1. Inclusion
A school district shall use the term “inclusion” to mean that a student is receiving education in a general education regular class setting, reflecting natural proportions and age-appropriate heterogeneous groups in core academic and elective or special areas within the school community; a student with a disability is a valued member of the classroom and school community; the teachers and administrators support universal education and have knowledge and support available to enable them to effectively teach all children; and a teacher is provided access to technical assistance in best practices, instructional methods, and supports tailored to the student’s needs based on current research.

2. Inclusion Students in non-inclusive settings can experience:
Contributing Factors to the Performance Gap
Students in non-inclusive settings can experience:
reduced instructional time, up to 35 percent less instructional time than in a general classroom
a reduction in instruction rigor, with academic activities not addressing the expectations of the grade level standards
immaturity in the areas of social, emotional, and communication skills
the lack of a growth mindset regarding the ability to learn and achieve the grade level standards

3. Inclusion
In secondary grades students are expected to start exhibiting skills and behaviors needed for post secondary success. Having opportunities to model students without disabilities throughout each day and being able to participate in peer tutoring can result in significant increases in spelling, social studies, and other academic indicators. Daily engagement in general classrooms can result in fewer absences from school, fewer referrals for behavior, and better post secondary outcomes. The lack of these opportunities increases the skill and academic behavior gap between students with disabilities and students without disabilities.

4. Inclusion In Inclusive Schools:
school administrators advocate for all SWDs to have the same school choice options as students without disabilities to ensure all SWDs receive educational services in their neighborhood school or school of choice
a multi-tiered system of student supports (MTSS) and problem-solving process is consistently used by school personnel to ensure progress in the general education curriculum, across all grades and settings, for all students with and without disabilities

5. Inclusion
Resources
Inclusive Education Research and Practice - 
An analysis of research on the effects of placement in a general education classroom for students with disabilities.
School BPIE Indicators At a Glance -
A list of the 34 best practices for inclusion school indicators.

6. Inclusion Data Sources – Tools you can use to focus on inclusion.
Best Practices for Inclusive Education -
The School Best Practices for Inclusive Education (BPIE) Assessment is a school self-assessment process designed to be completed every three years.
ESE Data & Program Evaluation -
State and district data on the state performance plan indicators.

7. Inclusion Hypothesis - The problem is occurring because:
students in non-inclusive classrooms are receiving less instruction time than students in general classrooms
students in non-inclusive classrooms are receiving instruction that is less rigorous than instruction in general classrooms
students do not have daily opportunities to work collaboratively with non-disabled peers