Inclusive education represents a new agenda for educational reform that spans a wide range of socio-political, cultural, ethical, personal and interpersonal dimensions. Working towards educational inclusion demands commitments, responsibilities and initiatives on the part of all parties to take into consideration the meanings and purpose of…

If you've ever felt unprepared to teach students with learning disabilities, here's a book that will extend your brain-friendly teaching practices to address students with learning disabilities and other special challenges. Neurologist and classroom teacher Judy Willis explains how the research on how people learn can help you: (1) Build safe and…

This document presents an overview of the Revised SPP, submitted February 1, 2007, as it relates to the 2005-2006 Annual Performance Report Development, also submitted February 1, 2007. The original Part C, IDEA State Performance Plan (SPP) for Tennessee was developed in conjunction with and approved by the State's Interagency Coordinating…

This article offers a critique of what has become known as "inclusive education" under the New Labour administration. The initial impetus for the article was a research project designed to ascertain the impact of the "presumption of mainstreaming" contained in Section 15 of the "Standards in Scotland's Schools etc. Act…

This quasi-experimental study investigated how direct contact between students with and without disabilities impacted disability-related attitudes and specific self-efficacy of study participants. Study participants (N = 170) were students without disabilities who attended general education schools. Students in an experimental group (N = 77)…

All across the country, individuals are being recognized for successfully promoting inclusion in schools. These persons have helped make it more possible for students who have disabilities to participate in meaningful ways with their peers in a wide range of activities. Although the quality of inclusion does indeed depend on many factors related…

This article theorises findings from a research project investigating gender equity in Commonwealth higher education. The study interrogated enablers and impediments to gender equity in South Africa, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Uganda and Tanzania. The focus of inquiry was access, curriculum transformation and staff development. This article examines one…

The purpose of this discussion is to explore assumptions that have informed constructions of disability and to challenge these as socially constituted judgments that influence the way teachers think and act in general physical education. A secondary purpose is to introduce social constructionism as a discourse that potentially reshapes…

Integration of individuals categorized as having special educational needs in mainstream schools has become a dominant policy in many countries. Changes in recent years in the field traditionally called "special education" have significantly influenced the education of deaf and hard of hearing individuals. The movements against…

Since independence in 1991, Ukraine has struggled with restructuring its Soviet style educational system. The process has been sluggish and fraught with tension, resistance, and set backs, mirroring Ukraine's efforts to revamp its economy and regain productivity levels that characterized it prior to independence (Bureau of European and Eurasian…

This study investigated the attitudes of 72 Serbian teachers towards the inclusion of children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) in mainstream schools; they were asked to complete "My Thinking About Inclusion Questionnaire" (Stoiber, Goettinger, & Goetz, 1998). It was found that Serbian teachers held overall slightly negative…

This literature review examined five terms used to describe the inclusion of students with disabilities in general education schools and classrooms. The objective was to determine if these terms have consistent definitions and descriptions. Major journals and texts in education, and position statements and newsletters from special education…

This digest in a question and answer format, provides basic information on cluster grouping of gifted students. Questions address such concerns as: the meaning of cluster grouping, differences between cluster grouping and tracking, advantages of cluster grouping, learning needs of gifted students, the argument that gifted education is elitist, the…

This module was developed as part of a federally funded study group project, to answer the question of how students with severe disabilities can actively participate in lessons within regular elementary classrooms alongside their nondisabled peers, while still meeting their individualized goals and objectives. The module presents a brief overview…

This paper questions whether genuine adoption of the inclusive education philosophy can occur within a school setting before it has been tested by the involvement of the whole school in school reform. It sees inclusion as one component of overall school restructuring. Experiences at three schools are compared. At the first school inclusive…