Preparing the ABC Unified School District for inclusion: The role of training and support

The ABC Unified School District in Southern California participated in a study to determine the attitudes and perceptions of teachers and administrators regarding the inclusion of special education students in the mainstream environment at 4 comprehensive secondary schools. Additionally, it attempted to determine whether or not the district was ready to embrace inclusion based on the results. A 20-question Likert survey was used. 119 (or 40%) teachers and administrators responded to the survey. There were significant differences in some factors of student ability among regular and special education teachers. The inclusion issue was greater at the middle schools than at the high schools. Administrators were most optimistic about students' ability to achieve more and embrace inclusion. The most experienced teachers had the least optimistic view about special education students' ability to achieve more, but saw merit in inclusion for the purpose of the passage of the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE). Nearly all teachers and administrators agreed that special education can be improved, and the majority of them agreed that ongoing training and support were important factors to achieving success. Most agreed that high schools can implement a successful inclusion program; that middle schools, by design, are not more conducive to inclusion than high schools. In conclusion, the ABC Unified School District is ready to embrace inclusion at their 4 comprehensive secondary schools, but there is significant need for site and district level training and support.