Culminating project: mainstreaming and inclusion: Report and content area unit

Culminating project: mainstreaming and inclusion: Report and content area unit
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LRE (Least Restrictive Environment) is the requirement in federal law expecting SWD (students with disabilities) to obtain their education to the best appropriate level with nondisabled students, and that disabled students can only be removed from regular classes when their conditions cannot allow education to regular classes be conducted effectively (Sam, 2014). Mainstreaming and Inclusion are not defined in state statutes or federal legislation, but terms which have been formed by educators to define different ways of meeting the LRE requirements of special education law. In 1975, the Congress passed the enactment of Public Law 94-142, which was the special education law. Based on that law, the ideas of mainstreaming emerged and later inclusion was developed. Mainstreaming and Inclusion are different academic programs designed for IEP students. Individualized Education Program (IEP) is known as a legal document that defines a specific educational program designed and required particularly for children with special needs and requirements. Mainstreaming and Inclusion are two different programs that have become in schools.
Mainstreaming is a program that enables children with disabilities attend regular classroom for their academic and social benefits. Ruck (2007) argues that these students are expected to learn similar materials like the rest of other students without disabilities, but modifications are done through assessments and adjustments. Students with disabilities are placed part-time in special education and part-time in general education. Through support of general and special education teachers, students with disabilities are placed in the general education classroom for part of other school day-time and also placed in the special education classes to learn with other students with other disabilities.
On the other hand, inclusion is a another program that expect students with disabilities not to go for special education classes, but to attend general education classes where they get obtain regular education and special support they require (Trisha, 2014). This implies that the special education teacher comes to the general education classroom teach students with disabilities with their peers and provide instruction and assistance to students with disabilities within the context of the lesson. These educators adapt the curriculum for students with disabilities and offer direct support and instruction to them. Inclusion does not expect students with disabilities to move from special education classroom to regular education classroom or vice verse, but to obtain education in regular education classroom together with students without disabilities. Both mainstreaming and inclusion programs are placement options that are founded on the definition of the Least-Restrictive Environment.
Sam (2014) views that American public schools were only educating one out of five children with disabilities before the passage of the EHA (Education for All Handicapped Children Act) in 1975. About 200,000 children with disabilities lived in state institutions which offered inadequate or no rehabilitation or educational services. Furthermore, more than one million children were excluded from going to school. Another 3.3 million children with disabilities were attending schools, though did not obtain the educational services they required. Most of these children were segregated in special programs or buildings which neither allow them to socialize with non-disabled students nor offered them with basic academic skills.
Later EHA was renamed the IDEA (Independent with Disabilities Education Act) that required schools to offer specialized educational services to children with disabilities (Michelle, Teri and Christi, 2014). The aim was to assist these students to live more independent and reliable lives in their communities; thus mandating public school systems to offer general education standards to these special students. During initial period, children with disabilities were placed in special education classrooms; however, this made it difficult to address their problems effectively. In 1980’s, the mainstreaming model started to be often utilized as a consequence of the requirement that demand children to be placed in the least restrictive environment. Students with disabilities were integrated into regular education classrooms for few hours a day while also attending special education. Many teachers and parents preferred this method as it enabled students with disabilities to learn together with their nondisabled peers.
IDEA was reformed to strengthen the requirements for effectively integrating students with disabilities. Federal law mandated all public schools to be responsible for catering the cost of offering free public education (Ruck, 2007). In order to assist special students, educators are expected to ensure that IEPs are clearly related to the general-education curriculum, these students are included in local and state assessments like primary and high school exit exams, and develop regular progress reports. Currently, mainstreaming or inclusion program is used to place children in the regular education classrooms. Special children can be placed in a less restrictive environment depending on the severity or nature of the disability. Nowadays, the policy of placing SWD in regular classes in commonly known as inclusion. Lani (2012) identifies that, even though, inclusion program is popularly embraced, there is still need to retain special classes and special schools because regular class placement may not completely give the best learning environment for certain children with disabilities.
Retaining special classes and special school is still relevant as this enables responsible choice to be derived regarding the most effective educational setting for every individual with a disability (Trisha, 2014). Nowadays, inclusion is seen as a right of every child with special need. There is an increasing number of SWD being integrated into the mainstream school across the country. This has a great impact on the responsibility of the regular class teachers who are now expected to meet the needs of the diverse children. The right of every child to be educated in the regular classroom has influenced policy-making decisions in the education sector across the country where inclusion in mainstream is the accepted placement model for SWD.
Michelle, Teri and Christi (2014) present that under the provision of IDEA; school districts have the responsibility of creating and implementing an IEP for every child with disabilities. The State educational agency has a duty to make certain that every school district creates and implements an IEP for every child with disabilities and ensure that the requirements of IDEA are met. The State government has a role to make certain that requirements of special education and other related services are offered. Every State government may utilize whatever federal, local and States resources of support available to offer special education and other related services. Under IDEA, State governments and school districts are encouraged to develop innovative approaches to maximize exploitation of available resources, and organize curriculum modification, classroom arrangements, instruments and equipments, teaching styles, peer-mediated support and cooperative learning.
School districts work to identify special needs of SWD and determine the best educational provision suitable for the needs of every child (Sharon and Jane, 2012). Arrangements are made to offer education requirements for SWD through partial or full inclusion in mainstream schools, through special classes in mainstream schools or other special arrangements depending on the circumstances of every child. Support services are put into place to facilitate the relationship between regular class teachers, remedial teachers including other support teachers.
Inclusion is an important academic program. It is evident that SWD who are integrated with inclusion program have increased academic achievement. Inclusion is more academically efficient than exclusion practices. Both full-time and part-time inclusion placements have proven important as they enable students with disabilities to develop their academic skills (Ruck, 2007). Being placed in a regular education setting helps SWD to be more confident and gain self-esteem and better social skills. Inclusion program has benefits to SWD. Inclusions help these children to increase positive peer interaction, development of perception and attitude and improve their social and communication skills.
However, inclusion can be disadvant...