The purpose of the study was to examine if there was a significant difference between first-grade English Learners (EL) who constitute a majority (greater than 50%) of the English language mainstream classroom (homogeneous grouping) and first-grade EL who constitute a minority (less than 50%) of the English language mainstream classrooms…

Nurture groups are school-based interventions that offer specialist support for children and young people with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. Initially developed as an early years intervention in the 1970s, nurture groups dwindled in the 1980s but have enjoyed something of a renaissance over the last 15 years. There are now more…

This paper describes a small-scale research project undertaken in July 2007, which focused on a group of students with a diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) currently attending a mainstream secondary school. Three focus groups were held with students in Years 9 and 11 and with their parents in order to explore current practice on…

Quality and equality in education is the dream of many. In South Africa hope was pinned onto the transformation that was to follow the major political changes of the 1990s. The promotion of inclusive education is rooted in a philosophical and principled position that all children should have educational rights and opportunities as encased in the…

As students with moderate and severe intellectual disabilities transition from inclusive elementary and middle schools to high schools, they deserve similar opportunities for inclusive educational experiences at this next level--namely to participate in general education classes and other activities (e.g., co-curricular) with their classmates…

This paper highlights the framework and discusses the results of an action research network which aimed to promote academic access in two general educational settings within which a pupil with blindness and a deaf pupil were educated respectively. The persons involved in this collaborative scheme were general teachers, a school counsellor,…

Drawing on the perspectives of pupils with physical disabilities, their parents and teachers, this study explored the adult support provided to pupils with physical disabilities in regular schools. Data were collected through observations at schools and qualitative interviews. In all, 49 individuals participated in this study: 14 pupils with…

Latinos represent the fastest growing population in U.S. schools, and teachers face an increasingly demanding educational context in which to teach. The goal of this article is to present vignettes drawn from classroom observations conducted by preservice teachers in urban areas. Preservice teachers capture the dilemma faced by many teachers who…

Meeting the needs of every student so that they can be successful in the real world and life is one of the primary goals of education. In this era of high stakes standardized testing and No Child Left Behind, it is expected that all students should achieve at the same academic levels. Yet, no two students are identical so it makes logical sense…

The growing number of children with disabilities who are served in general education classrooms has made it necessary for general and special education teachers to work together to ensure that all students receive an appropriate education. As the instructional leader, the school principal is presented with the challenge of facilitating and guiding…

Students with autism have needs during physical education that resemble their needs throughout other parts of the day. Many students with autism work with a structured and consistent routine, visual boundaries, and reduced negative sensory stimulation. Meeting these needs requires much effort on the part of physical educator because the physical…

The debate about whether to include all kinds of students in the general education classrooms is a current topic in the European and Scandinavian educational policy. This paper comes to grips with this topic by focusing on the process through which professionals define educational possibilities and risks for one group of children considered as…

Background: Inclusion is one of four policies for people with disabilities in the UK. Criticisms of its three key attributes--mainstreaming, independent living and employment--are reviewed. Methods: This study of 28 young people, most with severe intellectual disabilities, investigated engagement with inclusion at their transition to adult…

An ethnographic, descriptive research methodology was used to explore the service delivery of three U.S. charter schools (one independent and two dependent secondary public charter schools) in Southern New England, United States as they relate to grade nine mildly disabled special needs students. Field research was also conducted in Costa Rica and…

Advances in medicine have increased the survival rates of children with complex medical conditions, including those who are dependent on technology such as ventilators and tracheostomies. The process of integrating children dependent on medical technology into public schools requires the collaboration of a multidisciplinary team to ensure that…