A generation ago, few classrooms in the United States included students with disabilities. But special education changed with the passage of the 1975 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and its 1997 amendments. That landmark legislation moved children with special needs from segregated classrooms into regular classrooms. The resources on this page examine how schools -- and affected students -- are doing.
Learn More About Inclusive Classrooms
Principals Solve Inclusion Challenges
Five principals are facing -- and overcoming -- the obstacles to inclusion. In spite of budget and staffing constraints, they are committed to educating all students in the least restrictive setting. Here they share ideas for creating an inclusive environment.
What Does An 'Inclusive' School Look Like?
What does a truly inclusive school look like? An online booklet, Improving Education: The Promise of Inclusive Schooling, offers a close-up view of inclusive education. The booklet includes a questionnaire to help educators evaluate and improve their schools.
Inclusion Can Work -- Without Too Much Work!
Janice Robertson looks forward to integrating special-needs students into her sixth-grade science classes. That wasn't always the case, though. The simple modifications she made to her usual teaching practices benefit all students in her classes.
Special Education Inclusion: Making It Work
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandates that children with disabilities be educated with children who do not have disabilities. Education World examines the characteristics of effective inclusion.
Inclusion: Has It Gone Too Far?
Inclusion of all children with disabilities in regular classrooms seems to be the law of the land. But is it the right thing for all kids? And how are teachers handling it?
Does Inclusion Help or Hurt Students?
The philosophy behind inclusive schools is that all children have the right to be educated with their peers in regular classrooms in neighborhood schools. The question is, can it be done? Read what teachers who have done it say about the reality of inclusive education!
Understanding Kids Who Are Different: Activities for Teaching About Disabilities
In the classroom, every day is a day when special students need to be recognized, appreciated, and understood. These on-line resources will help all educators teach students about the special needs -- and unique strengths -- of people with disabilities.
Inclusion
