Inclusive Education: A Series of Issue Papers.

Thirteen brief papers address issues in inclusive education, with special emphasis on concerns and applications in Illinois. The following issues are discussed: (1) the relationship of the inclusive schools concept to that of providing a continuum of alternative placement options; (2) needed changes in current funding of special education to provide incentives (rather than disincentives) for school districts to include students with disabilities in regular classes and schools; (3) the practices of mainstreaming, integration, and "dumping" of students into regular classes without supports as opposed to "supportive" education in an inclusive education system; (4) needed restructuring in preservice training of teachers if inclusive education is to be fostered; (5) benefits of inclusive education for families; (6) the destructive effects of categorical labels; (7) the urgency of the removal of architectural barriers in public schools; (8) inservice and administrative supports needed by both regular and special education teachers for successful inclusion of students with disabilities; (9) specific ways administrators can support inclusion; (10) the role of the individualized education program in inclusive schooling; (11) a comparison of such terms as "least restrictive environment,""integration,""mainstreaming,""regular education initiative," and "inclusion"; (12) accountability issues at the state level; and (13) curriculum issues and inclusive education. Some papers contain references. (DB)