What Predicts Inclusion for Students with Disabilities? An Analysis of Student Factors

• In Event: Roundtable Session 32
  In Roundtable Session: Inclusionary Practices in Special Education

Abstract

Numerous factors have been shown to influence the inclusion of students with disabilities in general education environments. This paper analyses data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-1999 (ECLS-K) conducted by the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) to determine what student factors predict inclusion. Findings revealed that students’ disability category, race, and socioeconomic status independently and collectively predict inclusion, while gender and age do not. Further, of all the student factors analyzed, disability category accounted for the largest amount of variance in inclusion. The significance of the results is discussed in terms of the identification of students with disabilities who are at risk for exclusion.

Author

• Alisha Brown, Michigan State University