THE JOURNAL OF SPECIAL EDUCATION VOL. 32/NO. 2/1998/PP. 79-88 79 Students' Perceptions of Inclusion and Resource Room Settings Sharon Vaughn, University of Texas at Austin Janette K. Klingner, University of Miami Findings from eight studies that have examined the perceptions of students with learning disabilities of their educational settings were synthesized. Interviews and surveys with 442 students with learning disabilities yielded five overall findings: (1) The majority of students with learning disabilities preferred to receive specialized instruction outside of the general education classroom for part of the school day; (2) students stated that they liked the resource room because the work is easier and fun and they get the help they need to do their work; (3) students indicated that they liked the inclusion classroom because it was better for making friends; (4) most students valued the support provided by the special educa- tion teacher in the general education classroom and did not know that he or she was the special edu- cation teacher; and (5) most students were unsure as to how they were placed in special education and who was responsible for the decision about whether they received special services in the general edu- cation classroom or the resource room. Prior to P.L. 94-142, later reauthorized as IDEA, and most recently as P.L. 105-17, most students with learning dis- abilities (LD) received all of their education within general education classroom settings. Other students with learning problems were identified by another special education cate- gory (e.g., mental retardation) and received services in spe- cialized settings. Many parents and professionals were concerned that the special learning needs of students with LD were not adequately met, resulting in a grassroots movement by parents and professionals to provide specialized services for these students (Hallahan, Kauffman, & Lloyd, 1996). The result was that many students with LD were identified and pro- vided special services from special education teachers in pull- out resource room settings. Fewer students were provided services in self-contained classrooms for students with LD. Over the last decade, increasing numbers of parents, pro- fessionals, and policymakers have raised concerns about the appropriateness of educating students with disabilities in set- tings that are separate from the general education classroom (for review, see Fuchs & Fuchs, 1994). Persons, particularly those advocating on behalf of students with severe disabilities, have expressed concerns about the educational appropriate- ness of special classes, the extent to which youngsters who attend special classes would be accepted as members of the community, and the social and communication functioning of students within these restricted settings (Stainback & Stain- back, 1995; Villa & Thousand, 1995). The result was a groundswell of enthusiasm for the placement of students with disabilities in general education settings and classrooms. Students with LD were "swept up" into the movement (Kauff- man & Hallahan, 1995). Unfortunately, the history of instruction for students with LD in general education classrooms has been bleak. Perhaps the greatest barrier to their success in the general education classroom is the lack of appropriate instruction at a level that yields adequate progress (see, e.g., Mcintosh, Vaughn, Schumm, Haager, & Lee, 1993; Vaughn, Hughes, Schumm, & Klingner, 1998; Zigmond et al., 1995). For example, some stu- dents with LD placed full-time in general education class- rooms made minimal progress in reading even when extensive professional development was provided for participating teachers (Klingner, Vaughn, Hughes, Schumm, & Elbaum, 1998; Zigmond et al., 1995). Some would argue that even though academic gains for students with LD may be inadequate in general education classrooms, what needs to be considered is their social func- tioning. The assumption is that students with LD who are pulled out of general classrooms for special services or who are provided services in self-contained settings are paying a high cost socially. Furthermore, it is assumed that students with LD who are placed full-time in general education settings will have more positive self-perceptions, be better liked and accepted, and have more friends than if they are not so placed. Results from several studies addressing this issue have yielded somewhat converging findings (Bear, Juvonen, & Mclnerey, 1993; Vaughn, Elbaum, & Schumm, 1996; Vaughn, Elbaum, Address: Sharon Vaughn, University of Texas, College of Education, SZB 306, Department of Special Education, Austin, TX 78712