“Almost 30 years of research and experience has demonstrated that the education of children with disabilities can be made more effective by having high expectations for such children and ensuring their access to the general education curriculum in the regular classroom, to the maximum extent possible.” IDEA
Did you know there aren't ANY quantitative research studies, since research began on the topic, that show an academic advantage for students with intellectual disabilities in separate settings? None! Zip! Nada! Here’s the research study citation to prove it: Falvey, Mary A. (Spring 2004) Toward realization of the least restrictive educational environments for severely handicapped students. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities. 29 (1), 9-10.
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A 2013, quantitive study of more than 1,300 students between the ages of 6 and 9 years old within 180 school districts found that access matters. The study found a strong relationship between the amount of time spent in general education and achievement in math and reading for students with disabilities.
Citation: Cosier, M., Causton-Theoharis, J., & Theoharis, G. (2013). Does Access Matter? Time in General Education and Achievement for Students With Disabilities. Remedial and Special Education, 34(6), 323–332. https://doi.org/10.1177/0741932513485448
2. A 2010, synthesis of research studies shows the academic effects that peer tutoring has on students with disabilities (regardless of disability type). The literature overwhelmingly reveals that peer tutoring has a positive effect on the academic outcome of students with disabilities in grades 6 through 12.
Citation: Okilwa, Nathern S. A.; Shelby, Liz, (2010). The Effects of Peer Tutoring on Academic Performance of Students with Disabilities in Grades 6 through 12: A Synthesis of the Literature. Remedial and Special Education, v31 n6 p450-463 Nov-Dec 2010
3. A 2012, comparative study followed 34 students with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) fully included in general education with supports with a control group of 34 students with ID in special schools. Included children made slightly more progress in literacy skills than children attending special schools. The researchers concluded that inclusive education is an appropriate educational placement for students with ID who require extensive supports in school.
Citation: Effects of inclusion on the academic achievement and adaptive behaviour of children with intellectual disabilities. Dessemontet RS, Bless G, Morin D. J Intellect Disabil Res. 2012 Jun;56(6):579-87. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2788.2011.01497.x. Epub 2011 Nov
4. A study looking at the outcome of 11,000 students with all types of disabilities found that more time in a general education classroom correlated to less absences from school, fewer referrals for misbehavior, and more post-secondary education and employment options.
Citation: Wagner, M., Newman, L., Cameto, R., and Levine, P. (2006). The Academic Achievement and Functional Performance of Youth with Disabilities: A Report from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2). (NCSER 2006-3000). Menlo Park, CA: SRI International
5. A 2017, study found that 41.7% of student with learning disabilities made progress in math in general education classes compared to 34% in traditional special education settings, without the presence of nondisabled peers.
Citation: Sharp, N. (2017). Inclusion in the early childhood classroom: What should this look like? (Master’s thesis, Northwestern College, Orange City, IA). Retrieved from http://nwcommons.nwciowa.edu/education_masters/32/
6. A 2011, study finds that there’s nothing “special” about the four walls of a special education classroom. The research suggest that the purported rationale for self-contained special education in the literature–issues of community, distraction-free environments, specialized curriculum/instruction, and behavioral supports–were not present in the six observed self-contained settings. Implications for school leaders are discussed and the rationales for the utilization of self-contained classrooms are strongly questioned.
Citation: Does Self-Contained Special Education Deliver on Its Promises? A Critical Inquiry into Research and Practice. Causton-Theoharis, Julie; Theoharis, George; Orsati, Fernanda; Cosier, MeghanJournal of Special Education Leadership, v24 n2 p61-78 Sep 2011.
7. Many schools and parents make the argument that typical peers may be negatively impacted by the presence of students with disabilities. Especially those students with behavior problems. But a 2013, study found that inclusion does NOT compromise a typical students academic or social outcome. No significant difference was found in the progress of the low-, average-, or high-achieving pupils from classrooms with or without inclusion.
Citation: The impact of including children with intellectual disability in general education classrooms on the academic achievement of their low-, average-, and high-achieving peers. Sermier Dessemontet R, Bless G. J Intellect Dev Disabil. 2013 Mar;38(1):23-30. doi: 10.3109/13668250.2012.757589. Epub 2013 Jan 28.