Although inclusion has been a value set forth in international policy arenas and a focus for school development research indicate the problems in establishing more inclusive practices. Although teachers may favor an inclusive model of education, they may experience difficulties in the implementation of inclusive practices. The aim of this article…

During the 1980s Canadian teachers' associations became deeply immersed in the reform movement that called for the inclusion of students with special needs into general classrooms. Associations raised issues surrounding inclusive schooling, particularly in regard to the conditions of teaching and learning. As inclusion evolved into a dominant…

Drawing on the insights of critical disability studies, this article addresses anxieties frequently articulated by academic staff around the implementation of the United Kingdom's Disability Discrimination Act: how to accommodate the needs of students with "hidden" impairments. Following the social model of disability, it argues that…

Inclusion and detracking policies seek to remedy the pervasive inequality of educational opportunities in U.S. schools by building classrooms that are integrated across the lines of race/ethnicity, class, and disability and that offer all students access to a rich and challenging curriculum. In practice, however, teachers often struggle with the…

Dr. Stephen R. Pickard is currently serving as an adjunct professor at Gardner-Webb University located in Boiling Springs North Carolina. He is a retired educator having served 21 years as a classroom teacher at both the middle and elementary levels. In addition to his service as a classroom teacher, Dr. Pickard served as a public school…

This article describes changes experienced by a multidisciplinary team of the Center for Learning Disabilities in Tirat Carmel, Israel, in the wake of the enactment of the country's Special Education Law. Over the course of several years, the team working at the Center was able to adapt to the changes, while preserving the professional level of…

The article reviews theoretical and research bases for the design and effects of the adaptive instructional approach for students with special needs in the regular classroom. Research indicates that the program can be implemented in a variety of school settings when supported by systematic staff development and organizational support. (Author/DB)

This paper explores the difficulties of extending good, workable educational ideas to entire schools or districts. Two restructured schools that participated in a 4-year collaborative project that involved multi-age primary classrooms, inclusion of special-needs students in regular classrooms, and increasing specificity in assessing student…

Suggests that if inclusion programs are implemented correctly, students with special needs will begin to have more success stories, which will help educators find a pathway out of the dead ends of the inclusion maze. (RS)

The paper examines parental views regarding the implementation of Educational Legislation 113(I)/99 in Cyprus regarding the integration of children with special needs in the mainstream school. It is based on parental interviews which were taken in the course of a large research project regarding the implementation of the new legislation in primary…

A growing number of schools are engaged in efforts to become more inclusive in their service delivery and educational practices. To date, accounts of principals involved in reform efforts have largely been absent from the research literature. To address this need, this study examined the perspectives and experiences of eight principals who were…

The SMART planning system is examined as a tool for teachers working toward the successful inclusion of children with disabilities. Four focus areas are discussed connected with the SMART acronym: Select curriculum and approaches; Match instruction to child; Adapt when necessary; Relevant skills targeted; Test to inform instruction. Suggestions on…

Children First, which is Nottinghamshire, England's policy to increase mainstreaming of children with special educational needs, has been implemented by planning for cooperative rather than competitive change and providing resources for change. The policy has helped maintain the profile of these children at a time when they were at risk of being…

With strong administrative and parental support, Hinsdale (Illinois) Central High School successfully launched an inclusive (and heterogeneous-grouping) policy with five special-needs ninth graders in fall 1995; eight others took some regular courses while remaining in their traditional special-education program. (MLH)

The purpose of this manual is to promote the inclusion of special needs children in child care environments by applying an eight-step process of training, mentoring, and evaluating. The material in the manual covers approximately 6 months of enabling experiences for child care center owners and directors preparing to include special needs children…