The topic of student inclusion in the regular education classroom is one that can be

debated with arguments both for and against. I currently am in my fifth year as a

special education teacher in a multi-categorical classroom. We are not a true self-

contained classroom, but a few students are in my room for the majority of their day. As

part of my schedule, I also co-teach a math class with several students who have a

specific learning disability. For the sake of this research, I will be looking at inclusion in

high school-level classes. Although an academic gap is not as wide when students are

younger, it becomes more evident as they age. During this time frame, the inclusive

classroom is a more viable option. As the achievement gap widens, it is unrealistic for

students to all be placed in the same classroom, and not always in the best interest of

both special education and regular education students.

Not all students benefit from being in an inclusive classroom. By law, students

are to be in an inclusive classroom to the maximum extent appropriate. There are times

when full-time inclusion is not always appropriate for students. Some students needs

are too demanding, and it is unrealistic to assume that they will make gains in regular

education classrooms to best meet their needs. If a student receives instruction from an

alternative curriculum for all of his or her core classes, will they benefit from a full

inclusion classroom? If their needs are so great, the full inclusion classroom does not

provide them with a least restrictive environment. Students in a pulled-out classroom

are able to receive small group and one-on-one instruction that does not take place in

the regular education setting. These are times when students receive direct instruction

to make gains towards their very specific goals.

 In conclusion, full inclusion is not always the least restrictive environment for all

students. I believe in inclusion as much as possible, but there are cases in each high

school where modifications and differentiated instruction is too significant for it to be

appropriate for all students. If a student is not able to participate with regular education

peers in core classes, elective classes are a great opportunity to build an inclusive

classroom.