Educating All Students in School: Attitudes and Beliefs about Inclusion

Abstract

With the passage and implementation of 94-142, all children were guaranteed the right to a free and appropriate education. Recently, concerns have been voiced about the efficacy of the parallel systems of regular, entitlement, and special education which have developed. The general education reform movement has grown out of these concerns and provides an opportunity to restructure the education system to include all students. Fear and uncertainty surround the inclusion movement.

The purpose of this study was to survey the beliefs and attitudes regarding the inclusion of all students in the school community in a mid-sized Colorado school district held by school district personnel. A 44% response rate was obtained and data indicated significant differences held by elementary and secondary teaching staff. Further respondents indicated a need for more time for cooperative planning time and that the issue of inclusion had created tensions within their buildings.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Anderlegg

M. L.

, & Vergason

G. A.

(1988). An analysis of one of the cornerstones of the regular education initiative. Focus on Exceptional Children, 20, 1–6.

Davis

W. E.

(1989). The regular education initiative debate: Its promises and problems. Exceptional Children, 55, 440–447.

Fuchs

, & Fuchs

L. S.

(1988). Evaluation of the adaptive learning model. Exceptional Children, 55, 115–127.

Hagerty

G. J.

, & Abramson

(1987). Impediments to implementing national policy change for mildly handicapped students. Exceptional Children, 53, 315–323.

Hallahan

D. P.

, Keller

C. E.

, McKinney

J. D.

, Lloyd

J. W.

, & Bryan

(1988). Examining the research base of the regular education initiative: Efficacy studies and the adaptive learning environment model. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 21, 29–35.

Lilly

M. S.

(1987). Lack of focus on special education in literature on education reform. Exceptional Children, 53, 325–326.

Reynolds

M. C.

, Wang

, & Walberg

H. J.

(1987). The necessary restructuring of special and regular education. Exceptional Children, 53, 391–398.

Roach

(1991). Special Education: New questions in an era of reform. The State Board Connection Issues in Brief, 11(6), 1–16.

Shepard

L. A.

(1987). The new push for excellence: Widening the schism between regular and special education. Exceptional Children, 53, 327–329.

10.

Wang

M. C.

, Reynolds

M. C.

, & Walberg

H. J.

(1986). Rethinking special education. Educational Leadership, 44(1), 26–32.

11.

Welburn

(1991). The American Tapestry Educating a nation. Alexandria, Va: National Association of State Boards of Education.

12.

Will

M. C.

(1986). Educating children with learning problems: A shared responsibility. Exceptional Children, 52, 411–415.