Instilling Collaboration for Inclusive Schooling as a Way of Doing Business in Public Schools

This article provides a broad overview of the concepts of collaboration and inclusive schooling within the context of rapid change in public education. the authors examine the current definitions of collaboration and inclusive schooling. they review various rationale for collaboration, current legislation related to collaboration in schools, and the recent research (1989 to 1995) on the effectiveness of collaboration in achieving the outcomes mandated by the individuals with disabilities education act (idea). in addition, they discuss major barriers to and facilitators of effective collaboration and make several recommendations for the supports needed to establish a collaborative ethic and collaborative behavior in public schools. the authors argue that collaboration can no longer be considered a voluntary act.