Measuring the implementation of inclusive strategies in secondary classrooms using an observation rubric

The inclusion classroom is a form of mainstreaming in which students with disabilities (SWD) are integrated into the general education classroom and other school activities. The U.S. Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics (2019-2020) reported that approximately 64% of SWDs are placed in the general education, inclusion classroom for 80- 100% of the school day. This article outlines the process researchers used to collect data using the Assessment of the Inclusion of Students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (AISSEND) rubric when observing inclusion classrooms. The observation rubric was designed to monitor for instructional strategies provided to students in an inclusive classroom setting. The researchers collected reliability data during the project and found that the rubric is reliable and feasible to use in a classroom setting. Additionally, researchers found that inclusion classrooms, regardless of the number of teachers present, typically used the same amount of strategies.