| A quantitative research study was conducted in two rural elementary schools in Delaware to determine if non-disabled students taught in inclusive co-taught settings would achieve at a statistically significant rate above or below their peers who were taught in traditional classroom settings, and to determine if there was a significant difference in the achievement of the non-disabled students taught in inclusive settings in schools enrolling a majority of high socioeconomic students versus schools enrolling a majority of low socioeconomic students. Data was collected and analyzed from district mandated pre and post Star Literacy Assessments using means scores and an ANCOVA. While regular education students placed in inclusive settings outscored their peers in traditional classrooms five out of six times, the differences were not statistically significant and could not be attributed to student placement in either classroom. In addition, there was no statistical significance related to socioeconomic status. Several limitations to the study were noted, including the number and location of schools in the study, the unequal number of non-disabled students in the classrooms, the number of assessments used for analysis, the limited conversations with parents and teachers, and the length of the study. Recommendations included a longitudinal study of a group of children using multiple assessments in a variety of locations. |
