It was 2 degrees below zero and almost midnight when I arrived at my hotel in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, earlier this year after a treacherous drive on what seemed to be a solid sheet of ice from the closest airport. As I checked in at the front desk, the young woman working that night asked what had brought me to town. I told her I was visiting Scottsbluff Public Schools for an article about inclusion, the practice of teaching children with and without disabilities in the same classroom. The district is among the first in the state to pilot a new statewide initiative to improve inclusive practices and teach all children more effectively.

The woman started nodding as soon as she heard the word “inclusion.” Her 6-year-old brother was born with a health condition and is autistic; he requires extensive support in school. The school district has given him that extra assistance this year, all while keeping him learning in the same classroom as his twin sister, who does not have a disability. The woman had seen the power of inclusion done well.

It was a hopeful indicator for me that I was in the right place to tell this story. In some of the country, as my colleagues Meredith Kolodner and Marina Villeneuve investigated in our recent series, when children with disabilities enter kindergarten and first grade, they’re removed from their peers for the majority of the day. Research shows all children can benefit from integrated classrooms.

Over the past few days, we published a three-part series looking at how and why inclusion rates are so low in some states for young children. That’s in spite of the fact that experts argue kids of all abilities should have a chance to learn with their peers, show what they are capable of and get support in an inclusive way. We also present lessons from Nebraska, which has emerged as a model in how to do inclusion well.

You can read my article on Nebraska’s model.

Contact staff writer Jackie Mader at (212) 678-3562 or [email protected].

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