Disability Futures

What the Research Says

Studies and surveys on inclusive education seem to conclude that students with disabilities stand to gain a lot from placement in general education settings. In addition, those without disabilities may see better outcomes, too.

• Cole, Waldron, and Majd found that students who do not have disabilities made significantly better progress in both math and reading when they were educated in inclusive settings.
• Cushing and Kennedy wrote that kids who helped out and supported their peers with disabilities in general-education settings illustrated positive academic outcomes (in the form of improved academic achievement, completion of assignments, and participation in classroom discussions).
• Two studies (one by Ruijs, Van der Veen, and Peetsma, and one by Sermier Dessemontet and Bless) found that there were no major differences in outcomes among students without disabilities who were taught in classrooms either with or without inclusion.
• A meta-analysis of research relevant to this topic conducted by Kalambouka, Farrell, and Dyson found that the vast majority (81 percent) of outcomes associated with inclusive education suggest either positive or neutral effects among students without disabilities. And they found that, broadly, the exposure of students with disabilities to a general-education curriculum is “strongly and positively correlated” with better performance in math and reading.
• Sermier Dessemontet, Bless, and Morin explained that full inclusion in general-education settings (as compared to special schools) for students with intellectual disabilities resulted in their improved literacy skills.
• Kurth and Mastergeorge, studying students with autism, found that those served in inclusive classrooms rather than in special ed settings earned “significantly higher scores” on academic achievement tests.