Inclusion: A Legal Mandate, an Educational Dream

The courts are clear in their preference for inclusion, the legal and educational mandate to educate handicapped students in the least restrictive environment. However, the implementation of inclusion programs is often unclear. In this publication, the superintendent of Baltimore County, Maryland, describes the school district's experiences in developing an equitable inclusion policy in compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA). A recently developed irony is that school districts are now insisting on more inclusion than some parents desire. School boards can play a critical role in building a districtwide vision for inclusion by: (1) developing goals for all district students; (2) replacing dual policies for general- and special-education students and teachers with single, comprehensive policies; and (3) creating a system of accountability that addresses the needs of all students. Policymakers should consider what benefits students most, and weigh that benefit with regard to all other students. Inclusion is the delivery system of the future, and school systems that embrace it will make life easier for their attorneys and themselves. (LMI)