Critical Evaluation Of Both Positions Essay

Placement decisions related to students with disabilities is an issue that arises from providing a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) and the least restrictive environment (LRE). While FAPE and LRE are not new requirements, the Individuals with Disabilities Educational Act (IDEA) continues to be open to interpretation and implementation of the mandates (McGovern, 2015). A student’s least restrictive environment is the setting where the student can be integrated with his non-disabled peers. IDEA requires that students with disabilities be educated in the most integrated, least restrictive environment (Carson, 2015); however, this is where the grey area enters. The interpretation of what the least restrictive environment is, depends

Every student has a right to receive a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in a least restricted environment (LRE). An education is a right not a privilege, with that in mind, a student with a disability should be given the opportunity to begin their educational journey in the general education classroom. What if the their journey can not be achieved in the general education setting? Administrators, teachers, and all Individual Education Plan (IEP) team members must give reason as to why the LRE will not be effective and constitutes the main subject of discussion in the IEP meeting.

Students with special needs should be placed into specialized schools so they are able to receive individualized learning. If they are in a classroom specific to their needs, they are able to receive much needed attention. In order to receive the optimal level of attention that is needed, schools would have to consider reducing class sizes or hiring multiple teachers for one classroom so more help would be readily available for these disabled students. Corwin argues that today’s schools offer a general curriculum and that they should convert to a specialized system. He states that students of various backgrounds, ethnicities, IQ scores, and physical, emotional, and mental disabilities should not all be placed in the same classroom because students learn in diverse ways and at different paces. Further, it is necessary for teachers to become specialized in certain areas in order to effectively teach students with special needs (Corwin).

In elementary school, my classroom had students with and without disabilities, and we all shared the same space while working towards a common goal, but over time this diverse community diminished. This phenomenon of tracking and hierarchy of opportunity in education that I notice today is also responsible for creating an environment in which secondary special education is often a segregated locale, physically and socially removed from mainstream public schooling. I've witnessed Syracuse University push against this norm and challenge these boundaries time and time again, and I feel that before entering my own my classroom I want to address these issues of homogeneity and continue to build my tool box of inclusionary practices that extend past my current

Students with special needs need deserve the same education general education students are presented with. The philosophy of “ Disability Inclusion” concentrates on creating a safe, loving, and effective learning environment for students who suffer from physical, learning, and behavioral disabilities. When a student with disabilities is placed in the same environment as a non-disabled student, the results show wonderful improvement. When we are able to discover the strength of the student we are able to see just how much the student can improve in an inclusion classroom. Disability Inclusion not only sets a new beginning for an equal education of special education students, but it allows for more interaction with the child, and a more hands-on assessment.

Landmark civil rights cases clearly prove that segregation does not provide equal access to quality services. Historically, students with disabilities were segregated, or not allowed access to education at all, leading the passage of the Education of the Handicapped Act. Least restrictive environment (LRE) is the special education term which refers to the mandate; children with disabilities should be educated to the maximum extent appropriate with their peers who do not have disabilities. There is an inherent paradox with LRE, in that students have a right to be educated with their peers in the general classroom setting. However instances occur where the general education setting is not what is appropriate for the individual needs of the student.

Least restrictive environment known as LRE, refers to the placement of a student with disabilities. The Individualized plan specifies to the extend the student will be part of general classroom, extracurricular activities and recess. Placement is never permanent, the IEP is periodically reviewed to evaluate goals, process and placement. There is a continuum of alternative placements that are described in the individualized educational program. It explains the various degrees and types of support of special education teachers.

Within the past decades and a big discussion has occurred regarding the most appropriate setting within which to provide education for students in special education. Although the change in the educational environment is significant for handicapped student the concepts of inclusion also bring up new issues for the regular education classroom teachers.

If these students were placed in a regular classroom, they were often functionally excluded, when no support was provided for the child or the teacher. In addition, many students were misclassified following inaccurate assessment, placement or tracking. These past practices have been deemed in violation of a student’s constitutional rights. As a result, IDEA now requires that the educational program that is developed by the IEP team provide the child with opportunities in the least restrictive environment (LRE). LRE is the most normal setting that is possible for the student. The team should take several things into consideration when making this determination. First, they must compare the benefits in the regular class and the benefits in the special class. The U.S. Court of Appeals determined that the appropriateness of placement in the regular classroom is not dependent on the student’s ability to learn the same things the other students learn in the regular classroom. The benefit of social interaction should also be taken into account. Second, consideration should be given to the potentially beneficial or harmful effects that placement in the regular classroom may have on the students involved. Finally, cost should be considered when determining the appropriateness of student placement.

I think that LRE should be interpreted on an individual basis and there shouldn’t be radical inclusion. I already had the view that radical inclusion didn’t seem like it would work for all children with disabilities, and the film about Sean made it more clear to me. Sean was put in a regular classroom with regular students who are for the most part learning at a normal rate. I think that this would make him feel more discouraged because he can see around him that everyone else is learning faster. Not only does putting a student with a disability like Sean’s in a normal class affect the student, but also they impact the entire class. For example in the film the physical education teacher said that the other students weren’t getting as much

LRE is not a place, it is a variety of services and supports that ought to be hidden in general educational environment possible. A student that has a disability should have the chance to be taught amongst their non-disabled peers (Inclusion), to receive the best degree fitting. In a Least Restrictive Environment the child is put with mostly General Education students, and the LRE ensures that the student has access to a meaningful education. As a teacher I would have to make sure that each student receives individualized plan based on higher unique strength and needs. Some concerns with LRE for me would be how the student with the disability will be perceived by the other students. Also, making sure that the student is included in the lesson and not taking away from the lesson that is happening. For a student with a disability I would teach the same lessons make some adjustments or modifications for that

Many children have had learning disabilities for many years. Each year more and more of these children are being helped. Schools are working to improve their special education programs and to have all kinds of students work together in the same classroom. The practice of inclusion was started because educators felt that special needs students would achieve more in traditional classrooms with non-learning disabled students than they would in special education classes. However, research findings suggest that there really is no difference in academic achievement levels for special needs students when they are placed in regular classrooms.

This study intends to explore on the services offered to students with disabilities, and the outcomes of these services to their education and career goals. It will examine if the obstacles faced by special needs children have to do with how effective the policies are in addressing the needs of such children. This study is important to children with disabilities because it can help them discover the education opportunities available for them, the institutions they can rely on for economic support, and the treatment they should expect from the society.

Separate special education provides no guarantee of success for children who need special attention. Students with special needs may fail to conform to the expectations of school and society, (Carter, Lewis, & Wheeler 2017) Inclusion may present issues for teachers that do not possess the skills to make it work. Teachers must collaborate with a team of professional to plan and implement instruction for students in an inclusive environment. Students without disabilities could begin to see the students with disabilities as a distraction in the class depending on the needs of the student with disabilities.

According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, students with disabilities should be placed in a “least restrictive environment.” One of the main ideas of this act was to improve the learning experiences of students with disabilities by giving them learning opportunities outside of a special education classroom. The number of students with disabilities being placed in their general education classrooms is increasing more and more each year. The U.S Department of Education’s 27th annual report to Congress on the implementation of The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2005) indicates that the number of students with disabilities in general education classrooms has risen to almost 50 percent. This is about a 17 percent increase from the 1997 U.S