scholarly journals Status of Inclusive Educational Placement for Students With Extensive and Pervasive Support Needs

Inclusion ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 83-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary E. Morningstar ◽  
Jennifer A. Kurth
Keyword(s):  
General Education ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Support Needs ◽  
Educational Placement ◽  
General Education Curriculum ◽  
Disabilities Education Act ◽  
Policies And Procedures ◽  
Education Act ◽  
Restrictive Environment

Abstract Reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 2004 established procedural mandates and accountability requirements ensuring all students with disabilities participate and progress in general education curriculum. Broadly speaking, improvements toward greater access have been found for many students with disabilities; however, the extent to which this holds true for students with extensive and pervasive support needs is not evident. Past research associated with least restrictive environment (LRE) for students with extensive and pervasive support needs was considered when replicating previous research using the cumulative placement rate to analyze LRE data for students with extensive and pervasive support needs (autism, intellectual disability, deaf blindness, and multiple disabilities). Results indicate that student with extensive and pervasive support needs have substantially less positive LRE placement trends over the past 15 years with most placed in separate classrooms and settings. Recommendations for transforming federal and state policies and procedures are shared.

Who Are the Classmates of Students With Disabilities in Elementary Mathematics Classrooms?

2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison F. Gilmour ◽  
Gary T. Henry
Keyword(s):  
General Education ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Least Restrictive Environment ◽  
Fifth Grade ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Students With Learning Disabilities ◽  
Mathematics Classrooms ◽  
Disabilities Education Act ◽  
Education Act ◽  
Restrictive Environment

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act stresses the importance of educating students with disabilities (SWDs) in the least restrictive environment, often with peers who do not have disabilities. Prior research has examined the extent to which SWDs are included in general education classrooms, but not the characteristics of the peers with whom SWDs are educated. We examined the math classmates of fourth- and fifth-grade SWDs from one state. On average, SWDs were grouped with twice as many other SWDs, about four per class, than students without disabilities. Students with learning disabilities had fewer peers with disabilities in their classrooms than students with other disabilities. Students with intellectual disabilities, autism, or emotional/behavioral disorders more often had peers with disabilities, often their same disability. Our results provide directions for future research regarding peer effects and understanding how schools group SWDs.

The Foundation of Inclusion in Federal Legislation and Litigation

2017 ◽  
pp. 27-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mitchell L. Yell ◽  
Christine A. Christle
Keyword(s):  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Least Restrictive Environment ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Student Placement ◽  
Placement Decisions ◽  
Disabilities Education Act ◽  
Federal Mandate ◽  
Education Act ◽  
Restrictive Environment ◽  
Historical Antecedents

The foundation of inclusion in special education law is the least restrictive environment (LRE) mandate of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This federal mandate requires that all students with disabilities receive their education with students without disabilities to the maximum extent appropriate. Our purpose in this chapter is to examine the legal basis of inclusion. We first review the historical antecedents of inclusion. Second, we examine the LRE mandate and the student placement requirements of the IDEA. Third, we survey the most important case law rulings regarding LRE and the placement of students with disabilities. Fourth, we consider strategies that have been used to promote inclusive placements and briefly review the literature on these strategies. We end this chapter by offering principles to guide IEP team members in making educationally beneficial and legally correct placement decisions for students with disabilities.

Being in the Right Place at the Right Time: Educational Placement of Students With Intellectual Disability by State and Year

Inclusion ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 210-221
Author(s):  
Eric J. Anderson ◽  
Matthew E. Brock
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
General Education ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Least Restrictive Environment ◽  
Educational Placement ◽  
Placement Decisions ◽  
Federal Mandate ◽  
Restrictive Environment ◽  
The Right ◽  
General Education Classrooms

Abstract Despite the longstanding federal mandate to place students with disabilities in general education classrooms to the maximum extent appropriate, most students with intellectual disability continue to spend most of their time in separate classrooms and schools. In this study, we describe longitudinal educational placement patterns in six states that represent the wide span of educational placement (i.e., Vermont, Kentucky, Kansas, Massachusetts, Illinois, and Montana). Surprisingly, some states are trending toward more restrictive placements, and the gap between the most and least inclusive states is continuing to widen over time. We offer constructive suggestions for appropriately applying the principle of least restrictive environment so that placement decisions are driven by student needs and not where students live.

Perspectives on the Future of IDEA

1997 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 61-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael L. Hardman ◽  
John McDonnell ◽  
Marshall Welch
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Public Education ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Individualized Education Program ◽  
Federal Law ◽  
Individualized Education ◽  
Disabilities Education Act ◽  
Education Act ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Restrictive Environment

Since its original passage in 1975 as Public Law 94-142, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has been the cornerstone of practice in special education. This federal law has enabled all eligible students with disabilities to access a free and appropriate public education. During the past 2 years, the 104th Congress has debated vigorously some of the law's basic tenets (e.g., definition of disability, content of the individualized education plan [IEP], parental rights to attorneys, fees, discipline, and placement). The basic requirements of the law remain intact and continue to shape the scope and content of special education. This article addresses whether or not the assumptions upon which IDEA is based remain valid as we approach the 21st century. We critique these assumptions within the context of four requirements of IDEA: (a) eligibility and labeling, (b) free and appropriate public education, (c) the individualized education program (IEP), and (d) the least restrictive environment. Recommendations for changes in existing law relative to each of the above requirements are presented.

Curricular Philosophies Reflected in Individualized Education Program Goals for Students With Complex Support Needs

2021 ◽  
Vol 59 (4) ◽  
pp. 283-294
Author(s):  
Jennifer A. Kurth ◽  
Elissa Lockman-Turner ◽  
Kathryn Burke ◽  
Andrea L. Ruppar
Keyword(s):  
General Education ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Education Program ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Individualized Education Program ◽  
Severe Disabilities ◽  
Support Needs ◽  
Individualized Education ◽  
General Education Curriculum ◽  
K 12

Abstract Individualized education program (IEP) goals are meant to be personalized to address the unique needs of students with disabilities, while also reflecting the student's grade-aligned general education curriculum. IEP goals describe what, how, and where students with disabilities are taught, and reflect the curriculum used to provide instruction. In this study, we analyzed how IEP goals align with the different curricular philosophies for students with severe disabilities. Using a sample of 88 IEPs for students with complex support needs (i.e., severe disabilities) in Grades K-12, we found most goals (57%) reflect curricular philosophies of the 1970s–1990s (i.e., developmental, functional, and social inclusion) eras, with only 26% of IEP goals representative of modern curricular philosophies (i.e., grade-aligned academic content). We also found secondary-aged students were less likely to have grade-aligned academic goals compared to elementary-aged students. We offer implications for ensuring individualization and goals reflecting skills needed for the 21st century.

Building Inclusive Learning Environments With 1:1 Devices

2020 ◽  
pp. 016264342092306
Author(s):  
Kathryn Nieves
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
General Education ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Implementation Strategies ◽  
Disabilities Education Act ◽  
Inclusive Learning ◽  
Education Act ◽  
General Education Classrooms ◽  
Common Device

With emphasis placed on the least restrictive learning environments under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), students with disabilities are often placed in general education classrooms. As a result, the discussion of inclusion strategies has increased in special education. The rise in 1:1 device initiatives offers the inclusionary practice of giving all students within a school access to their own device, with Google’s Chromebook and Apple’s iPad being among the most common device choices. This article explains the potential uses of 1:1 devices for students in inclusion settings, including built-in accessibility features and implementation strategies for educators.

scholarly journals Teachers' Instructional Competencies for Including Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in General Education Settings

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren M. Keaney
Keyword(s):  
Developmental Disabilities ◽  
General Education ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
General Education Teachers ◽  
Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities ◽  
Students With Special Needs ◽  
Instructional Competencies ◽  
Education Act ◽  
Low Incidence ◽  
Restrictive Environment

The inclusion of students with disabilities in general education settings has increased particularly since 2004 due to the least restrictive environment provisions outlined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). However, research has shown that general education teachers are ill prepared to teach students with disabilities, especially those with severe or low incidence disabilities. The current study explored the knowledge and skills required of general education teachers seeking to include students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). We interviewed experienced teachers of students with I/DD to gain insight into such competencies. Participants were three educators (two teachers and one school director) in an elementary school for students with special needs. The participants discussed teaching methods and curriculum considerations relevant to including students with I/DD in general education settings. Data were analyzed utilizing pattern coding to generate categories and larger themes. Discussion and implications of these findings are offered.

Under the Law

2018 ◽  
Vol 100 (3) ◽  
pp. 66-67
Author(s):  
Julie Underwood
Keyword(s):  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Grade Level ◽  
Regular Education ◽  
Least Restrictive Environment ◽  
Academic Progress ◽  
Department Of Education ◽  
Disabilities Education Act ◽  
Education Act ◽  
Restrictive Environment ◽  
Circuit Courts

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that students with disabilities be educated in the least restrictive environment, meaning the environment that is as close as possible to that of a regular education classroom. However, the nation’s various circuit courts have used different standards to determine whether a particular placement meets this requirement. Julie Underwood summarizes a recent Sixth Circuit case, L.H. v. Hamilton County Department of Education, in which the court ruled that it was inappropriate for a district to remove a child with Down syndrome from a regular classroom, where he was making academic progress but not achieving the grade-level standard.

Model vs. Continuum

2015 ◽  
pp. 50-68
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Least Restrictive Environment ◽  
The United States ◽  
Court Cases ◽  
Educational Placement ◽  
Circuit Court ◽  
Disabilities Education Act ◽  
The Supreme Court ◽  
Education Act ◽  
Restrictive Environment

This chapter focuses on the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), as it is one of the most controversial and litigated topics in the field of special education, because the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act does not provide any guidelines on how this requirement needs to be met. Since the Supreme Court of the United States will not hear a case about LRE, this chapter also presents several circuit court cases that have attempted to interpret the law using an assessment they developed. In addition, the chapter reviews several continuum models that attempt to ease the burden for schools and their districts as they contemplate the best educational placement for a student with exceptionalities. The chapter concludes with a discussion about the future trends for special education and LRE.

Least Restrictive Environment and the Education of Children with Disabilities

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark C. Weber
Keyword(s):  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Children With Disabilities ◽  
Least Restrictive Environment ◽  
The United States ◽  
Special Education Law ◽  
Disabilities Education Act ◽  
Education Act ◽  
Restrictive Environment ◽  
Appropriate Education

This chapter discusses the obligation in the federal special education law to provide education to children with disabilities in the least restrictive environment. It describes the relevant statutory and regulatory provisions and the prominent cases, and explores ongoing scholarly controversies about the least restrictive environment requirement and its application. The chapter observes that disputes over the least restrictive environment for a given child are often disputes over the range of accommodations and services that the schools must provide so that appropriate education of a child with disabilities may be achieved without separating the child from peers who do not have disabilities. Both the text and the judicial interpretations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act operate in such a way that the negative command to not segregate students with disabilities becomes a positive command to afford services to make inclusive education work. The chapter concludes by briefly comparing the developments in the United States with those in other countries.

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