Classroom management in inclusive settings

The inclusion of children with disabilities in general education classes provides an opportunity for teachers to identify classroom management policies and practices that promote diversity and community. Community-building management strategies that facilitate friendships, collaboration, parent involvement, and address challenging behaviors in a positive, proactive, and educative manner are consistent with the goals of inclusive education. In addition, in order to develop a truly inclusive school community, management policies and practices that are inconsistent with inclusive education--such as exclusionary discipline policies--need to be addressed by teachers and administrators.

RYAN, A STUDENT WITH MULTIPLE disabilities, and Tania, a child who has challenges in attention and behavior, are full-time members of a class of 26 mixed-ability students in a fifth-grade class in Hubert Elementary School. The class is taught full-time by Ms. James, a general educator, and part-time by Ms. Olmstead, a special educator assigned to support the children, including the two students with disabilities. Before she was assigned an inclusive class, Ms. James generally taught lessons to the entire class and required, with moderate success, that all students remain seated and quiet until everyone had completed their assignments. This year's inclusive class frequently works in small groups so the students can be more active, involved, and supportive of each other. Changes were also made in the class rules and procedures. For example, because both teachers felt it was unrealistic and unnecessary to require students to stay seated, guidelines about where and for how long students can take breaks were established. As in previous years, the teachers expected each student to complete his or her work; however, this year not all students were given the same assignment. Similarly, all students were expected to comply with the school and classroom rules, but changes were made to ensure that all students were equally able to succeed.

Inclusive classes, such as the one just described, are no longer exceptional. In recent years, the number of students with learning, behavioral, and other educational disabilities being taught in general education classes has more than tripled (U.S. Department of Education, 2001). Ten years ago, less than one third of students with disabilities participated in general education classes. By 1997-1998, more than 75% of the 6.5 million students with disabilities were being educated in classes with their nondisabled peers. The move toward inclusive education is supported by legislation, such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments (IDEA) of 1997, and research showing the benefits of inclusion for children with and without disabilities (Baker, Wang, & Walberg, 1994; Staub & Peck, 1994).

As the composition of students within classes becomes ever more diverse, educational policies and practices need to be made more inclusive. The purpose of this article is to identify research-based strategies for creating and managing a diverse classroom community. The following three questions frame the discussion of inclusive classroom management practices:

1. How do teachers create a sense of community in classes comprised of students who differ in their abilities and behaviors?

2. How can teachers form a safe and responsive learning environment for all members of the classroom community using knowledge from two traditionally discrete fields (i.e., special and general education)?

3. What considerations and accommodations need to be made at the building and district level to ensure there are explicit and fair expectations for all students?

In this article, strategies to enhance the overall quality of the classroom environment are presented before discussing positive and supportive strategies that may be used to address the challenging behavior of individual students. This approach, which is supported by research in both special education and general education, suggests that school discipline issues are minimized when students feel welcomed, safe, and supported.

Creating an Inclusive Community

Philosophically and pragmatically, inclusive education is primarily about belonging, membership, and acceptance. Historically, the inclusive school movement grew out of a parent-initiated effort that focused on the rights of children with disabilities to participate with their nondisabled peers (Turnbull & Turnbull, 2001). Parents believed, and educators supported the notion, that separating children on any characteristic, such as ability or race, inherently leads to an inferior education for those who are "tracked" out of the mainstream. In addition, efforts to allow part-time involvement in targeted subject areas (usually nonacademic) based on student "readiness" to participate, as in the case of mainstreaming, resulted in less than favorable outcomes (Gartner & Lipsky, 1987). What then emerged was a commitment to full-time membership in age-appropriate, general education classes.