What does the term Inclusion refer to in an educational context?

In an educational context, inclusion refers to the practice of providing all students, regardless of their backgrounds or needs, with access to the general education curriculum alongside their peers. This approach emphasizes the integration of students with diverse learning needs, such as English language learners (ELLs) and those with disabilities, into regular classroom settings rather than segregating them.

Push-in services are a key component of this concept, where specialized support, such as ESL instruction, is provided within the classroom by a teacher or specialist. This allows ELLs to receive direct support while participating in the same learning activities as their classmates, fostering a sense of belonging and community, and enabling collaborative learning experiences.

In contrast, pull-out programs, which remove students from the general classroom to receive instruction separately, do not embody the same inclusive principles as they can create barriers to social interaction and integration. Support services offered after school and online learning environments, while valuable, are not directly related to the concept of inclusion within the everyday classroom experience, as they do not necessarily facilitate the immediate integration that inclusion promotes.