participation of students with disabilities in inclusion classrooms continued to grow with the passing of The No Child Left Behind Act (2001), formerly known as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. While previous legislation called for students with disabilities to participate in all standardized testing, The No Child Left Behind Act called for the closing of the achievement gap between students with disabilities and their nondisabled peers. An accountability system with sanctions for individual schools and school division not showing gains towards closing the achievement gap was also established with the passing of the No Child Left behind Act, making the progress of students with disabilities a priority for all educators. This qualitative study examined the perceptions of general education teachers, special education teachers, and building level administrators regarding inclusion in the elementary setting. Indepth, structured interviews were conducted with the 12 participants at a time and location of their choosing. Ten interview questions guided the process and the participants’ responses were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Previous qualitative studies have been conducted with varying results. The review of the literature indicates that the perceptions of educators toward inclusion may impact the design and subsequent success of inclusion programs as well as the academic progress of students with disabilities. Many factors seem to contribute to the development of teacher perceptions of inclusion, including professional development training and special education classes taken by general education teachers. The data were analyzed by first coding themes found in the interview responses. The themes were then categorized by using ordering and sorting techniques that permitted emerging patterns to be documented. The findings indicate that the participants of this study do not perceive that inclusion is appropriate for all students with disabilities. The participants cited the following features as being necessary elements of inclusion: coplanning, collaboration, and coteaching between the general education teacher and the special education teacher. Recommendations for practice and for future research were based on the data analysis.

School days are organised on a whole day and or a shift basis in different countries. When the school day is arranged on double shift basis, two sets of pupil attend the same school in a given day. This thesis is based on a phenomenological research which examined how the education of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) was addressed in shift primary schools in Jamaica. A case study was undertaken with a view of understanding the day-to-day experiences of the issues of how shift primary schools constructed and managed the SEN of pupils and sought to understand the ‘why’ in operation. In addition, a survey (using questionnaires) was carried out in 10 shift primary schools (including the case) in several parishes of the island which targeted administrators (n=26) and teachers (n=205) to further explore some of the issues which were picked up on in the case study such as understandings of the concept of SEN, the challenges they encountered in their attempts to cater for pupils‟ SEN and how pupils‟ SEN impacted on the school system. An interview was also conducted with an official from the Ministry of Education (MOE) which investigated the philosophical orientation which guides the education of pupils with SEN and the how they are catered for in Jamaican schools. Grounded Theory, ably assisted by the tool of Thematic Analysis, was used to explore this complex research context to help to unpack dilemmas and tensions which existed. One of the major insights gained from the data is that the Jamaican primary shift school context is ‘resource famished whilst being simultaneously ‘SEN dense’. The main research findings revealed that the shift system and its resultant time constraint were major inhibitors to the effective meeting of pupils‟ SEN. The complexity and challenges of this educational context were further exacerbated by factors such as limited understanding of the concept of SEN, inadequate resources in general and more so with specific focus on catering for pupils with SEN, low teacher efficacy for meeting pupils‟ SEN, large classes and inadequate parental support. Administrators reported concern for impact of pupils‟ SEN on their schools in ways such as lowering examination passes and the overall performance of schools. One of the main concerns of teachers was how pupils‟ SEN disrupted lessons and how this impacted on other learners without SEN. In addition, the most commonly manifested SEN of pupils were reading and behavioural difficulties. The role of the Guidance Counsellor was re-defined as the main school personnel for the management of pupils’ SEN in shift primary schools. From the point of view of the MOE the practice and provision for pupils with SEN were governed by the concept of ‘Least Restrictive Environment’ and not the current concept of inclusion that is in wide usage in the field of special education. Importantly, not only were schools experiencing difficulties in satisfactorily providing resources for the meeting pupils‟ SEN, but this is also experienced at the level of the MOE. The chief implications highlighted based on of the research findings was the dire need for the reconstruction of teacher training in Jamaica with a specific aim of equipping teachers to effectively cater for pupils‟ SEN and the dire need for legislation to safeguard the education of pupils with SEN. In addition, recommendations were made to promote improvements of pupils with SEN in general and particularly those being educated in shift primary schools. Finally, several suggestions for future research were put forward.

This study reviews due process hearing decisions from the years 2014 and 2015. This is primarily a legal analysis, specifically looking at legal and regulatory patterns regarding the provision of one-on-one special education aides for students with disabilities in general education settings. Our findings from the due process hearing decisions reveal that one-on-one aides for students with a wide variety of disabilities are being provided with greater frequency than we anticipated and that, specifically, behavioral aides are being provided for students with autism. Decisions of disabilities such as hearing impairment have higher provision rates, while other disabilities like autism and emotional disturbance do not see the same rate of provision. There are clear patterns of differences between the states in the number of cases that reach due process hearings and in the number of one-on-one aides provided.

This study examined the experiences of teachers who included students identified as having emotional disturbance in their classes while participating in a teacher support program. A secondary analysis of data collected throughout the duration of the support program was conducted to identify core issues teachers faced as they included students with emotional disturbance in their classes. The first stage of analysis involved pre-existing data from the support program. Data were organized into four periods which chronologically represented the teachers' experiences. From this data eight core themes were identified: concerns about the lack of instructional adaptations made for students with emotional disturbance; appropriate consequences for disruptive behavior in general education; type of additional student information teachers wanted; student readiness for inclusion; the need for a supportive environment; training needs for inclusion; class size pertaining to the number of students with ED in general education classes; and teacher feedback about the support program. To provide clarification and elaboration of these core issues, stage two consisted of a focus group of eight teachers who participated in the program. Identified strengths that contributed to the success of the support program included the role of the coordinator as support person for both students and teachers and the benefits of having a supportive environment for students with emotional disturbance to return to for extra assistance. Major conclusions from this study suggest that student readiness for inclusion, teacher support needed during inclusion, and teacher attitudes and beliefs about inclusion are critical components to the inclusion process. Implications for future research include identifying skills needed by students with emotional disturbance to transition to inclusive settings, examining the setting demands of the general education classroom, exploring students' perceptions of inclusion, and identifying effective practices for preparing teachers to work with students in inclusive settings.

The practice of inclusion, and even the term itself, have been the subject of controversy over the last several decades and it appears that "inclusion" may look very different depending upon the student, educator, and setting (Fuchs & Fuchs, 1994). Recently, placement in general education settings has become a dominant service delivery model for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), (Simpson & Myles, 1998), yet Individual Education Programs (IEPs) for students with ASD tend to be the most often disputed and often contain procedural errors, including failure to consider the Least Restrictive Mandate (Yell et al., 2003). This study represents a qualitative case study of a school district in West Central Florida working to build capacity for inclusive education. Qualitative case study methodology was used to explore (a) educators' definitions, attitudes, beliefs, and emotions regarding inclusion of students with ASD, (b) how the understandings and attitudes regarding inclusion impact the way educators make decisions about inclusion and educational programs for students with ASD, and (c) educators' and parents' criteria for determining "successful" inclusion and their perceptions about the success of current inclusion efforts. A team of educators (general education, special education, specialists, and administrators) who were involved in inclusion efforts were purposively selected for recruitment in this study. Two focus groups were conducted to engage them in discussion and decision-making regarding educational plans for students with ASD. Subsequently, semi-structured interviews were conducted individually with each member of the team as a follow-up to the focus group. Additionally, individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents of included students with ASD. Results indicated that educators understood inclusive education to be a highly individualized enterprise which is developed on a "case-by-case basis" but were generally positive about inclusion for students with ASD. Educator participants articulated the characteristics of students they believed to be "ideal inclusion candidates;" students' behavioral functioning and potential for disrupting typical peers was a major consideration. Parents and educators shared very similar goals for students with ASD, but shared stories suggesting their interactions often involve conflict and ill will. Implications for practice and recommendations for future research are offered.

No description available.

The passage of the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) calls for the education of children with special needs in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). Interpretation of what constitutes the Least Restrictive Environment has led to debate about how best to include children with disabilities into regular education environments. The process of inclusion has created an environment in which educators have conflicting feelings about the various types of special education placements. At one extreme are those who advocate all students belong in the general classroom all the time. At the other end of the continuum are those that contend only those students who meet certain standards should be educated in the general curriculum. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of high school students, parents, and teachers regarding programs and various placements established for children with high incidence disabilities in both public and private school venues. In this phenomenological study, the guided interview approach was used to examine the perceptions of disabled students, their parents, and their teachers regarding special education placements that included receiving special education services less than 21% of the school day, receiving services 21% to 60% of the school day, receiving services more than 60% of the school day, or receiving services in a separate, private school setting. The findings of this study found that students, parents, and teachers were supportive of the specific learning environment they were most closely related to. Although students had little specific knowledge of their disabilities and services, they were content with the current services they were receiving. Parents had more knowledge of their child's disability and were more vocal about supporting the specific program their child was involved with. Teachers were naturally very supportive of the environment they taught in. These findings support that there is a perceived need for a continuum of placement options for children with disabilities. Recommendations for further research include expanding the study to other public and private schools in the State to see if similar results are found.

No description available.

No description available.