SCHOOL INCLUSION: A MULTIDIMENSIONAL FRAMEWORK AND LINKS WITH OUTCOMES AMONG URBAN YOUTH WITH DISABILITIES

• Published in: Journal of community psychology Vol. 44; no. 5; pp. 656 - 673
• Main Authors: McMahon, Susan D., Keys, Christopher B., Berardi, Luciano, Crouch, Ronald, Coker, Crystal
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.07.2016; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Academic achievement; School environment; Social integration; Social psychology; Students with disabilities
• ISSN: 0090-4392; 1520-6629
• DOI: 10.1002/jcop.21793

As schools move toward inclusion of students with disabilities, there is need for a common framework for school inclusion, as well as assessment of inclusion in relation to student educational experiences. We propose an ecological framework that suggests school inclusion is best examined as a multidimensional construct with subtypes of inclusive best practices (organizational, academic, assessment and planning, and social). This study examines the extent to which schools (N = 11) are practicing each type of inclusion and the links between teacher‐reported inclusion practices and student‐ and school‐reported academic and social outcomes among African American and Latina/o youth with disabilities (N = 76). Results show that organizational inclusion and assessment and planning were associated with greater school belonging and school satisfaction; academic inclusion was associated with higher academic achievement, school belonging, and school satisfaction; and social inclusion was associated with higher academic achievement and school belonging. Implications for research, theory, and school practices are discussed.