| The requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (2004) require school districts to provide many special education students with instruction on grade level. Some school districts have included special education students in the general education classroom for instruction in order to meet this requirement. According to Berry (2006), the practice of inclusion, or integration, is the standard that should be applied to special education students when possible.;Co-teaching has been defined as two or more teachers having equal responsibilities and credentials providing instruction in the same classroom (Bouck, 2007). With the consultative model, a certified general education teacher provides direct instruction to the entire class while special education personnel, certified teacher or para-educator, provide support to students in need of assistance (Idol, 2006).;The present study addressed the following research question: Is there a difference in the achievement of special education students who were taught using the co-teaching method and students taught using the consultative method? Scaled scores from secondary students participating in a co-teaching or a consultative model were analyzed in the study. Prior year math and reading Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) or State Developed Alternative Assessment (SDAA) grade level were used to control for prior achievement. Ethnicity and socioeconomic status served as additional control variables. Math and reading TAKS achievement scaled scores from the 2008 school year determined the level of academic achievement of special education students included in the study.;There was a significant difference in the academic achievement of secondary special education students in the areas of both reading and math, depending on the inclusive teaching model utilized. Students who participated in a consultative model for reading and math instruction earned higher scaled scores on state assessments than students who participated in a co-teaching model.;The study confirmed the academic benefits students gain from having a general education teacher, as well as special education personnel. Further, the study confirmed that special education personnel in inclusive classrooms do not necessarily have to meet teacher certification requirements in order to meet the needs of special education students. Information from this study may be utilized by school districts to assist in the implementation of an inclusive program with the goal of increasing student achievement. |
