ABSTRACT

Numerous descriptions of inclusive schools appear in the literature of general education, special education, and international education. Collectively, this literature describes inclusive schools as those in which all students, regardless of abilities, gender, socio-economic status, race, or other defi ning variables, are valued and active participants in all aspects of educational contexts (i.e., both academic and social) in which students that represent the majority of their society participate. Also emphasized in the literature is the critical nature of the provision of the supports and services that lead to opportunities for students to succeed across these contexts (Artiles, Kozleski, & Waitoller, 2011; Baglieri & Shapiro, 2012; Bauer & Brown, 2001; Jackson, Ryndak, & Wehmeyer, 2010; Kluth, 2003; McLeskey, Rosenberg, & Westling, 2010). Along with U.S. legislation (IDEA, 2004; NCLB, 2001) and U.S. national initiatives (e.g., Race to the Top, 2011), this literature argues for the: (a) use of supports and services that refl ect evidence-based practices (Downing, 2010; Snell & Brown, 2011) which are embedded within multi-tiered systems of support (e.g., PBIS; RtI) (Eber, Sugai, Smith, & Scott, 2002; Fisher & Frey, 2010; Lewis & Sugai, 1999; Rose & Meyer, 2002); (b) design, implementation, and evaluation of instruction by highly qualifi ed teachers (DarlingHammond & Youngs, 2002); (c) use of high-stakes accountability measures to assess the progress of students collectively and in pre-determined sub-groups (NCLB, 2001); and (d) the evaluation of each teacher’s performance based on their students’ progress (Danielson & McGreal, 2005; NCLB, 2001).