Decreasing educational segregation in urban schools: the role of inclusive education and the need for structural change

Abstract

This paper deals with the continuing problem of educational segregation—the segregation within schools which occurs due to the disproportional assignment of minority students to categorical, “pull-out” programs related to special education. Although school districts have had some success at integration which transcends neighborhood boundaries, educational segregation remains a barrier to equity and is perhaps the civil rights issue facing the United States today due to the increased diversity of special needs students living in urban areas which are in a state of economic decline. The need for systemic reform in schools and the critical importance of community context are discussed along with the presentation of a strategy for long-term structural change. Recommendations for reform are introduced and linked to suggestions for collaborative political work and community organizing which could be used to effectively impact educational equity issues in the inner city. Finally, the prospects for change leading to a closing of the achievement gap for urban school students are analyzed within the context of the political mood of the 1990s. The present moment in history is seen as an opportune time for significant reforms which could lead to increased educational equity and a closing of the achievement gap.