| Description: |
As a result of two major federal acts – the No Child Left Behind (NCLB, 2001) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004) – we have seen changes in both the student composition and instructional focus in classrooms. Owing to the specific provisions in IDEA (e.g., least restrictive environment) and the inclusion of students with disabilities (SWDs) in NCLB accountability, schools have increasingly engaged SWDs in the general education classroom (McLeskey, Landers, Williamson, & Hoppey, 2010). NCLB has been a driver in bringing academic standards and academic content coverage into early education classrooms (i.e., pre-kindergarten through second grade) (Bassok & Rorem, 2014; Miller & Almon, 2009; Stipek, 2006). For example, students in kindergarten in 2006 and 2007 received more time dedicated to English/language arts instruction than did students in 1998 kindergarten classrooms (Bassok & Rorem, 2014). Schools are also allowing less time for “free play ” activities in exchange for more academically focused learning time (Miller & Almon, 2009). Presumably, these inclusive settings and the increased focus on academic instruction affect outcomes for SWDs. In general, research suggests that inclusion is primarily beneficial to SWDs (Cole, Waldron, & Majd, 2004), with typical studies finding positive effects of.08-.44 standard |