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Inclusive Practices In Tennessee: An Investigation Of Co-Teaching In Middle Tennessee Schools, Vance L. Austin Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

With the advent of Inclusion (circa 1992) predicated on the principle of the “Least Restricted Environment” (USDOE, 2003) and the recent “No Child Left Behind” legislation, schools and school districts around the country began educating students with disabilities in general education classrooms. Arguments for and against the efficacy of this practice flourished among teachers and researchers alike. Nevertheless, state education and local education agencies (SEAs and LEAs) adopted the recommended initiative and began to institute inclusive practices within most of their schools. This service delivery change created a dilemma for the general education teachers who considered themselves unprepared for the …