Assessing the Effectiveness of Inclusive Education Programs in Promoting Academic and Social Development

Inclusive education aims to provide students with disabilities access to general education classrooms, curriculum, and peers. This review synthesizes research on the academic and social outcomes of inclusive education programs for students with disabilities. Findings indicate inclusive models correlate with moderate academic advantages across content areas compared to segregated special education. Students with high-incidence disabilities benefit most. Socially, inclusion facilitates greater contact and relationships with peers, though barriers like bullying persist. While results are broadly positive, variability across studies highlights the importance of high-quality inclusion methods and supports. Additional research using rigorous designs is needed to clarify long-term impacts and best practices. Overall, inclusion shows potential to promote academic and social development for students with disabilities when thoughtfully implemented.

Keywords: Inclusive education, Students with disabilities, Academic outcomes, Social outcomes, Special education, Educational equity.

Emmanuel Cruz (2024), Assessing the Effectiveness of Inclusive Education Programs in Promoting Academic and Social Development. International Journal of Arts, Commerce & Education (IJACE), Volume: 01 Issue: 01, Pages: 01-06. https://www.ijace.org/papers/v1/i1/IJACEV1I10001.pdf