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Including
ESE students into the regular classroom
Federal
laws require that schools should try to place students who
have been identified as having special needs in the least
restrictive classroom environment. Schools have
developed integrated models to try to provide the equal
access to educational situations for all students through
programs such as mainstreaming, inclusion, and collaboration.
With these program it may be necessary to provide assistive
technologies and other accommodations in order for the child
to be able to fully function and participate in the class.
Mainstreaming
The
initial mainstreaming programs grew from effort to comply
with Education for all Handicapped Children Act (PL
94-142). In mainstreaming students with disabilities
are places in "regular" classes, if possible.
Mainstreamed students still retain the special education
student classification and while they participate in a
regular classroom, the primary responsibility for planning
and tracking of student progress occurs with the special
education teacher.
Inclusion
The
basic premise with inclusion is that all students should take
part and attend "regular" classes, unless a school
can document reasons that they should not. Generally,
an ESE and regular education teacher work together with the
same group of students, including students with disabilities
and general education students. Both of the teachers share
the responsibility for all of the students. This kind
of co-teaching model can range from one or two courses to the
full teaching day.
Cooperative Consultation/Collaboration
With
this program style the special education teachers are
assigned to the special duty of collaborating or consulting
with regular classroom teachers to help special students
adjust to the classroom and support the regular teacher in
meeting their academic needs. This program does not
have the ESE consult teacher having regular direction contact
with the student. The consulting teacher also ensures
that proper test and instructional accommodations and
modifications are being followed as put forth in the
student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP).
Mainstreaming
and inclusion are educational delivery systems that are
designed to provide for a student's right to a free and
appropriate public education (FAPE) in what has been
determined to be the least restrictive environment (LRE), the
standard classroom.
An additional aspect of IDEA (99-457) is
that student’s with disability also have to have a
Individual Transition Plan (ITP) as well as their IEP, after
age 14. This transition plan should show how their
educational experiences would help prepare them for the world
of work.
In every case it is important that all
teachers provide students with:
