Evaluation of Inclusion in School Contexts
Inclusion in education cannot be addressed on an international level without tools such as the Index for Inclusion (Booth et al., 2000). In the more than twenty years since its first edition, it has been a guide for all those who work in the education system. Its main objective has always been to support the entire education community in assessing the processes of inclusion and to assist in promoting change and advancing more inclusive practices.
The terms “equity” and “inclusion” are basic principles for cultures that grow with and through the growth of their citizens. However, there is not always consensus on what these terms mean (Ainscow, 2020), which is why it is advisable to engage in public debate with the aim of finding common ground on their definitions. The concept of equity, beyond its legal dimension, seems to be underpinned by considerations of individual needs and the responses that a society provides to those needs to respond to “three major tasks” (Sarrionandia, 2017):
- 1.
“the inclusion of all”,
- 2.
“the recognition and participation of all”, and
- 3.
having the resources for learning to take place at “the highest level” and with the “highest possible performance”.
In the years since its first publication, there have been several revisions and extensions focusing on different educational stages and adaptations in different countries (Booth et al., 2015). In Spain, different versions and adaptations of the guide have been proposed: for early childhood education (Booth et al., 2006); as a tool for primary school (Vélez Calvo et al., 2018); studies designed to validate the guide for secondary school students (Fernández-Archilla et al., 2020); and an adaptation to university settings (Mesa & García, 2015). These works are some of the many examples we find in Spain of the commitment to developing a more inclusive education and society.