Inclusion and transition: Partners in progress or policy paradox?

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Bryan G. Cook, | Phillip D. Rumrill, Jr.,

Affiliations: Kent State University, Kent, OH 44224, USA

Note: [] Kent State University, P.O. Box 5190, 405 White Hall, Kent, OH 44224, USA. Tel.: +1 330 672 2294; Fax: +1 330 672 2512; E-mail: bcook@educ.kent.edu

Abstract: The article examines the compatibility of inclusion and transition, two of the most important reforms to affect the field of special education in recent years. The main premise is that the noble ideals associated with full inclusion have the potential to contravene the delivery of responsive and proven-effective career services for students with disabilities as they make the transition from public schools to the world of work. Additional emphasis is placed on casting inclusion and transition within the context of contemporary reforms in general education, most notably the quest for academic excellence and the related practice of high-stakes testing.

Keywords: inclusion, transition, special education, educational reform

Journal: Work, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 13-21, 2000