The determination of which approach to use with students who have learning disabilities is driven by the school district's overall philosophy and the administration of the given school. Teachers may have an impact on the strategy chosen by the school to handle students with learning disabilities. Often teachers hold the primary responsibility for identifying children at risk of school failure. If the school's goal is to reduce the number of learning disabled children on campus, the team assembled to determine the placement of the child must be in agreement that education in a specialized setting is the most appropriate.

In 1990, Public Law 94-142 was renewed and given a new name, The Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This act mandated that children with disabilities be given an appropriate education in the least restrictive setting. The definitions of the most appropriate education and least restrictive are specific to each student. To ensure that the student's needs and rights are met the placement decision is usually made by an administration official, a diagnostician, a special education teacher, a psychologist, the regular education teacher, and the parents. By law the parents are to be included in the plac

Chira, S. (May 19, 1993). When disabled students enter regular classrooms. The New York Times, pp. A1, A17.

Kolstad, R., Wilkinson, M., M., & Briggs, L., D. (1997). Inclusion programs for learning disabled students in middle schools. Education, 117, 419-425.

A small number of learning disabled students, 1.1 percent, are enrolled in special schools (Kolstad, Wilkinson, & Briggs, 1997, p. 421). At these schools the students make exceptional gains in learning. The classes and teaching methods are geared to enable learning disabled students to succeed. These students are not isolated from their peers and fit-in with the other students as all the students are learning disabled. Given these facts, the team looking for the appropriate placement for a learning disabled student in junior high school can honestly state that the most appropriate learning environment for the student is not in the neighborhood school but is a special school dedicated to the learning disabled student. Parents can be persuaded to place their child in the more restrictive environment of the special school.