IU Research Study Concludes that Inclusive Classroom Placements Result in Higher Academic Outcomes for Students with Disabilities (IN UCEDD)
February 4, 2019
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Indiana students with disabilities included in general education classrooms do significantly better on Indiana state assessments than their peers placed in separate special education classrooms, an Indiana University research study concludes.
The study, conducted by the Center on Education and Lifelong Learning at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, followed a cohort of Indiana students with disabilities, from third through eighth grade, to assess the relationship between special education placement in high, mixed, and low inclusive classrooms and academic success. By comparing the outcomes of students included in general education classrooms with similar students in separate special education classrooms, the study was able to determine the impact of inclusion upon student state assessments.
The study defined high inclusion as a student spending 80% of the time in a general education classroom; mixed was defined as sometimes being in a general education classroom 80% or more; and low inclusion was defined as being in the general classroom less than 80% of the time. Additionally, students were matched on their third grade ISTEP and IRead scores and their primary disability. Academic measures used included ISEP+, English/Language Arts (ELA), and math scores.
The key findings of this study include:
- ISTEP outcomes for students with high inclusion placements were higher than their peers in mixed or less inclusive placements.
- In all but two of the analyses, the results are significant, meaning that the favorable differences for students included in general education classrooms may be attributed to their general education classroom placement. Had students been placed in less inclusive classrooms, their test outcomes would have been less favorable and in line with the poorer outcomes of their peers in the more segregated placements.
"This is one of the first studies to find such conclusive evidence in favor of inclusion," said Sandi Cole, co-author of the study and director of the Center on Education and Lifelong Learning. "There are currently over 340 schools in Indiana who are designated for Targeted or Comprehensive School improvement due to the poor achievement of students with disabilities. As schools and districts make decisions on how best to improve their outcomes for students with disabilities, these findings should inform key decisions in the school improvement process. And, for educators and parents who struggle with making the right decision, this study provides greater certainty that inclusion has a strong relationship to academic achievement for students with disabilities."
This research study validates the relationship between student placement and education outcomes. Knowing that inclusion results in better student academic outcomes supports a focus on the best way to include opportunities for students with disabilities in general education classrooms. This research has implications for teacher pre-service training as well as in-services professional development.
"Never before has education so clearly defined the pathway to success. In this sense, the opportunity for all students to be included is nothing less than a civil right. This should be kept in mind in all decisions regarding student placement and delivery of services," said Hardy Murphy, study co-author and a clinical faculty member in School of Education at IUPUI.
Additionally, these conclusions (study summary) can inform the school improvement process and better enable the integration of best practices in the design, delivery, and evaluation of instruction into the placement process. Such data-driven research offers guidance and support regarding decisions to include students with disabilities in general education classrooms.
About the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community
The Center on Education and Lifelong Learning is one of six centers at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community (IIDC). The IIDC works to create communities that facilitate and support equitable access to a desirable life for all people.
