Inclusive Schools
"Inclusion is the opposite of segregation and isolation. Segregated, specialized education creates a permanent underclass of students, with a strong message to these students that they do not "cut the mustard," and that they do not fit or belong. Segregation assumes that the right to belong is earned rather than an unconditional human right," - Falvey, Givner and Kimm.
"To the maximum extent appropriate, handicapped children, including those children in public and private institutions or other car facilities, are educated with children who are not handicapped, and that special classes. Separate schooling, or other removal of handicapped children from the regular educational environment occurs only when the nature or severity of the handicap is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily." - P.L. 94-142, Section 1412 [5] [B]
"Academically, inclusive classrooms afford an obvious boon. Additional staff dedicated to kids with learning disabilities lowers the overall student-to-teacher ratio. Smaller groups and more individualized instruction (a necessity for children with disabilities) usually means a boost for everyone in the classroom.Some of the adaptations made for children with disabilities may benefit other students as well. A PA system installed for a hearing-impaired student helps the entire class hear the teacher better. A visual schedule that outlines the day’s plan turns out to be a great organizing tool for all students.As for the harder-to-measure benefits, many parents report that their children enrolled in inclusive classrooms are more compassionate, have better social skills and higher self-esteem, and are more open to the needs of others. Staub’s research found that typical children in inclusive classrooms exhibited increased patience with slower learners and more ease with people with disabilities." - Valle Dwight
"Academically, inclusive classrooms afford an obvious boon. Additional staff dedicated to kids with learning disabilities lowers the overall student-to-teacher ratio. Smaller groups and more individualized instruction (a necessity for children with disabilities) usually means a boost for everyone in the classroom.Some of the adaptations made for children with disabilities may benefit other students as well. A PA system installed for a hearing-impaired student helps the entire class hear the teacher better. A visual schedule that outlines the day’s plan turns out to be a great organizing tool for all students.As for the harder-to-measure benefits, many parents report that their children enrolled in inclusive classrooms are more compassionate, have better social skills and higher self-esteem, and are more open to the needs of others. Staub’s research found that typical children in inclusive classrooms exhibited increased patience with slower learners and more ease with people with disabilities." - Valle Dwight
“Our son seems to be growing up to be a kind and compassionate kid. And I think having a classmate with a disability was part of helping him become that.” - Bill Grundfest
"This commitment [to form inclusive schools] requires that we believe that each child can learn and succeed, that diversity enriches us all, that students at risk for failure can overcome that risk through involvement in a thoughtful and caring community of learners, that each child has strengths and needs, and that effective learning results from the collaborative efforts of us all to ensure the success of each student." - Falvey, Givner and Kimm.