Amanda Zabojnik

Prompt #1
SpEd 480
February 2, 2016

The No Child Left Behind Act was created in 2001. It affects every public school in the
United States. The primary purpose of the No Child Left Behind Act was to enhance the
performance of Elementary and Secondary schools in the United States, as well as
ensure that no single child is stuck in a school that is failing. Bos, Schumm, Vaughn
(1997) Teaching Students. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. The No Child Left
Behind Act covers a vast variety of topics and issues. Such as, students who are at
poverty level, minorities, keeping schools safe and maintaining drug free schools for
students, adequate special education services for students and supporting
instruction for English Language learners.
IDEA was created in 1990. It is a federal law that requires schools to serve the
educational needs of students that have disabilities. IDEA states that schools must
evaluate any student suspected of being disabled, this includes learning disabilities.
Bos, Schumm, Vaughn (1997) Teaching Students. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Inclusion is defined as the disabled student being placed in a general education
classroom. This is not legally required, but it is in fact a way to place the specific
disabled student in a least restrictive environment. Bos, Schumm, Vaughn
(1997) Teaching Students. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
There are both advantages and disadvantages when it comes to inclusion type
classrooms. Some advantages are, a special education and general education teacher
typically work side by side together in an inclusion type classroom, this is often referred
to as collaborative team teaching. This can be beneficial because students individual
needs have a greater chance of being met. This also enables teachers to work side by side
and collaborate on classroom needs, such as, teachers accommodating their students
with a variety of teaching methods and addressing different learning styles. When two
teachers are present, students can be taught on a more individual basis, based on their
individual learning needs. More resources, such as technology, are also typically more
readily available for inclusion classrooms. Rosen, P. (2014) 5 Benefits of Inclusion

Classrooms. Retrieved from www.understood.org.

There are however some disadvantages of inclusion as well. For example, from the
perspective of the teacher, they may personally struggle with making themselves 100%
available to every single student. This can be due to the number of students that they are
expected to assist or because students may be pulled out of class certain times of the
week for additional special education services. There can also be disadvantages from the
perspective of the student that is in the inclusion classroom setting. For instance, the
student who may be excelling in school and needs a more challenging classroom
experience nay get overlooked in some respects due to the teacher being simply
overwhelmed by the needs of special education students. On the other hand, special
education students may struggle due to the needs and expectations of general education
students in the inclusion classroom. Gerber, H. (2011) Problems with Inclusion in the
Classroom. Retrieved from www.blog.sunbeltstaffing.com
In conclusion, there are both positive and negative aspects to the inclusion classroom
setting. It is a delicate topic for many and should be approached as such. I do believe
that the success of the inclusion classroom depends largely on the teacher facilitating a
successful learning environment for both special education and general education
students. Obviously, this is something that as a future teacher I will strive for, should I
be placed in an inclusion classroom setting. Im certain this is easier said than done,
however, if a balance can be achieved in the inclusion classroom, I do believe that both
the teacher and students will benefit greatly.