Urban Elementary General Education Teachers’ Perceptions of the Inclusion of Students with High-Incidence Disabilities by Chunita Simms-Pilgrim B.A. in English, May 2000, The George Washington University M.Ed. in Master Teacher Program, August 2003, Regent University A Dissertation submitted to The Faculty of The Graduate School of Education and Human Development of The George Washington University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education May 19, 2019 Dissertation directed by Elisabeth K. Rice Associate Professor of Special Education and Disability Studies The Graduate School of Education and Human Development of The George Washington University certifies that Chunita Simms-Pilgrim has passed the Final Examination for the degree of Doctor of Education as of February 12, 2019. This is the final and approved form of the dissertation. Urban Elementary General Education Teachers’ Perceptions of the Inclusion of Students with High-Incidence Disabilities Chunita Simms-Pilgrim Dissertation Research Committee: Elizabeth K. Rice, Associate Professor of Special Education and Disability Studies, Dissertation Director Lionel C. Howard, Associate Professor of Education Research, Committee Member Karen H. Ihrig, Assistant Professor of Special Education and Disability Studies, Committee Member ii © Copyright 2019 by Chunita Simms- Pilgrim All rights reserved. iii Dedication This is for my children: Sally, Charlie, and Lucy my parents, my siblings, my dearest Michelle Dickey, my best friend LaKeisha Johnson, my beloved Arie Harrington and Jacqueline Williams, and My Lord and Savior who makes all things possible. iv Acknowledgements This dissertation has been a journey and would not have reached its destination without the guidance and direction of Dr. Rice. Thank you very much for your guidance, patience, and belief in the possibilities and potential of this body of work. I sincerely appreciate your confidence in me and the support you have provided throughout this entire process. From the bottom of my heart, thank you Dr. Rice. Thank you Dr. Ihrig for your motivation and support. Our encounters were always filled with motivation and encouragement. Thank you so much for your support. Dr. Howard, thank you very much for taking the time to provide me with honest and accurate feedback. Thank you for pushing me to reach my potential and not accepting anything less than my best effort. Thank you! I would also like to thank my readers Dr. Gresham and Dr. Drakeford. Richmond, you have supported me since the start! Dr. Drakeford, I truly appreciate your support and dedication to this field. Returning to The George Washington University after completing my undergraduate work here has been an amazing experience. I have been faced with many challenges and obstacles as I navigated this journey of completing my dissertation. What I know for sure is that I have found a deeper connection with my Lord and Savior and truly understand the purpose and direction of my life. It is my hope that with this degree, I will be able to reveal to others that all things are possible. It is my hope that I will be able to continue in this work to build bridges between communities and schools. Speaking of communities, it took a lot of people to support me in this journey. Reina, your support and guidance throughout this entire process has been invaluable. I would not have been able to complete this work without you. Spring break 2015 marked v the beginning of our true journey! Thank you. Allison Gunther, we were able to create a stronger relationship towards the end of this journey and I really appreciate your partnership and support. Cynetria Holman, thank you very much for being consistent. The message was loud and clear-submit and resist. You have kept me grounded throughout this entire process. I appreciate your encouragement, your connection and your timely texts. Thank you so much!! Penny Smith, thank you so much for constantly checking in and asking how to support. You have supported me more than you will probably ever know. Thank you to my study participants. Thank you for taking the time to meet with me and to support me in this work. These rich conversations revealed a greater need and I am so grateful to have a chance to join this conversation. Thank you to my entire family. Thank you for understanding and supporting me throughout this entire process. I stand on the shoulders of the ones before me who have sacrificed so much so that I may be able to have a seat at the table and for that I am eternally grateful. With my sincerest appreciation, Chunita vi Abstract of Dissertation Urban Elementary General Education Teachers’ Perceptions of the Inclusion of Students with High-Incidence Disabilities The rate of the inclusion of students with high-incidence disabilities in general education classrooms are increasing across the nation. The perceptions of general education teachers on this inclusion have limited revelation within research. More specifically, the perceptions of urban elementary general education teachers on the inclusion of students with high- incidence disabilities is limited. Three significant problems contributed to the need of this dissertation research. The first problem is the limited research used to explore this concept. Most of the literature include methods that have been quantitative studies, which provides a range of responses with little depth to understand the perceptions of teachers. The second problem is the samples that are included in such studies. Samples often include teachers without differentiating between what kinds of teachers (high school, middle school, elementary school, etc.). These samples would provide little depth to understand the perceptions of how participants really feel about the inclusion of students with high-incidence disabilities in their classrooms. The third problem is the targeted population of teachers that are included in studies. Urban, rural and suburban school districts all have different needs and issues. There is limited research that differentiate between the areas of schools and its impact on the perceptions of teachers in these school districts. The results of a basic qualitative study surrounding the perceptions of urban elementary general education teachers on the inclusion of students with high-incidence disabilities is presented. Twenty urban elementary general education teachers of students vii with high-incidence disabilities in the general education classroom setting from one school district in the mid-Atlantic region were interviewed to evaluate the perceptions of the inclusion of students with high-incidence disabilities in the general education classroom with their non-disabled peers. The purposes of this study were to be able: 1) to investigate urban general education teachers’ perceptions and beliefs about the inclusion of students with high- incidence disabilities in their classrooms with their non-disabled peers; 2) to give these teachers an opportunity to share their perceptions on the supports received to meet the demands and challenges of their profession; and 3) to provide recommendations for policies and practices for the inclusion of students with high-incidence disabilities in general education classrooms that can contribute to the preparation and professional development for general education teachers. The results of the interviews with study participants are outlined in this study. Themes answering three research questions were: described, defined, and supported using quotations from study participants to ensure that themes were grounded in the data. Eight themes emerged from the data that answered three research questions. These themes are: 1) “It was a disservice;” 2) being “set up” for failure both academically and socially; 3) impact of behavior; 4) issues of being stranded; 5) feeling inadequate; 6) reluctant acceptance; 7) flaws in identifying students who need help; and 8) issues of support. Two additional themes emerged from the data that did not answer a research question, but became salient across all participants. These theme addressed the issues and influence of race and socioeconomic status and its influence on perceptions. These two themes are 9) impact of socioeconomic status and privilege, and 10) impact of race. viii Findings are revealed and discussed. Recommendations for practice, policy, and future research are provided. ix Table of Contents Dedication ......................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................... v Abstract of Dissertation .................................................................................................. vii List of Tables .................................................................................................................. xiv Chapter One: Introduction .................................................................................................. 1 Overview ......................................................................................................................... 1 Statement of the Problem ................................................................................................ 4 Research Purpose and Questions .................................................................................... 8 Statement of Potential Significance ...............................................................................