The academic achievement and engagement of non-disabled male and female students educated within middle-level inclusive and general education classrooms

This study examined the academic achievement and engagement of non-disabled male and female students educated within middle level inclusive and general education classrooms. Grade six New York State English Language Arts and Mathematics assessment results revealed no significant differences between non-disabled female students educated within inclusion and general education classrooms. Additionally, there were no significant differences in grade six English Language Arts scores between non-disabled male students educated within inclusion and general education classrooms. Differences existed for grade six male non-disabled students educated within inclusion and general education classrooms. Non-disabled male students in inclusion classrooms scored significantly higher in mathematics than non-disabled males in general education classrooms.;Relationships were examined between the engagement variables of competence, autonomy, and relatedness to school and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, academic achievement, and inclusion status. No significant differences existed between non-disabled male and female students educated within inclusion and general education classroom regarding their sense of engagement for competence, autonomy, and relatedness to school. Ethnicity proved to be a predictor of inclusion classroom status.;Classroom observations revealed differences in teaching methods within inclusion and general education classrooms. Lastly, the findings from this study indicate that the inclusion classroom does not adversely affect the non-disabled student.