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Email: apiergentili@liberty.edu
The Impact of The Inclusive Environment on All Environments
(1.52) what does least restrictive environment (LRE) mean? SERR. (2023).
https://serr.disabilityrightsca.org/serr-manual/chapter-1-information-on-basic-rights/1-52-
what-does-least-restrictive-environment-lre-mean/
According to Disability Rights California, the least restrictive environment is defined by
federal and state laws requiring all students with disabilities access to an education in a
general education classroom with students without disabilities; the goal being that they
receive the maximum time in a general education classroom without hindering their
learning. Students with special needs should have access to this general education unless
this causes detrimental effects to their learning or their peers learning. The terms,
mainstreaming, integration, full inclusion, and reverse mainstreaming are phrases that have
been created by teachers to accomplish this goal of least restrictive environments (SERR,
2023).
Valencia, R. R. (2012). Epilogue: The future of deficit thinking in educational thought and
Practice. The Evolution of Deficit Thinking, 257–270.
https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203046586-14
According to the American Psychological Association the deficit perspective or ‘deficit
thinking’ (Valencia, 2012), states that students failure in school is due to internal deficits in
their family structure, interfering with their learning in the classroom. Some examples of
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this are limited educability, unmotivated, or low family support. The idea of the deficit
perspective is the blame the victim mentality; students’ poor academic performance is
blamed on motivational deficits, alongside unequal schooling that excludes certain
students.
Deloney, P., & Thompkins, R. (1993). Concerns about and arguments against inclusion and/or
full inclusion. Concerns About and Arguments Against Inclusion and/or Full Inclusion -
Issues ...about Change, Inclusion: The Pros and Cons, Volume 4, Number 3.
https://sedl.org/change/issues/issues43/concerns.html
Deloney and Thompkins focus their article on the concerns about inclusion and how all too
often, when implemented, teachers are left lacking resources, training, and other supports
to best teach their students with disabilities. Ultimately, this means their children with
disabilities are not receiving the supports or appropriate access to learning, disrupting their
peers learning in the process. Although written in 1993, 30 years ago, this is an issue that
continues, even with efforts made to adequately train teachers to support their students with
disabilities. With a wide range of abilities in the classroom, it is unrealistic to expect a
teacher to be able to give adequate attention to all learners.
Department of Education. (2023). Every student succeeds act (ESSA). Every Student Succeeds
Act (ESSA) | U.S. Department of Education. https://www.ed.gov/essa?src=rn
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In 2015, President Obama signed a new policy into place, replacing the No Child Left
Behind Act, the Each Student Succeeds Act. The goal of this new act was to increase
flexibility in teacher instruction and student learning; there are four requirements for this to
exist in implementation: student assessments can be administered in a way that the state
deems accessible;. state report cards that can be understood by not only teachers and
administrators, but also parents; States must report how much money they spend on
students increasing transparency to all stakeholders. Finally, ESSA created flexibiligy in
how funds are being disbursed, in order for students to attend higher performing schools.
This policy improves teachers abilities to create inclusive classroom by implementing
flexibility for instruction, assessment, and curriculum instruction. This can also improve
diverse classrooms by creating transparency to parents and stakeholders as they determine
how students need to learn.
Kart, A., & Kart, M. (2021). Academic and social effects of inclusion on students without
disabilities: A review of the literature. Education Sciences, 11(1), 16.
https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11010016
Kart defines what inclusive education should be, while discussing the importance of proper
inclusive practices as this becomes the norm in many classrooms. He argues that there is a
lack of research, and if inclusion continues to spread, there needs to be more studies don’t
on whether the effect of inclusion is beneficial to all students, not just those with
disabilities. With research currently showing academic and social benefits for students with
disabilities, there are fewer positive outcomes for those without disabilities. Kart’s overall
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purpose is to analyze literature on academic and social outcomes for students without
disabilities to get a better standpoint on whether this practice is beneficial for all learners.
Tkachyk, R. E. (2013a). Questioning secondary inclusive education: Are inclusive classrooms
always best for students? Interchange, 44(1–2), 15–24. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10780-
013-9193-z
Tkachyk discusses the prioritization of inclusive classrooms in western governments, as
they also pursue inclusive societies. Although beneficial socially and academically, this
article looks at arguments made by teachers and parents on the benefits of full inclusion for
all learners’ needs. Tkachyk argues that there may still be need for segregated classroom,
where certain students can receive specialized supports that best guide their learning needs.
She also believes that even with the implementation of inclusive classrooms, teachers need
to prioritize the needs of all students if they intend to have an inclusive environment;
inclusion should not come at all costs.
Vanderbilt University. (2023). What is inclusion and why is it important? IRIS Center.
https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/inc/cresource/q1/p01/
The IRIS Center defines inclusion as an approach to education that exemplifies the concept
that all students, regardless of abilities, should be accepted and valued in the classroom. By
practicing inclusion, teachers can include every student in a general education classroom.
An inclusive classroom is on that gives all students access to the curriculum, while they are
active participants in the learning with appropriate supports. Inclusion is often used
interchangeably with the phrases integration and mainstreaming, but this refers to three
