Diversity of instructional needs requires diversity in instructional groups. Teaching all children well requires that they be grouped homogeneously for instruction. Instruction must not be secondary to placement in special education. The ideology of full inclusion works against good instruction in some cases. The ultimate test of special education should be whether a particular student is receiving good instruction that matches his or her needs, not the student's placement.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
All-or-nothing tests causing states grief; Florida, Virginia among those considering changes. (2003, June 1). Charlottesville Daily Progress, pp. B1,B4.
2.
Baker, J.M., & Zigmond, N. (1995). The meaning and practice of inclusion for students with learning disabilities: Themes and implications from five cases. The Journal of Special Education, 29, 163—180.
3.
Becker, W.C., & Gersten, R. (2001). Follow-up of Follow Through: The later effects of the direct instruction model on children in fifth and sixth grades. Journal of Direct Instruction, 1(1), 57—71.
4.
Engelmann, S. (1969). Preventing failure in the primary grades. Chicago: Science Research Associates.
5.
Engelmann, S. (1997). Theory of mastery and acceleration. In J. W. Lloyd, E. J. Kameenui , & D. Chard (Eds.), Issues in educating students with disabilities (pp. 177—195). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
6.
Fox, N., & Ysseldyke, J.E. (1997). Implementing inclusion at the middle school level: Lessons from a negative example. Exceptional Children, 64, 81—98.
7.
Grossen, B. (Ed.). (1993). Focus: Heterogeneous versus homogeneous grouping. E fective School Practices, 12(1).
8.
Kauffman, J.M. (1999). Commentary: Today's special education and its messages for tomorrow. The Journal of Special Education, 32, 244—254.
9.
Kauffman, J.M. (2002). Education deform: Bright people sometimes say stupid things about education. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Education.
10.
Kauffman, J.M. (2003). Appearances, stigma, and prevention. Remedial and Special Education, 24, 195—198.
11.
Kauffman, J.M., Bantz, J., & McCullough, J. (2002). Separate and better: A special public school class for students with emotional and behavioral disorders . Exceptionality, 10, 149—170.
12.
Kauffman, J.M., & Hallahan, D.P. (1997). A diversity of restrictive environments: Placement as a problem of social ecology. In J. W. Lloyd, E. J. Kameenui , & D. Chard (Eds.), Issues in educating students with disabilities (pp. 325—342). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
13.
Kauffman, J.M., & Hallahan, D.P. (2005). Special education: What it is and why we need it. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
14.
Kauffman, J.M., & Landrum, T.J. (in press). Educational service interventions and reforms. In J. W. Jacobson & J. A. Mulick (Eds.), Handbook of mental retardation and developmental disabilities. New York: Kluwer.
15.
Landrum, T.J., Tankersley, M., & Kauffman, J.M. (2003). What's special about special education for students with emotional and behavioral disorders?The Journal of Special Education, 37, 148—156.
16.
Library of America. (1976). Mark Twain: Collected tales, sketches, speeches, and essays, 1891—1910 . New York: Mark Twain Foundation .
17.
MacMillan, D.L., Gresham, F.M., & Forness, S.R. (1996). Full inclusion: An empirical perspective. Behavioral Disorders, 21, 145—159.
18.
Mathews, J. (2003, November 11). No Child Left Behind Act: Facts and fiction. Washington Post, p. A8.
19.
Mock, D., & Kauffman, J.M. (2002). Preparing teachers for full inclusion: Is it possible?The Teacher Educator, 37, 202—215.
20.
Mock, D.R., & Kauffman, J.M. (2005). The delusion of full inclusion . In J. W. Jacobson, J. A. Mulick, & R. M. Foxx (Eds.), Fads: Dubious and improbable treatments for developmental disabilities (pp. 113—128). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
21.
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, 20 U.S.C. § 6301 et seq. (2002).
22.
Vaughn, S., Moody, S.W., & Schumm, J.S. (1998). Broken promises: Reading instruction in the resource room. Exceptional Children, 64, 211—225.
23.
Zigmond, N. (1997). Educating students with disabilities: The future of special education. In J. W. Lloyd, E. J. Kameenui, & D. Chard (Eds.), Issues in educating students with disabilities (pp. 377—390). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum .
24.
Zigmond, N. (2003). Where should students with disabilities receive special education services? Is one place better than another?The Journal of Special Education, 37, 193—199.