[HOME] [teacher vistas] [online training] [FAQs] [forums] [resources] [links] [contact us] 11-01-2000 FEATURE ARTICLE Strategies and Resources to Evaluate the Impact of Inclusion Programs on Students By: Spencer J. Salend, Associate Professor of Special Education May 2000, Intervention, 35, 264-270,289. Copyright 2000 by PRO-ED, Inc. Educators have expressed a considerable need for guidelines to assist them in evaluating the effectiveness of their inclusion programs. This article provides strategies and resources that educators can use to assess the impact of their inclusion programs on the academic performance and social and behavioral development of their students with and without disabilities. The guidelines presented also are designed to help educators document strengths in their inclusion programs and pinpoint aspects of their programs in need of revision. Ms. Charles, a general education teacher, and Ms. Mackey, a special education teacher were asked by their principal to work together as a cooperative teaching team to start a fifth-grade inclusion class. Their class included 24 students, 7 of whom had been identified as having a disability. Ms. Charles and Ms. Mackey had worked together before to mainstream students, and they were both excited about working in an inclusion classroom. Initially, they experienced some difficulty determining their responsibilities and blending their skills. As they worked together, they began to notice and respect each other's skills, perspectives, experiences, and areas of expertise. From their point of view, things were going well. However, soon they were faced with the question of whether or not the inclusion program was benefiting the students in the program. It first came up at a meeting with the students' families. Some parents of students without disabilities expressed concerns about whether the need of the students with disabilities would interfere with their child's education. A few parents of students with disabilities also were worried that their children were being ridiculed by others and losing individualized services. The principal also approached Ms. Charles and Ms. Mackey with a request from the school board to provide data to justify the monies being spent on the program. Even many of the teachers' colleagues were asking if the students were actually successful in the inclusion program. While Ms. Charles and Ms. Mackey thought their inclusion program was having a positive impact on their students, they knew they had to begin to document the outcomes. In addition to looking for strategies and resources in professional journals, they began to ask others how the academic, social, and behavioral progress of students educated in inclusion programs could be evaluated as an ongoing process. What suggestions would you have for Ms. Charles and Ms. Mackey, as well as other professionals, to assist them in evaluating the impact of their inclusion program on their students? How do you evaluate your inclusion program? Educators like Ms. Charles and Ms. Mackey have expressed a considerable need for guidelines to assist them in evaluating the effectiveness of their inclusion programs and the program's impact on students with and without disabilities (Vaughn, Schumm, & Brick, 1998; Waldron & McLeskey, 1998). In light of this need, this article provides strategies and resources that educators can use to assess the impact of their inclusion programs on the academic performance and social and behavioral development of their students with and without disabilities. The guidelines presented are also designed to help educators document strengths in their inclusion programs and pinpoint aspects of their programs in need of revision. For example, if data indicate that students with disabilities are not interacting with their general education classmates at the levels that were anticipated, intervention to promote greater levels of interaction can be instituted to facilitate acceptance of individual differences and friendships (Salend, 1998a). Click here to view the rest of the article Archived Feature Articles 01-NOV-02 20 Ways To.... Work Effectively with Paraeducators in Inclusive Settings Cathryn G. Riggs 01-APR-02 Three Steps for Gaining Access to the General Education Curriculum for Learners with Disabilities Margaret E. King-Sears 01-DEC-01 Accessing the Curriculum Creating Instructional Rubrics for Inclusive Classrooms Catharine R. Whittaker ? Spencer J. Salend ? Devon Duhaney 01-OCT-01 Responding to Student Concerns about Fairness Ann B. Welch November/December 2000, Teaching Exceptional Children, 33, (2) 36-40. 01-SEP-01 What?s Good? Suggested Resources for Beginning Special Education Teachers By: Sharon A. Maroney 01-JUN-01 Bright Futures for Exceptional Learners: An Action Agenda to Achieve Quality Conditions for Teaching and Learning Reprinted with Permission from CEC Today Online by the Commission on the Conditions for Special Education Teaching and Learning 01-MAR-01 Vocabulary Development: A Collaborative Effort for Teaching Content Vocabulary SUSAN S. JOHNSTON, BETH L. TULBERT, JOAN P. SEBASTIAN, 01-FEB-01 Tips for Communicating Academic Progress DR. JANE B. PEMBERTON, Assistant Professor of Special Education 01-JAN-01 The Good Student Game: Behavior Management for Diverse Classrooms ALLISON E. BABYAK, GAYLE J. LUZE, AND DEBRA M. KAMPS 01-DEC-00 Cooperative Learning and Social Skills: What Skills to Teach and How to Teach Them By: Marilyn W. Goodwin 01-NOV-00 Strategies and Resources to Evaluate the Impact of Inclusion Programs on Students By: Spencer J. Salend, Associate Professor of Special Education 01-OCT-00 Planning High Quality Assignments in Diverse Classrooms By: Joyce A. Rademacher, Associate Professor of Special Education 01-SEP-00 Boldly Going Where Angels Fear to Tread By: KAREN D. HOWELLS 01-AUG-00 Myths and Misunderstandings about Professional Collaboration By Marilyn Friend  Back to this month's feature article
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