Assessing children with special needs in the inclusive classrooms

Abstract

In the last decade, the concept of inclusive education has been promoted and accepted as a new model of organized teaching and learning that implies creating an inclusive culture, building up an inclusive policy and developing inclusive practices in schools. Assessing the educational development of children with special needs is very challenging for the teachers and they often express the need for accurate and precise guidance in applying the assessment practices in the inclusive classrooms. The Individualized educational plan for each student should be put in practice and include the necessary modification in relation to the assessment of knowledge as well as the specific goals that should be attained for each student individually. Assessment of student progress will be less tense and stressful process for everyone involved if a fair and acceptable system of knowledge assessment is agreed before the same happens.