The Regular Education Initiative and opinions of regular classroom teachers

Abstract

The Regular Education Initiative (REI) has been gaining momentum. However, the movement has not escaped criticism. One of the criticisms is that regular classroom teachers' views regarding many of the beliefs or assumptions of the REI are unknown. The present study was undertaken to provide this type of data. Ninety-four regular classroom teachers in northwest Iowa were asked to agree or disagree with a series of statements on the REI position. The results showed general disagreement with the statements, suggesting that the respondents do not share similar concerns or beliefs regarding the current delivery of special education services. Implications of the results with respect to implementation of the REI are discussed.