Jeanmarie Badar

Getty Images How well a school meets the needs of students with disabilities must be part of school-quality discussions. In 2018-19, 14% of students in U.S. public schools received special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (National Center for Education Statistics, 2020) and advocates propose closer to 20% of all students would benefit from additional supports and services due to how they learn (National Center for Learning Disabilities, 2019).

Full inclusion of students with disabilities focuses on where students are taught, not on instruction. The idea that all students, including those with disabilities, can and should be taught together in the same class and school is a highly prized myth. Focusing on inclusion rather than on appropriate instruction and on a continuum of alternative placements is illogical as well as illegal.