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Cailyn Spencer
CAS 138T
15 April 2014
Dr. Freymiller
Mainstreaming
Audience: Students, teachers, and parents that see the effects of mainstreaming
The aim of education is the knowledge, not of facts, but of values. This quote by the
novelist William S. Burroughs expresses the idea that education goes beyond the classroom. It
has the ability to teach young people about life and about having an open mind about the world.
The importance of this type of education comes into play when the idea of integrating special
needs children into regular classrooms is discussed. Surely there are benefits and drawbacks
from placing these students in normal classes, better known as mainstreaming. However, what
happens when the bigger picture is viewed? By allowing special needs students into regular
classrooms, doors open for these children which may have not occurred in a segregated section.
Likewise, regular students learn valuable life lessons that go beyond the classroom and into
everyday life.
The debate of allowing special needs students into regular classrooms was solidified in
2004 with the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA for
short. This is the nations federal education law that ensures public schools serve the educational
needs of students with disabilities. IDEA requires that schools provide special education services
to eligible students as outlined in the students Individualized Education Program (IEP). IDEA
also provides very specific requirements to guarantee a Free Appropriate Public Education
(FAPE) for students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment possible (National
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Center). The problem, however, is the funding. The federal government issues a set amount of
money to states, but this monetary fund is nowhere close to the amount required. Because of this,
special education students become a burden on local tax payers. As a result, many schools cannot
afford the aid and assistance that they need in order to properly care for and educate special
needs students in the regular public school classroom. This leads to inadequate care for the
student and more stress on a possible non-qualified teacher. This is an academic tragedy. Special
needs students deserve the same opportunities as regular students. The idea of mainstreaming is
beneficial to not only the special needs children, but also everyone else. Lessons of patience,
understanding, and acceptance can only be taught by example. Because of all of the benefits of
having special needs students mainstreamed, I believe that the federal government should
increase the budget for special needs education so that students are not limited in their learning
and educational growth.
Current Funding
The idea of mainstreaming was not always around. In fact, educating those with special
needs was thought to be useless until around the 19
th
century when enlightened views of mans
nature and origin, propagated by scholars Locke and Darwin, began to modify these repressive
ideas (Ward). From then on, doors have opened for many special needs children. Opportunities
have blossomed and new laws like what we have today have come into play. In theory, IDEA is
a great system that allows special needs students to have an excellent education in the public
school system. However, in reality this act does not allot enough funding to the schools.
According to The Federal Education Budget Project for 2012, IDEA federal funding covered 16
percent of the estimated excess cost of educating children with disabilities, less than in 2008
when federal funding covered 17 percent of the cost. This is well below 2009 when additional
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funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act covered 33 percent of the cost
(Background and Analysis). The cost of educating special needs students continues to rise and
the funding is not supporting this rise in expense. As of 2011, more than six million school age
children receive special education services as a result of IDEA (What Is IDEA?). This is
phenomenal that this many children have received a mainstreamed education, but what is the
cost?
The greatest monetary part annual IDEA comes from Part B Section 611 which discusses
grants to states. In the fiscal year 2013, the 2012-2013 school year, the total IDEA funding was
$11.98 billion (Background and Analysis). However, in 2013 the average per-pupil expenditure
was $1,677 for pre-kindergarten to twelfth grade for special education students, which is
significantly higher than the $900 or so for regular education students (Background and
Analysis). Although IDEA offsets most costs, it does not cover everything. IDEA is not a fully
funded legislation. Congress set a maximum target for the federal contribution to special
education spending equal to 40 percent of the estimated excess cost of educating children with
disabilities (Background and Analysis). However, schools are still hurting for monetary
assistance.
What this lack of funding really effects are the teachers and the personal attention
students receive. There is a significant shortage of special education teachers and personnel.
Approximately 40,000 teachers are not certified to teach special education and the turnover rate
is high (Public Policy). This is a very serious concern because far too many special education
students are being taught by unqualified people, which makes student academic progress
difficult. On top of a full classrooms, some teachers are expected to give extra attention to one or
two special needs kids as well. Without an aid or assistant, this is nearly impossible. Not to
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mention, students may not receive their speech or physical therapy without adequate support.
Many teachers and educators try their best to balance a classroom with special needs students
and normal students. However, some of the expectations are unrealistic. Without adequate
funding, this is all that can be expected. Many schools cannot afford the extra expenditure to
afford the education that IDEA promises. If the government increased its funding to IDEA and
educating special education children, then all of these children would receive the proper
education they deserve.
Benefits of Having Special Needs Children in the Classroom
Why is funding so important for IDEA? The answer lies within the lives of the children
that it affects. IDEA gives special needs students the opportunity of a lifetime. So much good can
come out of mainstreaming, which is why it is so vitally important. It is not only the positive
benefits that special needs children receive, but the benefits that the other students gain as well.
There are many things that benefit special needs students from the process of
mainstreaming. The National Longitude Transitions Study, sponsored by the U.S. Department of
Education, showed that when students with disabilities spend more time in a general education
classrooms, they have fewer absences, experience fewer referrals for disruptive behavior, and are
more likely to score higher on standardized reading and math tests, which benefits the entire
student body and school administration (Romo). Emotionally, students and families begin to feel
more integrated into the school community and a greater sense of belonging develops. The self-
confidence and self-esteem of special needs students grows naturally from the positive support of
peers and teachers (Eredics). And intellectually, all students have equal access to the curriculum
despite academic ability. Accommodations and modifications are made to the curriculum to meet
the students needs. By doing this, students become more actively engaged in learning and
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become more confident learners as they experience greater success in school (Romo). Not to
mention, special needs students who are included in regular education classrooms have the
ability to feel normal or non-disabled. The positive outcome for special needs students is
tremendous.
On the other hand, normal students also receive benefits from having special needs
students integrated into the classroom. Socially, all children in the class are fully active,
participating members regardless of their ability level. There are increased social interactions and
relationships between students, staff, and even families. A greater understanding of diversity
develops, in addition to improved communication skills as students learn and respond to one
anothers differences (Eredics). These repeated interactions promote inclusive behavior in future
situations. Academically, students who may not be classified as special education, but have
difficulty learning or struggle academically, also make big gains. Thats because mainstreamed
classrooms tend to be smaller and theyre often lead by two teachers, or a teacher with additional
support staff, in order to provide everyone with personalized attention (Eredics). Students
become exposed to other children who are not necessarily the same as they are. This promotes
patience, kindness, and understanding in a healthy environment. One mother of a special needs
child said, Because everybody brings something to the classroom and that gets to come into the
big exchange. And I think from that pool of abilities and differences, everybody gets to learn
(Romo). This statement is so true, because the diverse education that one receives in a
mainstreamed setting goes beyond the classroom.
Much of this education goes beyond the classroom and into the future and the real world.
The Autistic Self Advocacy Network says, How children are treated in schools often mirrors
how they will be treated in later life...A society that separates its children [during their school
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years] is likely to maintain those separations indefinitely, reinforcing attitudinal barriers to
disability in all aspects of life (Romo). By breaking down the barriers early in education, special
needs students have the ability to become more accepted by the general public in the future. It is
the foundation in tolerance that is molded young and hopefully remains strong into the future.
Special needs children are no different from regular childreneveryone has their own way of
learning. Into the future, special needs students who were mainstreamed tend to see positive
outcomes that extend into adulthood. Inclusion, especially in vocational education courses, can
lead to a paying job, living independently in non-segregated housing, and a broad social network
(Eredics).
Some may say that mainstreaming special needs children is not a good idea because it
slows down the speed of learning in a normal classroom. Although this could be potentially true
in some cases, many schools found that the opposite actually occurred. With extra hands in the
classroom, teachers and students were able to be more studious and productive. Others may also
say that mainstreaming could be the wrong path for some special needs children. Again, that is
true. However, mainstreaming is not a cookie-cutter process identified by IDEA. Instead, it can
be adjusted and modified in order to be able to best suit the child that it aims to help. There are
so many benefits to mainstreaming, that the government really needs to increase funding so that
every child is given an opportunity.
Conclusion
Clearly, mainstreaming has its positive effects on todays students and the future. It opens
doors and breaks down barriers. Mainstreaming enriches the lives of not only special needs
students but regular students as well. Currently, the funding it low for the IDEA legislation and
some special needs students are falling through the cracks and not receiving the education that
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they are promised. If the government increased its fund for IDEA, then all special needs students
would be able to receive an education that helps them reach their full potential. Personally, I
believe that mainstreaming is an important issue and the government should really reconsider the
amount of money granted to the states public schools for special needs education. It could just
change the life of a worthy child. As journalist Sydney J. Harris once said, The whole purpose
of education is to turn mirrors into windows. Truly mainstreaming allows us to see what
education is really about.














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Works Cited
Background and Analysis. Federal Education Budget Project. New America Foundation, 8
Nov. 2013. Web. 2 Apr. 2014.
Eredics, Nicole. "Parent Primer: Placing Special Needs Children in the Inclusive Class."
National Dissemination Center for Children With Disabilities. N.p., Feb. 2012. Web.
11 Apr. 2014.
National Center for Learning Disabilities. The National Center for Learning Disabilities Inc.,
June 2001. Web. 11 Apr. 2014.
"Public Policy." The Arc. The National Center for Learning Disabilities Inc., Apr. 2006. Web. 9
Apr. 2014.
Romo, Vanessa. "Why Mixing Students With and Without Special Needs is a Good Idea."
Takepart. N.p., 25 June 2013. Web. 11 Apr. 2014.
Ward, James, Sandra Bochner, Yola Center, Lynne Outhred, and Moira Pieterse, eds. Educating
Children With Special Needs In Regular Classrooms: An Australian Perspective.
New South Wales: Macquarie University Special Education Centre, 1987. N. pag.
Print.
What Is IDEA?. National Center for Learning Disabilities. N.p., Oct. 2012. Web. 2 Apr. 2014.