Literature Review

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Dec 6, 2023

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Effects of Inclusion on General Education Students: Literature Review 1 Effects of Inclusion on General Education Students: Literature Review Jennifer Schutt Capella University EDD-FPX8010 Foundations of Doctoral Studies in Education October 2023

Effects of Inclusion on General Education Students: Literature Review 2 Effects of Inclusion on General Education Students: Literature Review This literature review focuses on the academic effects that inclusion has on general education students, specifically higher achieving students. As a result of The Brown V. Board of Education Supreme Court case in 1954, it was determined that separate was not equal. The result of the case refers not only to race, but to the separation of students with disabilities from the general education population. Inclusion is the way of ensuring students with disabilities are not being separated from their peers without disabilities to balance the equality. Gardensten says that inclusion “can be a promising strategy for improving mathematics achievement and promoting equity in the classroom” (Gardensten, 2023). However, a different study revealed “neutral or negative effects of inclusion on the academic achievement of students without disabilities on the secondary level of schooling” (Kart & Kart, 2021). This literature reviews discusses the background of inclusive education, discusses the current problems faced in inclusive classrooms, and a few solutions to help overcome these problems. With inclusion becoming more prevalent in classrooms, teachers are focusing on students with disabilities and advanced mathematics students may be being left behind. Background Inclusion is when students with diverse disabilities are provided access to general education classrooms and curricula with instructional accommodations and modifications (Barr & Mavropoulou, 2021). The history of inclusion starts in 1975 with the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA). The EHA is “a federal law that guaranteed a free, appropriate public education to all children with disabilities” (Wehmeyer, 2021). After multiple revisions, in 2004 the EHA became known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA). IDEA requires students with disabilities to be taught in the least restrictive environment.

Effects of Inclusion on General Education Students: Literature Review 3 To enforce this act, the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) must send a report to congress. As part of the report “school districts are required to submit data on the percentage of time students across disability categories spend in regular education and alternative education settings” (Wehmeyer, M. L. et al, 2021). If public schools do not comply with these acts, they could lose subsidies and/or local governing rights. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) states that all students have the right to learn at high academic levels. Studies have shown that students with disabilities do make academic gains when they are in an inclusive environment. However, there is not much research about how inclusive practices affect the general education students, specifically the academically gifted students. A study found that “lower-achieving students seemed to benefit from curricula and additional support in inclusive classes, whereas high-achieving students might experience adverse effects” (Kart & Kart, 2021). It has been recognized that there is a need to fill the gap between the lower achieving students and the higher achieving students ( Bea Francisco, M. P., Hartman, M., & Wang, Y., 2020). Is inclusion the solution to this gap in students’ academic achievement? Some might say that the gap is closing because the lower achieving students are performing better by being in an inclusive classroom ( Bea Francisco, M. P., Hartman, M., & Wang, Y., 2020). However, is the gap being closed from both sides and the higher achieving students are performing worse due to inclusion practices? Consider state standardized testing. Students with disabilities are mandated to take the standardized tests which some argue could lower the school’s mean achievement score. Is this masking or restricting the gains of general education students?

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