Chapter 5: Measurement in Caribbean Special and Inclusive Education: A Systematic Review

More than 1 million children are living with special educational needs and disabilities (SENDs) in the Caribbean (UNESCO, 2021). Regional efforts to promote more inclusive educational systems that ensure all students, regardless of ability or background, have access to quality education in the same learning environment have increased in the Caribbean in the 21st century. The need for Caribbean educational reform that addresses curriculum, instruction, and assessment appropriate for diverse populations of students and fosters inclusion must be grounded in data-driven approaches and informed by empirical research conducted within the region. Research in special and inclusive education is sparse overall; however, qualitative research in the Caribbean has a notable prevalence, and more quantitative research needs to be conducted (Charran et al., 2019). Further, for this quantitative research to be a valid contributor to developing inclusive policies that guide curriculum and instruction, the measurement tools utilized must be culturally appropriate for the Caribbean context.