Three Inclusive Settings: The Comparative Effects on the Academic Achievement of Students With and Without Disabilitie

The purpose of this study was to determine if three inclusive educational settings (general, SAM and TAM) result in significant differences in the academic achievement of students with disabilities (SWD) and without disabilities as measured by the Delaware Comprehensive Assessment System (DCAS) for reading and math. A causal comparative research design was used to observe the effects of student placement in different inclusionary settings. In the general education setting, students did not receive instruction from a special education teacher. In the single approach to mastery (SAM) setting, students received instruction from a solo-teacher certified in special education and a core content area. In the team approach to mastery (TAM) setting, students received instruction from a core content teacher and a certified special education teacher. The average growth by grade level was calculated for fall and spring across all three settings. The achievement gap between SWD and nondisabled students was compared to identify the effectiveness of the districts' inclusion programs for compliance with the No Child Left Behind Act (2001). Data from the sample used in this study were collected from seven elementary schools and three middle schools located in one school district in northern Delaware. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to assess differences in reading and mathematics achievement related to educational settings. A two-way factorial analysis of variance was used to assess DCAS reading and mathematics achievement differences of students with and without disabilities and the interactions between educational settings (general, SAM and TAM) and type of students (SWD and nondisabled). Educational setting did not make a difference in student achievement for either students with or without disabilities. Findings from this study were used to develop an improvement plan for addressing the learning needs of SWD in the Northern Delaware School district.