Special Education in the 21st Century: Issues of Inclusion and Reform

In the late twentieth century, a tidal wave of reform swept over public special education generated by a clamor for the inclusion of special needs students in regular classrooms. These reforms fuel the current debates over their implementation today, which are authoritatively addressed by nineteen distinguished scholars in this insightful volume. Organized into three cohesive sections, it begins with the issues of educational reform and the emerging discourses of disability and integration in the inclusion movement. Respective chapters appraise specific arguments for inclusion and the federal legislation and litigation surrounding and supporting special education. The second part features the thorny issue of assessment, the technological revolution in special education, and the disposition of teacher training. The third section scrutinizes the inclusion of various populations of students with exceptional needs, particularly how teachers can make an easy transition from ideology to educational practice. Special Education in the 21st Century sets the standard for extrapolating future directions by wisely weighing classroom practices for different groups. It thoroughly assesses the technical problems of resources, management, social groupings, instructional design, and the supposition that teachers will automatically change to accommodate an even greater diversity of learners.