A study of the achievement of students with disabilities within inclusion classrooms in Alabama public high schools

The primary purpose of this study was to examine to what extent the reading and mathematics achievement levels of 11th grade students with disabilities on the Alabama High School Graduation Exam (AHSGE) differ based on various school demographics from the 2003--2004 through the 2006--2007 school years compared to their non-special-education counterparts. In addition, the relationships between school demographic variables and student achievement for the 2006--2007 school year were also examined. The population identified for this study consisted of 85 Alabama public schools that encompassed the 11th grade and reported special education data for the 2003--2004 through the 2006--2007 school years. The study involved the use of quantitative research methodologies and utilized only existing data. All data were collected and analyzed with the school as the unit of analysis. Using descriptive statistical methods, data were analyzed to obtain frequency distributions, means, and standard deviations.;Furthermore, a comparison of means was conducted on the reading and math proficiency percentages of special education and non-special-education student test scores in relation to: the Title I status of the school, school configuration, mills equivalent, and the average amount of money spent per student. A Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used to examine the relationship between special education student and non-special-education student achievement and grade level size, student access to technology, percentage of highly qualified teachers, average daily attendance of students, and teacher education levels.;An analysis of the data indicated that an overall weak relationship existed between the achievement levels of special education and non-special-education students and Alabama public school demographic variables. The data indicated that the strongest relationship on the reading portion of the AHSGE occurred between percentage of highly qualified teachers and non-special-education student reading achievement (r = .516). The only moderate positive relationship for any students on the mathematics portion of the AHSGE existed between non-special-education students and grade level size ( r = .553).;In addition, school configurations, specifically unit and middle/high schools, decreased the achievement gaps between special education and non-special-education students in the area of mathematics. The achievement gap between special education and non-special-education students attending unit schools decreased 5.58%, while the mathematics achievement gap for students attending middle/high schools decreased 7.57% over the four year period.;The recommendations for future practice are that school systems should consider examining school configurations, specifically unit and middle/high schools, in an effort to decrease the achievement gaps between special education and non-special-education students in the area of mathematics. School systems should also consider increasing the percentage of highly qualified teachers in schools in an effort to increase non-special-education student reading achievement.;Recommendations for future research include extending this study to incorporate more years of data as it becomes available, compare the achievement trends of special education and non-special-education students to others students across the country, and perform qualitative research to examine the affects Title I status of the school, school configuration, mills equivalent, the average amount of money spent per student, grade level size, student access to technology, percentage of highly qualified teachers, average daily attendance of students, and teacher education levels have on student achievement.