Inclusion of Students with Mild Disabilities: Accessing the General Curriculum

Inclusion in general education classrooms is generally believed to have many benefits for students with disabilities. However, relatively little is known about the process of successful inclusion. The broad purpose of this study was to explore the process of inclusion. It sought to discover the variables that may have contributed to the learning experiences and outcomes of two students with mild disabilities in a general education classroom. The intent was to document the students’ experiences as they related to instruction, their peers without disabilities, and teacher supports in an effort to aid teachers and others in implementing inclusion in classroom settings. Fulfilling the mandate of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that students with disabilities be provided with positive educational experiences and maximum access to peers without disabilities. The legal mandate is unambiguous about what needs to be done where inclusion is concerned. What is not clear is how to accomplish successful inclusion. We know relatively little about the process of inclusion. What is needed is research identifying the classroom variables that contribute to positive learning experiences and outcomes for students with disabilities in general education classrooms. This qualitative research sought to describe the process of inclusion. Specifically this study describes observations and analyses of the experiences of two students with mild disabilities who participated in the general education curriculum in a setting which adhered to the theory and procedures of an approach called Fostering a Community of Learners (FCL), developed by Brown and colleagues (Brown, 1992; Brown & Campione, 1994; 1996). The primary focus of the study was on the 1 Ornelles: Inclusion of Students with Mild Disabilities: Accessing the Gener Published by CORE Scholar, 2006 students’ responses to and interactions with (a) instruction, (b) their peers without disabilities, and (c) teacher supports. The FCL curriculum addresses the learning needs of students with diverse abilities. It supports the inclusion of students with disabilities by providing a flexible curriculum that addresses individual learning needs, instructional activities that capitalize on students’ unique talents and expertise, and an environment that supports peer collaboration. Most of the research with FCL has been in general education classes that did not include students with disabilities. However, the data suggest the effectiveness of the approach in supporting students with exceptional learning needs (Campione, Gordon, Brown, Rutherford, & Walker, 1994). An example is reciprocal teaching, one of the practices in FCL, which strengthens reading comprehension in struggling learners (Palincsar & Brown, 1984). Three aspects of the FCL approach that are pertinent to including students with disabilities are (a) multiple zones of proximal development, (b) legitimization of differences, and (c) communities of practice (Brown & Campione, 1994; 1996). Multiple zones of proximal development is a concept based on Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development (ZPD) (Vygotsky, 1978). Vygotsky described the ZPD as the distance between a child’s actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers. Said another way, a student can perform a task under adult guidance or with peer collaboration that he or she could not achieve alone. The ZPD is that area between what is known and what can be known. Vygotsky claimed that the ZPD is where learning occurs. Brown’s elaboration of Vygotsky’s concept recognizes that individuals possess numerous areas of strength and weakness. Brown and colleagues contend that students have multiple ZPDs and they may be functioning at a different level in each ZPD. Rather than focusing exclusively on remediation and skill-building, 2 Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education, Vol. 1, No. 10 [2006], Art. 4 https://corescholar.libraries. wright.edu/ejie/vol1/iss10/4 recognition and validation of students’ areas of strengths in those learning processes will promote confidence and increased motivation. Legitimization of differences emphasizes the importance of providing concepts in different ways and varying the rate of presentation. Because formal schooling groups children by age and grade level, teachers sometimes forget that every one of the same age and grade does not learn at the same rate or with similar materials. FCL encourages students to revisit material in different ways so that they develop a thorough knowledge base, more mature understanding, and fluent skills. Content is recycled across time in different forms, providing sufficient repetition to engage and reinforce students. Students come to connect personally and in depth with concepts and materials. Communities of practice are a learning approach that relies on interactions between students, and between teachers and students to support understanding and acquisition of new concepts and skills. Students join together with one another and with their teachers for the purpose of expressing and clarifying their ideas, and getting feedback and guidance. In the group or community context, students are exposed to diverse perspectives and continual sharing of ideas. In the process of assuming multiple and overlapping roles (learner, peer tutor), students learn to value and respect diversity. They also gain new insights and a broader understanding of new concepts. The Challenges of Inclusion The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2002 and recent amendments to the IDEA have increased access to the general education curriculum. The most recent data suggest that 95% of students with disabilities are included in general classroom settings for at least part of the school day and 32% for most of the day (Annual Report to Congress, 2003). Despite the increased inclusion of students with disabilities in general education classes, there continues to be a paucity of information about the processes that facilitate inclusion. The lack of information on inclusion processes has fueled continuing 3 Ornelles: Inclusion of Students with Mild Disabilities: Accessing the Gener Published by CORE Scholar, 2006 skepticism as to whether schools can meet the attendant challenges (Albritten, Mainzer, & Ziegler, 2004). Most teachers recognize that general education environments place very different academic and social demands on students with disabilities than separate special education environments. The obvious differences are (a) less individual, guided adult support, (b) the need for more initiative, independence, and self-sufficiency, and (c) the expectation that students will demonstrate organizational and long-term planning skills in the general education setting. There are undoubtedly many less obvious differences. A better understanding of these differences will make it possible for teachers to be more facilitative and supportive of students with disabilities. Research Questions The broad purpose of this study was to explore the process of inclusion to identify variables that may contribute to the learning experiences and outcomes of students with mild disabilities in general education classrooms. The central research questions were: How do students with disabilities experience the instructional demands in a general education classroom? How do students with disabilities experience their peers without disabilities in a general education classroom? What supports did the teacher provide in the general education classroom to facilitate successful inclusion? Methods Qualitative research methods were used to capture the breadth and depth of the participants’ experiences and their personal perspectives. The study is a naturalistic inquiry which examined changes over time to gain an understanding of how two students with disabilities were responding and adjusting to the general education classroom. Setting The setting was an elementary school close to a large urban area. Compared to other elementary schools in the district, it was a relatively small school with enrollments ranging from 230-270 4 Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education, Vol. 1, No. 10 [2006], Art. 4 https://corescholar.libraries. wright.edu/ejie/vol1/iss10/4 students. The school had a high enrollment of minority students, including African American (75.1%), Hispanic (9.4%) and Asian (6.8%) students. Nearly 11% of the school population reported English as a second language and 48.3% of the students received free or reduced school lunch (a federal poverty indicator, http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Lunch/). The average class size was 24.4 students (EdData, 2005). Several classrooms in the school were comprised of mixed grade level students (K-1; 1-2; 2-3). The general education classroom in which the study took place had 29 first and second graders and one general education teacher. Students were 6 and 7 years old. There were some changes to the class composition during the school year. Two new students entered the class at different points in the school year and one student transferred to another school mid-year. Academic abilities in this class ranged from students who were proficient readers at the second grade level to students who were emerging readers and writers. The latter were working on readiness skills such as letter names and sounds. The teacher was experienced, having incorporated the FCL approach for four years when this study began. Having included students with special needs in varied classroom activities (e.g., reading period, morning routines) over the past years, she was receptive to having students with disabilities join her class. Participants The two students observed for this study were Erica and Gabe. The Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for both students indicated that they wer