1. Focus:
- Integrated education: Focuses on bringing students with disabilities into mainstream classrooms but may offer segregated services and activities.
- Inclusive education: Focuses on creating an environment in which all students are valued, respected, and supported in the same classroom setting without separation or segregation.
2. Inclusion Level:
- Integrated education: Students with disabilities may be physically present in the mainstream classroom but may still participate in separate activities or receive modified instruction.
- Inclusive education: All students, including those with disabilities, fully participate in all aspects of the classroom experience, without distinction or segregation.
3. Curriculum and Assessments:
- Integrated education: May involve modifications or adaptations to the curriculum and assessment methods for students with disabilities.
- Inclusive education: Aims to ensure that the curriculum and assessments are designed to accommodate the diverse learning needs of all students without the need for significant adaptations.
4. Collaboration:
- Integrated education: Encourages collaboration between special education teachers and mainstream classroom teachers but may not have as strong a focus on involving all students in collaborative activities.
- Inclusive education: Emphasizes the importance of collaborative learning opportunities and encourages all students, regardless of their abilities, to participate in group projects and activities.
5. Support Services:
- Integrated education: Focuses on providing support services to students with disabilities, such as special education teachers, aides, or modified materials.
- Inclusive education: Provides comprehensive support services that benefit all students, ensuring that all learners have the resources and accommodations they need to succeed.
6. Parent and Community Involvement:
- Integrated education: May encourage parent involvement in their children's education but may not actively seek to include parents and the community as integral parts of the educational process.
- Inclusive education: Promotes active involvement and collaboration with parents, families, and the broader community to create an inclusive learning environment.
7. Goal:
- Integrated education: Aims to prepare students with disabilities for integration into mainstream society.
- Inclusive education: Aims to create a society in which all individuals, regardless of their abilities, are fully accepted, valued, and participate equally.