Although once hailed as a way to increase achievement while decreasing costs, full inclusion does not save money, reduce students' needs, or improve academic outcomes; in most cases, it merely moves the special education professionals out of their own classrooms and into a corner of the general classroom. To avoid harm to the academic education of students with disabilities, a full panoply of services and resources is required, including:
Adequate supports and services for the student
Well-designed individualized education programs
Professional development for all teachers involved, general and special educators alike
Time for teachers to plan, meet, create, and evaluate the students together
Reduced class size based on the severity of the student needs
Professional skill development in the areas of cooperative learning, peer tutoring, adaptive curriculum
Collaboration between parents, teachers and administrators
Sufficient funding so that schools will be able to develop programs for students based on student need instead of the availability of funding.
In principle, several factors can determine the success of inclusive classrooms:
Family-school partnerships
Collaboration between general and special educators
Well-constructed plans that identify specific accommodations, modifications, and goals for each student
Coordinated planning and communication between "general" and "special needs" staff
Integrated service delivery
Ongoing training and staff development