SJ0021 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SJ0021 LRB101 10931 MST 56093 r

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Disability is a natural part of the human experience and in no way diminishes the right of individuals to participate in or contribute to society; improving educational results for children with disabilities is an essential element of ensuring equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for individuals with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, Research shows that the best outcomes for all young children are realized when high-quality specialized services such as special education, early intervention, and related services are delivered in the same setting the child would attend if they did not have a disability; and

WHEREAS, Inclusive education brings all children together in one classroom, setting, and community, regardless of their ability or disability in any domain of development, and seeks to maximize the potential of all preschool-aged children; and

WHEREAS, Preschool may be the child and family's first experience with school; and

WHEREAS, The commonality between all preschool-aged children is the need to be amongst their peers; and

WHEREAS, Preschool-aged children with disabilities can be included socially with their peers; this allows them to create long-lasting friendships that would not be otherwise possible, and these friendships can give them the skills to navigate social relationships later in life; and

WHEREAS, In a well-designed, high-quality inclusive early childhood environment, the teacher uses inclusion strategies to help children succeed developmentally and socially; therefore, children encounter higher expectations; and

WHEREAS, Preschool-aged children with disabilities who are educated in an inclusive classroom have been found to score higher on literacy measures than children educated in segregated settings; and

WHEREAS, Research has shown that most children without disabilities in inclusive classrooms have scored higher on state standardized tests over a period of 4 years; and

WHEREAS, Research also indicates that inclusive education promotes and enhances the social growth of all children within inclusive classrooms and does not negatively affect the academic growth of typically developing children; and

WHEREAS, In an inclusion setting, children with and without disabilities learn how to work with each other, regardless of individual skills and abilities, which helps improve academic performance and the ability to succeed later in life; and

WHEREAS, All families want their children to be accepted by their peers and have friends, and inclusive settings can make this vision a reality for children with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, Families can be positively affected by having their children educated in inclusive early childhood classrooms through potential friendship and relationship opportunities; and

WHEREAS, When preschool-aged children attend inclusive early childhood classes that reflect the similarities and differences of people in the real world, they learn to appreciate diversity; and

WHEREAS, Respect and understanding grow when children of differing abilities and cultures communicate and learn together, which may be the first step in creating a more diverse workforce and world; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that we encourage the Illinois State Board of Education, special education cooperatives, and each school district in this State to consider the potential benefits of inclusive education for children with and without disabilities in Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the Illinois State Board of Education and the Regional Offices of Education.