General education intermediate students in three Pacific Northwest school districts are expected to learn and meet state standards while sharing their classroom and learning environments with emotional and behavioral disorder (EBD) students. EBD students have the potential to create barriers to learning by disrupting the classroom environment, presenting a challenge for the general education students. This dissertation analyzed whether the inclusion of EBD students impacted middle school students' experiences toward a positive school climate, classroom safety, and academic achievement. A quantitative, nonexperimental study using survey research and single-stage sampling was used to analyze the perceptions of 156 public middle school teachers, teaching sixth, seventh, and eighth grade, in three Pacific Northwest rural school districts. The survey was cross-sectional and used a nonprobability sampling technique that was both convenient and purposive. A one-sample t test was used to analyze the 30 participant responses using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Version 29). The knowledge gained from this study could be used to develop more effective inclusion programs that benefit all students, regardless of their learning needs or abilities. Recommendations for future research based on the findings included: (a) conducting larger scale studies, (b) examining the impact of inclusion on different types of special education students, (c) investigating factors contributing to a positive classroom climate, (d) identifying strategies to reduce teacher burnout, and (e) conducting longitudinal studies. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]