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Inclusive Education – What Does the Research Say?

February 5, 2017 by dev Leave a Comment

Introduction

For over 40 years, the body of relevant research into education of students with disability has overwhelmingly established inclusive education as producing superior social and academic outcomes for all students. Further, the research has consistently found that academic and social outcomes for children in fully inclusive settings are without exception better than in the segregated or partially segregated environments (e.g. “education support units” or “resource classrooms”). Unfortunately segregated education remains a practice that has continued mostly for historical reasons and which continues to be suggested to families and educators as an appropriate option, despite having virtually no evidence basis.

The most recent comprehensive review of the research was undertaken by the Alana Institute and presented in an international report entitled “A Summary of the Evidence on Inclusive Education“ released in 2017. The Report was prepared by Dr Thomas Hehir, Professor of Practice in Learning Differences at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in partnership with global firm Abt Associates.

The Report is essential reading for education administrators, teachers and parents in documenting the results of a systematic review of 280 studies from 25 countries.

The Report defines inclusive educational settings in accordance with General Comment No. 4 (The Right to Inclusive Education), recently released by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In particular, the General Comment defines non-inclusion or “segregation” as the education of students with disabilities in separate environments in isolation from students with disabilities (i.e. in separate special schools or in special education units co-located with regular schools). [p3]

The Report recognises that the growth in inclusive educational practices stems from increased recognition that students with disabilities thrive when they are, to the greatest extent possible, provided with the same educational and social opportunities as non-disabled students [p4]

The Report also acknowledges the significant barriers of negative cultural attitudes and misconceptions amongst school administrators, teachers, parents (including some parents of children with disabilities) and communities to the implementation of effective inclusive education and notes the need for general societal education as to the benefits of inclusive education.

Key findings of the Report

1. There is “clear and consistent evidence that inclusive educational settings can confer substantial short and long-term benefits for students with and without disabilities”. [p1]

“A large body of research indicates that included students with disabilities develop stronger skills in reading and mathematics, have higher rates of attendance, are less likely to have behavioural problems, and are more likely to complete secondary school than students who have not been included. As adults, students with disabilities who have been included are more likely to be enrolled in post-secondary education, and to be employed or living independently.” [p1]
Multiple reviews indicate that students with disabilities educated in general education classrooms outperform their peers who have been educated in segregated settings. A 2012 study by Dr Hehir examined the performance of 68,000 students with disabilities in Massachusetts and found that on average the greater the proportion of the school day spent with non-disabled students, the higher the mathematic and language outcomes for students with disabilities. [p13]

The benefits of inclusion for students with disabilities extend beyond academic results to social connection benefits, increased post-secondary education placement and improved employment and independence outcomes. [p15] There is also evidence that participating in inclusive settings can yield social and emotional benefits for students with disabilities including forming and maintaining positive peer relationships, which have important implications for a child’s learning and psychological development. [p18] Again, there is a positive correlation between social and emotional benefits and proportion of the school day spent in general education classrooms. [p19]

The Report states that “…research has demonstrated that, for the most part, including students with disabilities in regular education classes does not harm non-disabled students and may even confer some academic and social benefits. … Several recent reviews have found that, in most cases, the impacts on non-disabled students of being educated in an inclusive classroom are either neutral or positive.” [p7] Small negative effects on outcomes for non-disabled students may arise where a school ‘concentrates’ students with severe emotional and behavioural disabilities in the one class (itself a form of segregation) rather than distributing those students across classrooms in their natural proportions. [p9]
“A literature review describes five benefits of inclusion for non-disabled students: reduced fear of human difference, accompanied by increased comfort and awareness (less fear of people who look or behave differently); growth in social cognition (increased tolerance of others, more effective communication with all peers); improvements in self-concept (increased self-esteem, perceived status, and sense of belonging); development of personal moral and ethical principles (less prejudice, higher responsiveness to the needs of others); and warm and caring friendships.” [p12]
An extensive recent meta-analysis covering a total sample of almost 4,800,000 students has also confirmed the finding that inclusive learning environments have also been shown to to have no detrimental impact, and some positive impact, on the academic performance of non-disabled students.

2. Teaching practice is central to ensuring that inclusive classrooms provide benefits to all students. [p9]

Teachers with positive attitudes towards inclusion are more likely to adapt the way they work for the benefit of all students and are more likely to influence their colleagues in positive ways to support inclusion. [p9]
Research suggests a positive correlation between teacher training and positive attitudes towards inclusion. [p9]
Though financial resources matter, implementing inclusive education requires teachers and other educational professionals to regularly engage in collaborative problem solving. Research suggests that it is through the development of a culture of collaborative problem solving that the inclusion of students with disabilities can serve as a catalyst for school-wide improvement and yield benefits for non-disabled students. [p10]

Key Report Recommendations for Fostering Inclusive Education [pp.22-25]

[Establish an expectation for inclusion in public policy] National policy, publicly endorsed by national leaders, must affirm the right of students with disabilities to be included along-side their non-disabled peers.
[Establish a public campaign to promote inclusive education] Changing public opinion about the importance of inclusive education, especially for students with intellectual disability, is important. Long-standing misconceptions about the capacities of students with disabilities to thrive in an inclusive classroom must be countered – teachers, school administrators and parents must be supported and educated so that students with disabilities experience effective welcoming schools and classrooms that meet their needs.
[Build systems of data collection] Countries must invest in collecting accurate data on the degree to which students with disabilities have access to general education, including the amount of time actually spent in general education classrooms. This data can be used to identify schools and communities in need of support in better educating and including their students with disabilities.
[Provide educators with a robust program of pre-service and in-service preparation on inclusive education] First, attitudes matter a great deal and attitudes among educators are often negative, and those attitudes can carry over into the classroom and the school. Teachers and school leaders need opportunities to both confront these attitudes and to see how successful inclusion can work. Secondly, educators must learn classroom techniques that can help students with disabilities to thrive – in particular, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework – which requires that schools design curricula to accommodate the diverse strengths and weaknesses of all learners – should be used to support teacher development.
[Create model universally designed inclusive schools] Schools that have done inclusion particularly well should serve as demonstration models for the training of inclusive teachers and school administrators.
[Promote inclusive opportunities in both post-secondary education settings and the employment market] Post-secondary education and employment settings should be encouraged to expand opportunities for people with disabilities.
[Provide support and training to parents seeking inclusive education for their children] Parents often need support in seeking inclusive education for their children and in maximising their child’s development. In the United States, parent-training centres have been funded by the federal government to teach parents about inclusive education and to provide them with support in seeking effective inclusive placements for their children.

You can read the full Report here.

Want to know more?

Research on social and academic outcomes:

Reviews and meta-analyses

“Towards inclusive education: A necessary process of transformation” Dr K. Cologon, (2019) for Children and Young People With Disability Australia. [A review of over 200 studies, specifically aimed at providing information to parents.]

“Does Inclusion Work?”, Dr K. de Bruin (2019), Chapter 3 in L.J. Graham (Ed). Inclusive Education in the 21st Century: Theory, Policy and Practice. Sydney: Allen and Unwin [This review of research specifically considers the benefits of inclusive education for students with multiple and complex disabilities.]

“The Segregation of Students with Disabilities”, National Council on Disability (USA, independent federal agency) (2018). [This paper concludes that there is no evidence in support of segregating students with disability from the perspective of social and academic outcomes.]

“Evidence of the Link Between Inclusive Education and Social Inclusion”, European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education (2018). [This review of research of over 250 studies internationally finds a link between school inclusion and post school outcomes such as open employment.]

“A Summary of the Research Evidence on Inclusive Education’”, Todd Grindal, Thomas Hehir, Brian Freeman, Renee Lamoreau, Yolanda Borquaye, Samantha Burke (2016). [A comprehensive review of research led by Harvard, finding that students who are included achieve better social and academic outcomes and there are benefits for non disabled students as well.]

“Inclusive Education of Students With General Learning Difficulties: A Meta-Analysis”, Krämer S, Möller J, Zimmermann F. In Review of Educational Research. (2021) ;91(3):432-478. doi:10.3102/0034654321998072 [A meta analysis representing over 4 mission students concluding that inclusive classrooms with students with disability do not adversely impact on the learning of non disabled students and may even provide benefits for them.]

“A meta-analysis of the effects of placement on academic and social skill outcome measures of students with disabilities” Oh-Young, Conrad & Filler, John. (2015) in Research in Developmental Disabilities. 47. 80-92. 10.1016/j.ridd.2015.08.014. [A meta analysis supportive inclusive education for students with disability from the perspective of social and academic outcomes.]

“Mainstreaming Programs: Design Features and Effects“, Wang MC, Baker ET (1985) The Journal of Special Education. 1985;19(4):503-521. doi:10.1177/002246698501900412

“The Efficacy of Special Versus Regular Class Placement for Exceptional Children: a Meta-Analysis”, Carlberg C, Kavale K. (1980) in The Journal of Special Education. 14(3):295-309

“Research Support for Inclusive Education and SWIFT”, Schoolwide Integrated Framework for Transformation (SWIFT Schools), (January 2017)

“Inclusion or Segregation for children with an Intellectual Impairment: What does the evidence say?” (2008)Dr Robert Jackson, Associate Professor at Edith Cowan University

Recent studies

“Outcomes of Inclusive Versus Separate Placements: A Matched Pairs Comparison Study” (2020), Kathlee Gee, Mara Gonzalez and Carrie Cooper, Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, August 2020

“The Relationship of Special Education Placement and Student Academic Outcomes” (2020), Sandi M. Cole, Hardy R. Murphy, Michael B. Frisby, Teresa A. Grossi and Hannah R. Bolte, The Journal of Special Education, June 2020

Research on segregation:

“The impact of inclusive education reforms on students with disability: an international comparison” (2019), Kate de Bruin, International Journal of Inclusive Education, 23:7-8, 811-826. [A study concluding that Autistic students in Australia are being increasingly segregated.]

Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse “A brief guide to the Final Report: Disability” (2017). [This report identifies segregation as a setting-based risk of sexual abuse of children with disability.]

“Fighting school segregation in Europe through inclusive education Fighting school segregation in Europe through inclusive education: a position paper Council of Europe” (2017), Council of Europe. [A position paper following a review of education systems across Europe and calling for a de-segregation strategy.]

“Disability and child sexual abuse in institutional contexts, Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse” (2016), Wayland, Sarah & Llewellyn, Gwynnyth & Hindmarsh, Gabrielle. [Research commissioned by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse identifies segregation as a setting-based risk of sexual abuse of children with disability.]

Research on “gatekeeping”:

“Gatekeeping and restrictive practices with students with disability: results of an Australian survey”, delivered at the Inclusive Education Summit, Adelaide (2017), Shiralee Poed, Kathy Cologon and Robert Jackson. [Research identifying widespread gatekeeping and restrictive practices across Australian education systems.]

“Improving Educational Outcomes for Children with Disability in Victoria” (June 2018), Eleanor Jenkin, Claire Spivakovsky, Sarah Joseph and Marius Smith. [Research identifying widespread gatekeeping and restrictive practices in Victorian education.]

[Cover photo © Ben White; other photos © Alana Institute]

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Your Child’s IEP – Guide for Families on Personalised Plans for Learning and Support

November 30, 2016 by dev Leave a Comment

What is an IEP?

An Individual Education Plan (IEP) (also known by other names including Individual Learning Plan or ILP) may be developed for a student with disabilities or a complex learning profile. An IEP is about access and equity in education and should consider the “reasonable adjustments” that need to be made to provide students with access to teaching, learning and the schooling experience generally. The provision of reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities is mandated by the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education which apply across Australia.

IEPs enable Australian schools to demonstrate that they have met their legal obligations to:

ensure that students with disabilities participate in education and training on the same basis as non-disabled students;
plan for and provide teaching and learning adjustments for students with disabilities; and
consult with the student’s parents or guardian (their “associate” under the Disability Standards for Education) in developing the educational plan and formulating any appropriate adjustments.

Why are IEP meetings important?

IEP planning meetings or “case conferences” are important because they document the teaching and learning adjustments for your child and the formal goals or objectives that your child’s school team will be pursuing for the next school period, usually 3 to 6 months.

It is your chance to influence the goals that are set and how the school will endeavour to achieve them. As a parent, you know your child and your input will be valuable in the team considering what academic and social goals should be pursued, when they should be pursued and how best to achieve them.

You are involved to ensure that the IEP outcomes are in the best interests of your child and to bring your long term vision and aspirations for your child to the table.

Don’t undervalue the importance of your role in the IEP process.

Remember, your child only grows up once, so take the time and effort to maximise the long-term outcomes of their schooling experience.

Who comes to IEP meetings?

IEP planning meetings involve your child’s teacher and, if your child is supported by an education or teaching assistant, the assistant might also attend. The meeting will usually involve a senior school administrator, such as the principal or a deputy principal, and perhaps the school psychologist. Some larger schools will also involve a staff member specifically responsible for administration relating to students with disabilities and complex learning profiles.

At least one parent or guardian will need to attend the IEP meeting on behalf of their child. Depending on your child’s age and preference, your child should also be invited to attend the IEP meeting.

If a parent does not comfortable attending on their own, they should try to reschedule so that their partner can attend or notify the school that they wish to attend with a friend or another trusted adult to support them. In that case it is important for the parent to always discuss their intended approach and desired outcomes for the IEP meeting with any person accompanying them so that they are both “on the same page” and understand their respective roles.

Schools will usually allow parents to also invite relevant external professionals, such as a medical professional, psychologist, physiotherapist, occupational therapist or a speech therapist. However, you should notify the school of any proposed external professional attendee and be prepared to explain why it would be beneficial or reasonable for them to participate.

How often should you meet for an IEP?

Your school will contact you to schedule the proposed IEP planning meeting at a date, time and place mutually agreeable to you and the school.

There should be an IEP meeting at least twice a year. It is common for an IEP to be developed at a meeting a month or two after the beginning of the school year, and for the IEP to be reviewed and updated at a meeting a month or two after the middle of the school year. However, you can ask for an IEP meeting at any time if you feel it is needed to address concerns or issues about your child’s schooling. The first point of contact to arrange a meeting is usually your child’s teacher.

If you are having a mid-year IEP meeting, it may also be an opportunity to raise your child’s teachers and assistant support for the following year as schools often start their planning processes at that time.

What types of things will the IEP cover?

Your child’s IEP is likely to focus on some or all of the following and the supports and adjustments required in respect of them:

academic strategies and progress
communication strategies and progress
physical health and needs
independence skills, including building capacity to study and self-care independently
socialisation skills and peer connection issues
general emotional well being
self-regulation and behaviour skills.

Before the IEP Meeting

Preparation is key to successful IEP meetings. There may well be a difference between a “smooth” IEP meeting and an IEP meeting that results in outcomes in the best interest of your child. Your input as a parent may result in the school changing or qualifying the goals and strategies that they were proposing – that is not a “bad” IEP meeting – that is a constructive “two way” IEP meeting and is why you are involved as your child’s ultimate representative.

It is important to prepare for the IEP meeting by:

having a Vision for your child

If you haven’t already, try to write down your Vision for your child’s future life as well as their life at school. Each goal that is formulated for your child at an IEP should be considered against that Vision – is it on the path to or consistent with achieving that Vision ? For example, if you imagine an inclusive life for your child, as a part of his or her community, having meaningful social relationships, then you should consider whether your child’s proposed IEP goals and how they are proposed to be implemented support achieving that Vision. Share your Vision with the school. Your Vision should guide both you and the school.

One of the principal barriers that people with disabilities face is the culture of low expectations within broader society. As a parent, they way you talk about your child, their disability and their right to learn can influence your child’s self perception and, equally as importantly, the attitudes and expectations of their school team.

talking with your child about school

Discuss school with your child and try to get a sense of their feelings, attitude and any worries about school. Other significant people in your child’s life, like their siblings and friends, may also add useful insights. If your child will be attending the IEP meeting, plan for this so you can support your child in being heard and understood.

try to ascertain what new goals the school is considering

Talk with your child’s teacher about what new goals are being considered for the IEP meeting or ask for a copy of the proposed IEP in advance – some schools will be happy to provide you with a draft IEP for you to consider.

reflecting on your child’s strengths and requirement for supports

You know your child better than anyone. You know what skills they have mastered and which skills they need support with.

reflecting on strategies that work at home

Strategies that work at home (including use of technology or apps, social stories, pictorial aids, schedules, etc) are good starting points for the classroom. Share your insights at the meeting.

writing down school successes to acknowledge and questions you would like to raise

Both your child’s teacher and you are trying to maximise academic and social outcomes for your child. Not all ideas will work. Some need to be modified, some replaced with new strategies. But when they do work, acknowledge and celebrate successes. Importantly, IEPs are also an opportunity to strengthen your relationship with your child’s school team so take the opportunity to reflect on the successes that you have observed, write them down and share them at the IEP meeting.

When previous IEP strategies don’t go to plan, learn from the experience in trying a different approach. If you are interested in exploring or suggesting a particular approach to an issue, consider whether there is research or evidence to support it and provide to the teacher, in advance if possible, any relevant articles that you may have identified. Remember that teachers are busy so consider pointing to or highlighting the relevant areas and be mindful not to provide more information than is necessary.

When you don’t know the answer but want to raise a query – write down the question and ask it at the IEP meeting. Different perspectives help the quality of the goal setting and formulation of strategies to achieve them.

thinking about any external professional that you consider should also attend the IEP planning meeting

Planning for and addressing your child’s needs may well benefit from expert advice from time to time. If in doubt, ask a trusted professional whether they think they should attend in person or by teleconference. In some cases, the professional may suggest that a brief letter to the school may be enough. However, it is important to ensure that the professional understands your Vision for your child and their advice is for the purpose of supporting your child to access education.

As a matter of courtesy, notify the school if you plan to invite an external professional and briefly explain why you think their attendance would be beneficial.

Gather all documents to which you may need to refer at the meeting

These could be school letters, report cards, medical certificates, etc.

The more prepared and organised you are, the better the chance that the matters you wish to raise will be considered and addressed.

At the IEP meeting

Share or reaffirm your Vision for your child. Success is more likely to be achieved when everyone has the same ultimate outcomes in mind.

When discussing potential IEP goals with the school, remember the acronym “SMART“.

As a general guide, IEP goals should be:

S = Specific – goals need to be clear to be capable of being implemented.
M = Measurable – progress towards the goal must be objectively measurable.
A = Attainable – don’t agree to a goal that is clearly unrealistic at that time.
R = Relevant – how does each goal relate to your child’s education and your vision.
T = Timely – An agreed timeline for each goal will guide efforts to achieve it.

For examples of the kinds of outcomes that are likely to be proposed and the types of questions to ask when applying SMART to each goal, a great resource is the Developmental Disability WA’s booklet “Documented Plans” (click here).

Many parents like to take notes of matters discussed in IEP meetings or instead “bring a friend” who can take notes for them so they can focus on the discussion. Remember that if you are bringing someone along as a note-taker, you should make sure in advance that you both understand your respective roles at the meeting.

Other things to consider in developing IEP goals:

Curriculum adjustments: for children with intellectual or cognitive impairment, unless adjustments are provided, they may not be able to participate in the class lesson and progress academically. Curriculum adjustments are not an alternative program and must not result in students being left in a corner of the class, doing their own separate lesson disengaged from the rest of the class. (You can read more about universal design and curriculum adjustments in this parent resource here.)

Education assistant support: its important to ask specific questions about your child’s support. How often and when is support being provided? Will there be an education or teacher assistant and if so how many and when? Where possible, when exploring aide support it is important that the student be consulted. The relationship between your child and their education assistant is critical to its success. Remember that close aide support for a student, especially over time, is not always the best approach to maximising academic and particularly social outcomes. (You can read more about this here.)

Behaviour support approaches: for students who are seen by their school as having “behaviour challenges”, it is important to get a clear understanding of how the school is proposing to support your child (specifically whether through traditional “disciplinary” approaches or more positive behaviour supports that seek to identify unmet need and recognise behaviour as a form of communication – you can read about this in our Parent Toolkit). In some cases, schools may already have in place a behaviour plan that parents are not necessarily aware of, so you may like to ask whether that is the case for your child. If there are any strategies that the school is using with which are harmful (such as those involving restraint or seclusion) or with which you disagree or are not comfortable, it important to express this clearly to your child’s school (you can read more about this here.)

Agreeing to the proposed IEP

You will usually be asked to sign the IEP at the end of the IEP planning meeting to show that you agree with its content.

However, if you are unsure about some aspect of the IEP, you should say that you would like to take a copy and to have a little more time to consider it. Taking a couple of days to consider the IEP is not unreasonable given that its content usually guide the next 3 to 6 months of your child’s schooling.

If you and the school are not able to reach agreement, the matter will usually be resolved or escalated as follows:

a further meeting between you and the teacher.
a meeting between you and the principal (with the teacher attending if appropriate)
an appeal to your Regional Education Office for assistance in resolving the issue -this should involve an independent review of the situation and may include mediation. You State’s Education Department’s website should contain the relevant contact information.

It should be appreciated that the higher a disagreement is escalated, the greater the impact on the subsequent working relationship between your family and the teacher and the school. As such, it is important to try to resolve disagreements as quickly and as cordially as possible, to minimise unnecessarily adversarial outcomes.

If after signing an IEP you have second thoughts about some aspect of it, talk to your child’s teacher. Addressing the issue promptly by asking the school to consider revising the IEP is better than wishing, at the next IEP meeting in 6 months time, that you had voiced your concern earlier.

Follow-up actions after an IEP

It is a good idea to write a note or email to your child’s teacher and the staff who attended the IEP meeting to thank them for their time and efforts – particularly when you feel that they have worked with you and taken your views into account. This also provides an opportunity to reaffirm your Vision for your child and will help to ensure that the relationship with your child’s IEP team remains positive and constructive.

The implementation of the IEP will be the responsibility of the school. However, consider how what you do outside of school hours may be able to assist your child in meeting the IEP goals. The quicker the goals are met, the quicker new goals can be set in realising your vision for your child.

Resources

The Australian government has developed its own resource, Planning for Personalised Learning and Support: A National Resource, to support personalised planning and learning for students with disabilties, based on the obligations that schools have under the Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education 2005, and covers issues such as consultation with parents and students.

Inclusive Education – What Does the Research Say?

Your Child’s IEP – Guide for Families on Personalised Plans for Learning and Support

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