The Influence of Placement in an Inclusive Classroom on the Academic Performance of Non-disabled Eleventh Grade Students in A Suburban New Jersey School District

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by ahduag

Study examines whether assignment to an inclusive secondary language arts classroom affects grade 11 nondisabled students’ academic performance in two suburban New Jersey high schools. Using Propensity Score Matching to reduce selection bias, 214 students’ 2013 NJHSPA Language Arts Literacy scores are analyzed while controlling for ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, time in district, attendance, and prior performance. Findings indicate a slight but statistically significant negative effect, potentially intensified by years in the inclusive classroom and the attending school.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages15

Reading Time38 min

AccessFree to download

Brief Review of the Literature

Inclusive education background and policy context

Evidence supporting inclusion

Evidence opposing inclusion

Summary of findings and performance differences

The Influence of Placement in an Inclusive Classroom on the Academic Performance of Non-disabled Eleventh Grade Students in A Suburban New Jersey School District Jocelyn Easley Brown Rancocas Valley Regional High School District Gerard Babo Seton Hall University The purpose of this study was to determine the influence, if any; assignment to an inclusive secondary language arts classroom setting has on the academic performance of grade 11 nondisabled general education students in two suburban New Jersey High Schools. Using a sampling process known as Propensity Score Matching (PSM), a statistical technique that greatly reduces the influence of selection bias endemic to most observational designs, a sample of 214 grade 11 students’2013 NJHSPA Language Arts Literacy performance scores were analyzed to see what influence placement of non-disabled students in inclusion classes has on performance while controlling for ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, time in district, attendance, and past academic performance. Results suggested that placement in an inclusive classroom did have aslight, yet statistically significant, negative influence on non-disabled grade 11 student performance on the language arts literacy section of the 2013 New Jersey HSPA. Additionally, further analysis indicated that this effect could be exacerbated by the number of years a nondisabled student has been assigned to an inclusive language arts classroom environment and the school they attend. Education Leadership Review of Doctoral Research, Vol. 5. Fall 2017 ISSN: 1532-0723 © 2017 International Council of Professors of Educational Administration. This manuscript may not be used commercially or edited. When quoting portions ofthis text, full attribution to the author/s is required. Due to initiatives such as Race to the Top, teacher and administrator evaluations have been linked to student performance on test scores in many states (U.S. Department of Education, n.d.) . With high stakes accountability policies such as value-added measures of teacher and administrator effectiveness at the center of a national movement to evaluate, promote, compensate, and dismiss teachers, it is necessary for educators and policy makers to be informed of effective educational practices that benefit all students (Tamayo, 2010) . With the increased responsibility of school administrators and teachers to improve student outcomes on assessments, school leaders are faced with the challenge to develop programs that will allow students of varying needs to be successful (Corcoran, 2010) . Although legislation places an emphasis on developing inclusive practices that meet the needs of students with disabilities, it is necessary to ensure that the needs of non-disabled students are also addressed. School leaders have access to an abundance of research on the influence of inclusion classes on classified students when making decisions. However, they have minimal access to literature addressing its influence on students without disabilities (Daniel & King, 1997; Gattuso, 2008; St. John & Babo, 2015) . Educators tend to focus on the benefits of inclusion for students with special needs; however, with the diverse needs of students in most classrooms, it is also necessary to measure the influence of inclusion practices on general education students. Providing the most appropriate environment in which to learn to all students will help to increase student achievement and consequently prevent negative outcomes for administrators, schools and students. Brief Review of the Literature Educators rely on current research to make informed decisions on the placement of students with special educational needs as well as those without. Current policy requires that students be placed in the least restrictive environment (LRE), which oftentimes for students with special needs, is an inclusion setting. Therefore, it is necessary for educators and policy makers to understand the

FAQs

What study question does the manuscript address?

It investigates whether being assigned to an inclusive secondary language arts classroom setting influences the academic performance of grade 11 nondisabled general education students.

How does the study analyze the impact of inclusion placement?

It uses Propensity Score Matching (PSM) to analyze 214 students’ 2013 NJHSPA Language Arts Literacy scores while controlling for key background and performance variables.

What do the results suggest about inclusion placement for nondisabled students?

Placement in an inclusive classroom shows a slight yet statistically significant negative influence on nondisabled grade 11 performance in the language arts literacy section, with the effect potentially worsened by time assigned and the school attended.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by ahduag