The State of Florida has defined inclusion in §1003.57(1)(a) 2013:
A school district shall use the term “inclusion” to mean that:
a student is receiving education in a general education regular class setting, reflecting natural proportions and age-appropriate heterogeneous groups in core academic and elective or special areas within the school community;
a student with a disability is a valued member of the classroom and school community;
the teachers and administrators support universal education and have knowledge and support available to enable them to effectively teach all children;
and a student is provided access to technical assistance in best practices, instructional methods, and supports tailored to the student’s needs based on current research.
What does the research show about inclusion?
Inclusion is backed by over 40 years of research. When implemented with fidelity, it yields positive results for all learners:
Students develop better attitudes and improved social skills. (Murawski, 2009)
Teachers share effective, research-based teaching strategies. (Murawski, 2009)
Schools report having positive student results on assessments. (Murawski, 2009)
Inclusive education results in better academic outcomes. (Cole, Murphy, Frisby, Grossi, & Bolte, 2020)
Included students experienced significantly greater growth in the development of literacy skills than did their otherwise similar peers. (Dessemontet, Bless, & Morin, 2012)
“Mainly, the social effects of inclusion are reduction of fear, hostility, prejudice, and discrimination as well as increase of tolerance, acceptance, and understanding.” (Kart & Kart, 2021)
Additional benefits for students:
Improved instructional outcomes (and expectations) for all students (Causton-Theoharis et al., 2011)
Positive social outcomes for all students (Theoharis et al., 2015)
Acceptance of diversity (Kart & Kart, 2021)
Increased self-advocacy Murowski , 2009)
Additional benefits for teachers:
Increased professional satisfaction (Cook & Friend, 2017)
Better lesson plans (Baumi, 2016)
Improved behavioral and academic results (van Hoover et al., 2012)
Reduced stress and isolation (Baumi, 2016)
Improved assessment outcomes (Cole, et.al, 2020)