Mainstreaming
Rogers (1993) defines mainstreaming as "the selective placement of special education students in one or more 'regular' education classes" (p. 1). Typically, mainstreaming may occur for selected subjects, but the special education students are not considered part of the regular class (Ripley, 1997). The Virginia Department of Education (1993) specifies that mainstreaming provides "opportunities in general education settings when it seems that students with disabilities are ready for the curriculum" (p. 10).
This concept is linked to traditional forms of special education service delivery with its assumption that students must earn the opportunity to enter the general education classroom by demonstrating the ability to keep up with the work assigned in class.
