Academic achievement of middle school students with specific learning disabilities in inclusive cotaught classes

Despite the trend toward inclusive education for all students, there is little research that focuses on the academic achievement of students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) and other health impairments (OHI) in inclusive classrooms. The purpose of this nonexperimental quantitative study was to analyze and compare the academic achievement of middle school students with SLD or OHI in inclusive coteaching classrooms and in resource classrooms to determine in which setting students with SLD or OHI demonstrate higher achievement on state standards in reading and math. Following a constructivist theory frame of reference, the results of this study will enable educators to make placement decisions that increase the academic achievement of students with SLD and OHI. Archival data from the state test in reading and math, including criterion-referenced and norm-referenced scores, and curriculum based measurements (CBM) in reading were analyzed using repeated measures t tests. Analysis revealed increased achievement on criterion-referenced and norm-referenced tests in reading and math when instruction was provided in an inclusive cotaught classroom. CBM reading probes were compared for growth over time in reading, but no significant improvement was noted on CBM. This study will provide school districts with empirical evidence of increased academic achievement in inclusive classrooms with coteaching, thereby supporting the placement of students with SLD and OHI in general education classrooms instead of resource classrooms. The broad social change implication will be the consideration of the general education classroom as the least restrictive environment (LRE). Instead of discussions about placement, teams will discuss appropriate supports for the student's success in the general education classroom.