Inclusion/LRE Requirements

Inclusion and Least Restrictive Environment
Inclusion is part of a much larger picture then just placement in the regular class within school. It is being included in life and participating using one's abilities in day to day activities as a member of the community.
It is being a part of what everyone else is, and being welcomed and embraced as a member who belongs. Inclusion can occur in schools, churches, play- grounds, work and in recreation.

In school, inclusion does not occur by placement in the regular class alone, rather it is a desired end-state. It must be created with proper planning, preparation and supports. The goal of inclusion is achieved only when a child is participating in the activities of the class, as a member who belongs, with the supports and services they need. Inclusion is "not" a trade-off of supports and services for placement in the regular class and is not a trade-off of achievement of individual goals.
One great tool administrators, parents, and students is the following website.

http://www.inclusion.com/inclusion.html
There are great links on this website such as how to set up an inclusion classroom and instructional strategies for the inclusion setting.
Resources for Setting Up a Classroom:
The Inclusive ClassroomStrategies, skills, supports for preparing and implementing inclusion in the classroom.
Inclusive Teaching Guide (Adobe .pdf file 16 pages)
BC Ministry of Education, Skills & TrainingStudents With Intellectual Disabilities A Resource Guide for Teachers - Modifying the Curriculum
What Does the Research Say About Inclusive Education? Article written by Kathleen Whitbread, Ph.D.
Adapting Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science Materials for the Inclusive Classroom - A description of the process consisting of nine steps for planning and implementing materials adaptations.
Samples of Curricular Adaptations practical tips from the B.C. Ministry of Education for inclusive adaptations to materials and curricula.
Links to other sites on inclusion.
Least Restrictive Environment:
IDEA defines Least Restrictive Environment as "to the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities, including children in public or private institutions or other care facilities, are educated with children who are not disabled, and special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs only when the nature or severity of the disability of a child is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily" (Sec. 612 (a)[5]).

Every student with a disability should be given the opportunity to start out in a general education classroom and if that environment does not allow for success and a more restrictive environment is deemed appropriate, then that facilitators and educators must give good reason as to why the LRE is not working and it should be a main topic of discussion in the IEP meeting (Block, 1999).

A wonderful article from the Texas Women’s University website does a great job correlating how to use inclusion and follow the guidelines of LRE. The article can be found at the following link:
http://www.twu.edu/inspire/inclusion.htm
When developing an IEP for your child, it is important to remember that your child is entitled to a free appropriate program implemented in the Least Restrictive Environment. This chapter discusses issues for your consideration when determining placement for your child. According to law, first consideration should always be given to placement in a general education classroom with the use of appropriate supplementary aids and services, often referred to as "supported inclusive education."
Inclusion Is A Value
We view inclusion as a value, a set of humanistic beliefs that have been encoded in federal law. These laws clearly reflect that individuals with disabilities are valued members of society. Inclusion is a process through which we discover our similarities, rather than our differences, and we focus on our strengths, not our weaknesses. Inclusion does not reflect a place where special education is provided, but in a larger sense, a way of life and a way of thinking about the future of our children. By providing our children with opportunities to have meaningful relationships and experiences within their family, school, and community lives, we are enabling them to reach their fullest potential as adults.
The following link http://www.spannj.org/BasicRights/least_restrictive_environment.htm will help districts determined guidelines for inclusion.

IDEA 2004

President Bush signed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, which reauthorized the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), on December 3, 2004.
The President stated, “The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 will help children learn better by promoting accountability for results, enhancing parent involvement, using proven practices and materials, providing more flexibility, and reducing paperwork burdens for teachers, states and local school districts.”
This site will provide the text of the law and all current information available from the New York State Education Department relating to this reauthorization.
http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/idea/

The 2004 update of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004) made several significant changes to the Individualized Education Program (IEP), both in terms of who should participate and what should be included in this important process. Since the IEP lays out the school's commitment of special education and related services to be provided to eligible students, it is essential that parents of students with learning disabilities (LD) understand the changes.


Greatschools.net is a great resource for administrators, teachers, and parents about the changes for IEP’s in IDEA 2004. On this website, a person could find information about:
Factors for Consideration in Developing the IEPIEP ContentsThe IEP TeamNotice of Procedural SafeguardsMoving to a New School District

http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/showarticle/2978


Ed.gov is another great resource when it comes to IDEA 2004. An article that is located on this website documents many of the changes in IDEA 2004.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a law ensuring services to children with disabilities throughout the nation. IDEA governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education and related services to more than 6.5 million eligible infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities.
Infants and toddlers with disabilities (birth-2) and their families receive early intervention services under IDEA Part C. Children and youth (ages 3-21) receive special education and related services under IDEA Part B.
http://idea.ed.gov/

High Stakes Testing

Testing has become an attractive option for policymakers both because it has the potential to affect the behavior of educators in the educational system and because it is often viewed by the public as a way to guarantee a basic level of quality education. Whatever the reasons, formal testing tied to grade promotion and graduation continues to spread throughout the United States.
Measuring what and how well students learn is an important building block in the process of strengthening and improving our nation's schools. Tests, along with student grades and teacher evaluations, can provide critical measures of students' skills, knowledge, and abilities. Therefore, tests should be part of a system in which broad and equitable access to educational opportunity and advancement is provided to all students. Tests, when used properly, are among the most sound and objective ways to measure student performance. But, when test results are used inappropriately or as a single measure of performance, they can have unintended adverse consequences.
Today, many school districts are mandating tests to measure student performance and to hold individual schools and school systems accountable for that performance. Knowing if and what students are learning is important. Test results give classroom teachers important information on how well individual students are learning and provide feedback to the teachers themselves on their teaching methods and curriculum materials.
Educators and Policy makers definitely seem to differ on this subject. I found a great website that states the advantages and disadvantages of high stakes standardized tests.
http://www.uta.edu/irp/unit_effectiveness_plans/assets/AssessMethods.pdf
I found a great newsletter with information in regard to high stakes testing. It came from the Westchester Institute for Human Services Research.
http://www.sharingsuccess.org/code/bv/testing.pdf


Public Affairs reported good information about appropriate use of high stakes testing.
http://www.apa.org/pubinfo/testing.html