Before we can even start talking about how make inclusive practice work in your high school classroom, we need to first identify what inclusion is, and what it is not. Your first step is to read up on inclusion on websites and journals. A great starting point would be from the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) website. Additionally, you'll need to realize that "inclusion" is not an umbrella term for all of the different ways students with disabilities can literally be "included" in public schools and classrooms. You'll need to understand how your school or district views inclusive practices, and the specific terminology they use to describe their actions. As silly as it sounds, there are differences between the word in-class support and in-class replacement, and what they mean for accommodations/modifications. Another great CEC resource to understand these terms is found here in an article from November of 2002.
As a special educator, chances are you're already familiar with these terms as you've gone through your teacher training and higher education, but it never hurts to brush up on your terminology. As we progress deeper into this idea of full inclusion for students with disabilities, it really is important to know what is considered inclusive and appropriate by your school district and administrators.
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