inclusive leadership - eric inclusive environments that support learning for all students. ... ,...

Dorothy Garrison-Wade, Donna Sobel, & Connie L. Fulmer

117Volume 19, Fall 2007

Inclusive Leadership:Preparing Principals for the Role that Awaits Them

Dorothy Garrison-Wade,Donna Sobel,& Connie L. FulmerUniversity of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center

Abstract: Preparing administrators with the capacity to improve instruction for all learners is critical for recruiting and retaining special education teachers. However, recent research points out the need to improve skills of current and future administrators for this role. To address these concerns the special education and adminis-trator preparation programs at a western university designed and conducted research to determine how well preservice principals were being prepared to improve instruction for all learners. To determine program improvement and training needs, researchers collected focus group and survey data from current and alumni students from both programs. Findings of this research are organized into recommendations for program improvement.

Introduction

Oneofthemostimportantchallengesineducationistocreateandnurtureinclusiveenvironmentsthatsupportlearningforallstudents.Thedegreetowhichstudentscanbewelleducatedisdirectlycorrelatedtoasystemofpersonnelpreparationthatresultsinaqualifiedwork

Educational Leadership and Administration

Inclusive Leadership

118 Educational Leadership and Administration

forcesothateverystudenthashighlyskilledandcompetentteachersand administrators. In an effort to increase student achievement inclassrooms,theNo Child Left Behind Act of 2002(NCLB)requiresthatallstudentsbetaughtbyhighlyqualifiedteachers.Everyadministratorappreciateshowteacherqualityandquantitydirectlylinktostudentlearningresults.However,manystudentsreceivingspecialeducationservicesdonothaveaccesstohighlyskilledorcompetentspecialeducationteachersduetothecriticalshortageoffullylicensedspecialeducators(Boe&Cook,2006). Findings,inareportconductedbythePresidentialCommissionontheConditionsofSpecialEducationandauthorizedbytheCouncilforExceptionalChildren(2001), indicatedthatthemostpressingissuesfacingeducatorsandspecialeducationsystemsincludeambiguousandcompetingresponsibilities;overwhelmingpaperwork;inadequatedistrictandadministrativesupport;significantteacher isolation; insufficientfocusonimprovedstudentoutcomes;increaseddemandforwell-qualifiedspecialeducators;poorlypreparedgeneralandspecialeducators;andfragmentedlicensingsystems.York-Barr,Sommerness,Duke,andGhere(2005)accuratelydescribetheproblemandpredict“thatanemergingcrisisinspecialeducation,ifunresolved,willresultindiminishedqual-ityofservicesandeducationoutcomesforchildren”(p.194). Furthercompoundingthisproblem,thelackofspecialpreparationforschoolprincipalschallengestheirabilitytomeaningfullyserveallstudents (Garrison-Wade, 2005; Goor, Schwenn, & Boyer, 1997).Ad-ministratorsreportbeingill-preparedforthejobandcitedifficultieswithroleclarificationandjobspecialization(Ashby&Maki,l996;Gar-rison-Wade,2005).Intheroleofinstructionalleaders,principalsneedrequisiteknowledgeinassessingtheimpactofdisabilitiesonstudentperformance, monitoring referral-to-placement procedures, providingvariousservicedeliverymodels,andfacilitatingstudentsupportteams(Garrison-Wade,2005).Aimstocreate inclusiveenvironmentsforalllearnersmoreeasilycanberealizedthroughstrong,inclusiveleadershippracticesfromschooladministrators. Whileeveryteachermustbepreparedforthevastdiversityoftoday’sstudentpopulation,principalsfaceadditionalchallengesleadingspecialeducationinitiatives.Sindelar,Shearer,Yendol-Hoppey,andLiebert(2006)maintainedthattheinclusionofstudentswithdisabilitiesingeneraleducationisacomplexanddemandingreform.Giventhatcomplexity,inclusionisoftenmisunderstoodandsometimesresistedbyteachersandnotfullyunderstoodorsupportedbyschooladministrators.Since1990,considerableattentionhasbeenpaidtotheidentificationoftheskills,knowledge,anddispositionsthatenableallteacherstoembrace



andsuccessfully implement inclusiveeducationalpractices (Ryndak,Jackson,&Billingsley,1999-2000).Asschoolsmoveawayfrommain-tainingseparatesystems,others,includingFisher,Frey,andThousand(2003)cautionedthatschoolsaregoingtoneedspecialeducatorswhocaninterrelatecurriculumandcommunicatewithothers.Alleducatorsneedskillsanddispositionstoprovideinstructionandassessmenttostudentswithandwithoutdisabilitiesandtheabilitytofacilitatecollaborativeproblemsolvingwhendifficultiesariseintheseareas.Facilitatingsuchcollaborativeproblemsolvingsituationsmustbemodeled,nurtured,andfosteredbyprincipals. Collaborativeproblemsolvingisessentialasschoolsstrivetomeetthestatutorydemandsforimprovededucationaloutcomes.Improvingthose outcomes must be accomplished by increasing the delivery ofacademicandbehaviorinterventionsinthegeneraleducationsettings(IDEA,2004).Theemergenceofresponse to intervention(RTI)initia-tivesrequiresthatadministratorsbeknowledgeableabout,andvaluemultipleprocessesincludingphilosophicalandpoliciesrelatedtoRTI,research-basedinstruction/interventions,tieredinterventionapproaches,curriculum-basedmeasurement/evaluation,data-drivendecisionmak-ing, progress monitoring, and the role of RTI in eligibility decisions(Hardcastle&Justice,2006). Beliefsandattitudesthatprincipalsholdtowardsspecialeducationarekey factors in implementing inclusive schoolprograms.Guzman(1997) identified common factors among successful inclusive schoolleaders.Thoseprincipalshadtheabilityto(a)establishacommunica-tionsystemthatallowsforrichdialog;(b)beactivelyinvolvementinthe IEPprocess; (c) bepersonally involvedwithparents of studentswith disabilities; (d) collaboratively develop philosophies regardinginclusion;(e)articulateclearpoliciesforaddressingdisciplineissues;(f)implementprofessionaldevelopmentaroundinclusivepractices;and(g)demonstrateskillindatagatheringandproblem-solving. Praisner (2003) found that administrator preparation programsprovidedprincipalswithaminimumamountofknowledgedeemedbyspecialeducationexpertstoberelevantintheimplementationofinclusion.Shealsodiscoveredthatcharacteristicsofdisabilities,specialeducationlaw,andbehaviormanagementmaybeadequatelycoveredinprepara-tionprograms,butspecifictopicsthatpresentauthenticstrategiesandprocessestosupportinclusionappeartobelacking.Additionally,manyprincipalslackknowledgeofspecialeducationlegalissues,specificallyincomplianceandproceduralrequirementsaslegallymandatedbyIn-dividualswithDisabilitiesEducationAct(IDEA)(Rhys,1996;Nardone,1999).Despitetheimplicationforschooladministratorstobetrained



in special education laws and policies, many school administratorshavereceivedlittle,ifanytrainingrelatedtospecialeducationintheirleadershippreparationtraining(Anderson,1999;Garrison-Wade,2005).Insteadmanyprincipalsfindthattheymustrelyoncentralofficestaff(i.e.,directorsofspecialeducationandconsultants)andspecialeducationteachersasprimarysourcesofinformationandguidanceinprovidingleadershiptostudents,staff,andprogramswithintheirschools.Similarly,Patterson,Bowling,andMarshall(2000)concludedthatprincipalsarenotadequatelytrainedforleadershipinspecialeducation.Therefore,notonlyistheissuethequalityandquantityofteachers,butalsoofadequatelyskilledadministrators. Toaddressthesealarmingshortcomings,thespecialeducationandadministratorpreparationfacultyatoneurbanuniversitybegantolookseriouslyatwhattheseprogramsweredoingorcouldbedoingtoequipfutureadministratorstoleadinclusiveschools.TheSchoolofEduca-tionandHumanDevelopment(SEHD)attheUniversityofColoradoatDenverandHealthSciencesCenter’s(UCDHSC)missionistoimprovesimultaneouslythequalityofeducationforcitizensofourdemocracyandthequalityofpreparationofeducators forourschools.Werewedoingagood jobofmeetingtheseneeds forprofessionalsstrivingtobecomethenextgenerationofinclusiveschoolleaders?Toanswerthatquestion,facultyfromtheSpecialEducation(SPED)andAdministra-tiveLeadershipandPolicyStudies(ALPS)programscollaboratedinastudythatlookedcriticallyattheALPSprogramtoseeifkeycontent,knowledge,andskillsrelatedtodisabilityissueswereinfusedacrossallcorecoursesintheadministrativepreparationprogram.

Methodology

Thisstudyincludedbothqualitativeandquantitativeresearchmeth-ods.Thequalitativeportionofthestudyfocusedondatacollectedfromtwofocusgroups.Thequantitativeportionuseddatacollectedthroughasurveyinstrument.Twomajorresearchquestionsguidedthisstudy.

1.HowwelldograduatesoftheALPSprogramfeeltheyarepreparedtoleadinclusiveschoolpractices?

2.Whatarethemostcrucialskillsthatadministratorsneedtohaveforinclusiveleadership?

Participants Atotalof124participantstookpartinthisstudy.Forthequantita-tiveportionofthestudyparticipantswereidentifiedthroughtheALPS



principallicensure,Masters,andSpecialistinEducationprogramsdata-baseofalumnigraduatesbetweentheyears2000and2005andstudentscompletingtheirfinalsemesterintheALPSprogram.Fromthisdatabase240emailinvitationsweresentout.Ofthesealumniandstudents,99participantsresponded(41%responserate).Theparticipantsrepresentalumni/studentsfromtwelveadministrativepreparationcohortsandsevenschooldistrictsthroughoutColorado.ThequalitativeportionofthestudyconsistedofaconvenientsampleofstudentsfromagroupofSPEDstudentscompletingtheirfinalcourseintheirMAprogram.Twenty-fivestudents(n=25)wereinvitedtoparticipateinfocusgroupdiscussions;100%ofthestudentsagreedtoparticipate.Participationinthestudywascompletelyvoluntary.Noremunerationwasprovided.

Validity KidderandFine(1987)supportedtheuseofquantitativeandquali-tativemethodsinresearchbecauseitisaformoftriangulationwhichenhancesthevalidityandreliabilityofthestudy.Themulti-methodsprocessofdatacollectionisbasedonthe“triangulation”conceptthatbiasinonedatasourceorinvestigationisneutralizedoratleastlessenedwhenotherdatasources,methods,andinvestigationsareusedand/oridentified(Jick,1979).Theuseofmultiplemethodshelpsto“facilitatethevalidationofdatathroughtriangulation”(Denscombe,1998,p.40).Thetriangulationofdatainthisstudywasaccomplishedbylookingatsimilardatasourcesthroughdifferentmethods;qualitative(focusgroups)andquantitative(surveyinstrument). Wealsoconductedafacevalidityoftheinstrumentpriortoadmin-isteringit.Threeresearchersnotinvolvedwiththisstudywereaskedseveralquestionstodetermineitsvalidity:(a)Whatareyourperceptionsofwhattheinstrumentmeasures?;(b)Istheinstrumentareasonabletooltogaininformation?;(c)Istheinstrumentwelldesigned?Thefeed-backreceivedfromtheresearchersalignswiththedesiredoutcomeoftheinstrument.

Data Collection

Datawerecollectedthroughtwoactivities.Thefirstwasasurveyinstrumentgiventostudentstodeterminetheirperceptionsoftheef-fectivenessoftheprogramtoprepareadministratorstoleadinclusiveschools.Thesecondactivityinvolvedfocusgroupmethods.

Survey Instrument Thesurveyinstrumentwasdesignedandadministeredinthefirst



phaseof thestudy.ItwasdistributedthroughZoomerang,anonlinesurveytool.The instrumentconsistsof fourbackground informationquestions, four open ended questions, and eleven questions using aLikertscale(seeAppendix).Theitemsalignwiththestudy’sobjectivesandgoalswhichsoughttogatherinformationfromparticipantstoassessALPS’effectivenessindesigningcoursestosupportinclusiveleadershipintheprincipallicensureprogram.

Focus Group Discussion Twofocusgroups(n=25)wereconductedto(a)gatherdataonthebenefitsanddisadvantagesofworkingwithinschoolsthatservestudentswithdiverseneedsandbackgrounds,(b)toofferspecificstrategiesthattheyperceivedwereeffectiveinworkingwithstudentsthatstruggle,and(c)providerecommendationsforprincipalsandprospectiveprincipalstoimprovesupportiveinclusivepractices.Theparticipantsweredividedintotwogroups.Thelengthofthetwofocusgroupsrangedfromonetooneandone-halfhours.Datawerecollectedbyusingataperecordertorecordprogramparticipants’responses.Thedataweretranscribedbyusingaprofessionaltranscriber.

Data Analyses

Surveydatawereanalyzedbyusingastatisticalsoftwareprogram,StatisticalPackagefortheSocialSciences(SPSS),topresentdescriptivestatisticaldata.Descriptiveanalysisistheprocessoftransformingrawdataintotablesandchartstomakebettersenseofthedataandprovidesummaries(Denscombe,1998).Datawerecodedandtalliedasfrequen-ciesandpercentagesanddisplayedinfrequencydistributiontablestogiveaclearpictureofdistributionsforrelevanceandcomparison. Qualitativedatawerecoded line-by-lineusingtheconstant-com-parativeanalysis(Strauss&Corbin,1998).Theprocessinvolvedtheresearchersthoroughlyreadingdatatogetasenseoftheinformation.Next we identified segments of information that were alike acrossinterviewsorfocusgroups.Theopen-endedquestionsandfocusgroupquestionsprovided the initial codingorganization.VariousMicrosoftWord tools (highlighting, comment bar, theme format) were used tomanageandanalyzethedata.Opencodingofparticipants’responsesweregroupedintothemes.Further,aninductiveapproachwasusedtoidentifyadditionalcodesforremarksmadethatdidnotfitintoinitialcategories.Axialcodinginvolveslinkingvariouscodesbyplacingthemintoconceptualcategories.Inthefinalstep,selectivecoding,weexpli-catedthemesandcomparedthembetweengroups(SPEDandALPS).



Quantitative Findings

Thebackgroundquestionsfromthesurveyinstrumentrevealedthat37%ofthestudyparticipantswerecurrentlyservingasschooladministra-tors.Theirrolesconsistof16assistantprincipals,5principals,6districtlevelpositions,and10otheradministrativepositions.Theremaining62participantsserveinavarietyofteachingroles,includingregulareducationteacher,specialeducationteacher,instructionalcoach,anddepartmentchair.Fortythreeparticipants(45%)have11-15yearsofteachingexperience,thirty-five(33%)have6-10yearsofexperience,andtwenty-two(21%)have1-5years.Themajorityoftheparticipants,54%(n=52)workinelementaryschools.Further,theremaining6%workinpre-school,38%workinmiddleschool,24%workinJr.-Sr.Highschools,and28%workinsecondaryschools. Question14ofthesurveyinstrumentaskedparticipantstoidentifyALPSprojectsthatmosthelpedthemlearnhowtosupportinclusivepractices.The top five projects identified by participants supportinginclusivepracticesinclude:SchoolCulture(n=38),LegalAudit(n=35),Family/Community Engagement (n=31), School Improvement DataAnalysis(n=31),andNoChildLeftBehind(n=31).Question15askedparticipantstoranktheirlevelofcompetenceinelevendifferentareas.Thetopareasofcompetenciesself-reportedbytheparticipantsatalevelofproficienttoexemplaryininclusivepracticesinclude:90%havetheabilitytomakeandimplementdifferentiatedlearningrecommendationsforlearnerswithdiverseneeds;87%havetheabilitytofacilitateeffec-tivecollaborativerelationshipsbetweenspecialandgeneraleducationpersonnel;86%havetheabilitytocreateadiverselearningenvironment,offerandimplementrecommendationsfordifferentiatedinstruction,andfostercollegialrelationshipsbetweenspecialandgeneraleducators. Threeredflagswereraisedinthecompetencelevelsparticipantsrankedbelowalevelofproficiencytowardinclusivepractices:40%iden-tifiedalackofunderstandingregardinglegalissuesrelatedtospecialeducation;28%self-reportedalackofskillsintheirabilitytoprovideconstructivefeedbackandmentoringofspecialeducatorsandsupportstaff;and28%reportedalackintheirabilitytogenerateoptionsandsolu-tionsinresourcemanagement(i.e.planningtime,paperworkdemands,andalternativescheduling).Theseareasofskilldeficiencymirrorthosearticulatedinpriorstudiespresentedintheliteraturereview.Table1illustratesrespondentratiosandtotalnumberofrespondentsbythelevelofperceivedcompetencies.



Qualitative Findings

Thefindingsofthefocusgroupsandopen-endedsurveyquestionsareorganizedbelowintothreebroadcategories:(a)benefitsofworkingwithdiversepopulations,(b)challengesfacingteachersandadministrators,and(c)suggestionsfromparticipants.Commentsareactualresponsesfromthefocusgroupquestions(seeTable2).

Benefits of Working with Diverse Populations Participantsfrombothprogramssawmanybenefitstoworkinginaschoolwithlearnershavingdiversebackgroundsandneeds.Anumberofstudentsspoketotherichnessofdifferenceandthevaluesofacceptanceforallstudents.

•Oneteachernoted,“Having diverse backgrounds and needs allows students to gain an appreciation of the uniqueness of all individuals.”

•AnALPSstudentmaintained,“The biggest benefit is that schools with diverse populations mirror the ‘real’ world. It represents society - there are all types of individuals with different abilities that we learn to work with.”

• Currently practicing principals saw personal benefits to

Research Questions 1 Emergent

2 3 Proficient

4 5 Exemplary

1. I have the ability to develop school-wide positive behavior support programs.

6% 6

3% 3

38% 38

37% 37

15% 15

2. I have the ability to facilitate effective collaboration between general and special education teachers.

3% 3

9% 9

34% 34

38% 38

15% 15

3. I have the ability to make and implement differentiated learning recommendations for learners with diverse needs.

2% 2

11% 11

32% 32

32% 32

22% 22

4. I have the ability to lead an initiative that creates a learning environment that allows for alternative styles of learning.

1% 1

12% 12

28% 28

47% 47

11% 11

5. I have the ability to develop activities and make recommendations for professional development training regarding inclusive practices.

4% 4

11% 11

29% 29

41% 41

14% 14

6. I have the ability to generate options and possible solutions in resource management (i.e. planning time, paperwork demands, and alternative scheduling).

4% 4

14% 14

35% 34

23% 23

13% 13

7. I have the ability to coach and provide constructive feedback and mentoring to special education and support service personnel.

10% 10

18% 18

35% 34

23% 23

13% 13

8. I have the ability to foster collegial relationships between special and general education personnel.

4% 4

8% 8

32% 31

39% 38

17%

9. I have the ability to understand and make recommendations regarding the challenges parents and children with disabilities frequently encounter.

10% 10

15% 15

31% 31

34% 33

9% 9

10. I have the ability to understand and make recommendations regarding legal issues related to special education.

12% 12

27% 26

29% 28

26% 25

7% 7

11. I have the ability to develop and implement inclusionary practices in schools.

6% 6

12% 12

40% 39

33% 32

9% 9

Table1.TotalRespondentRatioandTotalNumberofRespondentsbyLevelofPerceivedCompetence.



working in such schools noting, “It broadens my perspective, and increased my empathy”;“It’s stimulating, rewarding”;“The instructors learn as much as the students. Everyone has some-thing different to offer”;“Takes you out of your comfort zone and makes you learn.”

Challenges Facing Teachers and Administrators Whilethebenefitsofworkingwithlearnersdisplayingdiverseneedsandbackgroundsarevastandvaried,sotooaretheconcerns.WereceivedfeedbackfromALPSstudentsandalumniaswellasSPEDstudentsandteachers. ALPS students. Current students of theALPS program voiced agenuinesenseofapprehensionaboutbeingabletomeettheneedsofalllearnersasreportedincommentsincluding:

•“The main concern I have is being able to meet the diverse needs of all students and having the knowledge and resources to do so.”

•“If too many diversities are present, the staff can be spread too thinly to effectively meet the needs of anyone let alone everyone.”

•“It is a challenge to have all staff members ‘be on board’ with encouraging rather than denying diversity.”

Table2.FocusGroupResearchQuestions.

1.Whatbenefitsdoyouperceiveforyourselfandyourstudentswhenworkinginaschoolwithlearnershavingdiversebackgroundsandneeds?

2.Whatconcernsdoyouhaveforyourselfandyourstudentswhenworkinginaschoolwithlearnershavingdiversebackgroundsandneeds?

3.Describetheworkingrelationshipwithyouradministrator(s).

4.Describeaspecificinitiative/action/projectthatyouradministratorhasun-dertakentosupportinclusiveservicesinyourschoolbuilding.

5.Haveyouexperiencedanychallengesinworkingwithanadministratoronissuesrelatedtoinclusivepractices?Ifso,pleaseidentify.

6.Whatquestionsdoyouhaveregardingaddressingtheneedsoflearnerswithdiverseneedsandbackgroundsthatyoufeelshouldbeaddressedinanadmin-istratorpreparationprogram?

7.Pleaseidentifyspecificstrategiesand/orprocessesthatyoubelievefutureadministratorsneedtolearntosupportinclusivepractices.

8.Pleaseidentifyanyprojectsthatyoubelievecouldhelpfutureadministratorsbecomeskilledsupportinginclusivepractices.



•“I’m concerned about spending too much time on students who have more needs and forgetting about the ‘normal/typically developing’ students.”

SPED students/teachers. Sincethe25SPEDstudentswereconcur-rentlycompletingtheirMaster’sdegreewhileteachinginthefield,theydrewupontheirdailyexperiencesthatwereoftenquitechallenging.Many of those challenges focused on their administrator’s ability tosupportinclusivepractices.Legalandtrainingissueswereevidentinanumberofteachercomments:

•“I’m concerned about my administrators’ knowledge of the legal components of special education because I don’t see it. I’ve come to resent that I always have to train the staff.”

•“We have students that are never going to be at grade level and meet NCLB. The principal needs to advocate for us.”

•“I hear….. I want you guys to work together …but my adminis-trator is really not creating an environment where it can happen, or setting the leadership tone for how to do it.”

Otherteachersvoicedfeelingsoffrustrationandisolationintheireffortstomeettheirstudent’sneeds.

•“A majority of my teachers don’t know how to differentiate in or-der to understand how they can have an inclusive classroom.”

•“The administrator has no idea what is going on in the special ed room.”

•“My principal says…we’re inclusionary, we’re inclusionary, but there’s no co-teaching, kids are pulled and gone from the general ed classroom.”

ALPS alumni. AlumnioftheALPSprogramcurrentlyservinginleadershiprolesseefirst-handtherealitiesofmeetingstudents’diverseneeds.Theyarticulatedanarrayofspecificchallengesbelow.

• “We don’t have enough accommodations to meet everyone’s needs.”

•“I am concerned about knowing everything in their IEP’s.”

•“Politics. I do not like the way that children are labeled. I do not like that students are given a ‘life sentence’ in special educa-tion.”



Otherprincipalsspoketotheinter-relateddynamicsofimplementingbestpractices.

•“Differentiating is always a challenge. It requires time, resources and expertise that are often hard to come by.”

•“I have concerns about effectively meeting both the requirements of the law and the needs of the students and their parents.”

•“Am I able to meet the needs of my special students while chal-lenging my gifted ones and providing for the needs of those in the middle?”

Anotherprincipalleftuswithaseriesofimportantquestions.

•“How do we respond and support all of our students from a place of cultural competency as a school and individual? Are we willing to first examine how our cultural assumptions impact the learning experience of our students?”

Suggestions from Participants Whileallparticipantsclearlyfacechallengesinworkingwithstu-dentsfromdiversebackgroundsandneeds,theywerequicktoidentifystrategiesandorprocessesthatcouldfostertheenvironmentofinclusiveschools.Acommonthemeheardamongthe focusgroupparticipantsfocusedoncommunicationandcollaboration. When asked what things administrators need to know to meetdiverse needs and backgrounds, SPED students spoke passionatelyaboutanarrayofissuesthatclusteredaroundthefollowingthemes:(a)knowledgeofspecialeducationlawanddisabilities;(b)skillstocreateinclusiveenvironments includingtheability to leadteachers inbestpracticessuchasdifferentiation,collaboration,andpositivebehaviorsupports;and(c)displayagenuineappreciationandsupportofwhatSPEDteachersdo. Practicingandfutureadministratorsclearlyelaboratedtheirneedsfor effectively leading efforts to improve instruction for all learners.Theycalledformoretraininginavarietyofspecialtopicsincluding:(a)specialeducationlaw;(b)strategiesfororganizingaschooltobestutilizethespecialandgeneraleducationteachers;(c)concretestrate-giesandresourcesaboutthevarietyofdiverseneeds;and(d)managingdisciplineissueswithstudentsdisplayingspecialeducationneeds.



Conclusions and Recommendations

The suggestions given by students, teachers and administratorsmirrorthoseofferedtoeducatorsbyFriendandPope(2005)tocreateinclusiveschoolswhereeveryonecansucceed.Tobesupportive,princi-palsshould:(a)beknowledgeableaboutdifferentiationofinstruction;(b) help teachers attend professional development opportunities; (c)providecoaching;(d)arrangeforteacherstovisiteachother;and(e)fieldquestionsthatparentsandfamilyhaveaboutspecialeducationteachingpractices.Tomeetthatchargeofcreatingschoolswhereeverystudentcansucceed,highereducationpreparationprogramsmustlookcriticallyattheirbasicvaluesaswellastheirexistingorganizationalstructures,beresponsivetotheirstudents,andholdthehighestexpec-tationstoensuretheyaredoingalltheycantoprepareadministratorsandteachersforthechallengespresentintoday’sinclusiveschools. Weknowwehaveourcurricularworkcutoutforus,butthedirectionisclearandactionsareunderwaytoensurethatourpreparationprogramsstrategicallyplanforwaysthatadministratorsandspecialeducatorsareworkingtogethertoimproveinstructionforallstudents.Forinstance,facultyhavebeguntoreviewallassignmentsinprogramcoursestoseewhere leadership skills for inclusive practices can be added.We alsodevelopedandimplementedaseminarforfutureprincipalsinspecialeducation.Strategicfocushasalreadybeengiventoenhancereadings,discussions,andassignmentsthatwillbetterpreparedALPSstudentsto(a)understandlegal issuesrelatedtospecialeducation; (b)provideconstructivefeedbackandmentoringofspecialeducatorsandsupportstaff;and(c)generateoptionsandsolutionsinresourcemanagement(i.e.,planningtime,paperworkdemands,andalternativescheduling). Principalsreporttheirgreatestbarriertofindingqualifiedspecialeducationpersonnelisthelimitedapplicantpool(Carlsonet.al,2002).Giventhedauntingprofileofthecurrentapplicantpoolcombinedwiththedemandsofthejob,itgoeswithoutsayingthatoncetheyarehired,principalsmustembraceanactiveroleinretainingspecialeducators.Whilethereisn’tascriptforwhatinclusiveprogrammingshouldlooklike in every school, supporting and nurturing special educators iscriticalinrealizingthegoalofprovidingaqualityeducationforeverystudent(Sobel,Fulmer,&Garrison-Wade,2006).Thekeyistoidentifyandprovidesupportsthatareuniquelygearedtotherealitiesofthespecialeducationteacher. Asstudentswithchallengingacademicandbehavioralneedspar-ticipateinawiderarrayofsettings,programs,andopportunities,theneedforschoolleaderswhounderstandthecomplexitiesofvariedsys-



temsandalternativeteachingstrategiesbecomesessentialtoensurestudentsuccess.Asinclusiveeducationbecomesincreasingthenormineveryschoolandasspecialandgeneraleducatorsassumesharedre-sponsibilityforallstudents,manyquestionsaboutshiftsinroles,rulesandresponsibilitiesofeveryonewhoworkswithandforstudentswithdisabilitiesareguaranteedtospringforth,manyofwhichhavenotevenbeenconsideredtodate(Fisher,etal,2003). WefullysupportthecallforvisionandactionthatSkrla,Scheurich,Garcia,andNolly(2004)passionatelyadvocate,“Achievementgapsbyrace,ethnicity,homelanguageorculture,SES,orothervariablesarenotjustaneducationalproblem;theyareaproblemforourentiresociety”(p.156).Wehopethatourresponse—auditingourprogram’seffective-nessinpreparingprincipalstoleadinclusiveschoolpractices—willbehelpful toothereducational leadershipprogramsthatalsochoosetorespondwithactiontothecall.

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Appendix: Inclusive Practices Survey

Werealizethatsomeofthesequestionsdealwithsensitiveissues.PleasenotethatallofyourresponsesareCONFIDENTIAL.



1.Lastfourdigitsofyourhometelephonenumber:____________

2.Chooseyourcohortdescriptor: APSLA-1 ACLA-1 JCLA-1 JCLA-2 DPSLA-1 DPSLA-2 DCLA-2 DCLA-3 BVSLA-2 BVSLA-3 DL#3 DL#4 DL#5

3.K-12Teaching/Administrationexperience(checkallthatapply).

TypeofSchool TeacherRole AdministratorRolepublicschool teacher–reg.ed. assistantprincipalprivateschool teacher–sp.ed. principalalternativeschool instructionalcoach centralofficeposition___________ deanordept.char asst.superintendent ___________ superintendent ________________

YearsTeaching SchoolLevel CurricularFocus 1-5yrteacher Pre-School (eg.,Art/Music/Science)6-10yrteacher Elementary ________________ 11-15yrteacher Middle ________________ Jr-Sr.High ________________ Secondary

TypeofEndorsement/LicensureGeneralEducation(Elementary);ContentArea:______________________GeneralEducation(Secondary);ContentArea:______________________SpecialEducation(Elementary);ContentArea:______________________ SpecialEducation(Secondary);ContentArea:______________________Other____________________;ContentArea:______________________

Open Ended Questions4.Whatbenefitsdoyouperceiveforyourselfandyourstudentswhenworkinginaschoolwithlearnershavingdiversebackgroundsandneeds?5.Whatconcernsdoyouhaveforyourselfandyourstudentswhenworkinginaschoolwithlearnershavingdiversebackgroundsandneeds?6.Whatquestionsdoyouhaveregardingaddressingtheneedsoflearnerswithdiverseneedsandbackgroundsthatfeelshouldhavebeenaddressedinthispreparationprogram?7.Pleaseidentifyspecificstrategiesand/orprocessesthatyouhavelearnedtosupportinclusivepractices.8.PleasecheckanyprojectinyourALPSprogramthathelpedyoulearnhowtosupportinclusivepractices.CoreValues NCLB SI:QualityVision-Mission LegalAudit SI:DataAnalysisCultureStudy SI:Curriculum Family/CommunityEngagement SI:WritingthePlanEvaluationCycles InstructionalLeadershipWorkSamples

Pleasecheckonenumbertoindicateyourcurrentlevelofcompetence:



0indicatesnocompetenceand5indicatesexemplarycompetence.

9.Ihavetheabilitytodevelopschool-widepositivebehaviorsupportprograms. Emergent Proficient Exemplary 0 1 2 3 4 510.Ihavetheabilitytofacilitateeffectivecollaborationbetweengeneralandspecialeducationteachers. Emergent Proficient Exemplary 0 1 2 3 4 511.Ihavetheabilitymakeandimplementdifferentiatedlearningrecommendationsforlearnerswithdiverseneeds. Emergent Proficient Exemplary 0 1 2 3 4 512.Ihavetheabilitytoleadaninitiativethatcreatesalearningenvironmentthatallowsforalternativestylesoflearning. Emergent Proficient Exemplary 0 1 2 3 4 513.Ihavetheabilitytodevelopactivitiesandmakerecommendationsforprofessionaldevelopmenttrainingregardinginclusivepractices. Emergent Proficient Exemplary 0 1 2 3 4 514.Ihavetheabilitytogenerateoptionsandpossiblesolutionsinresourceman-agement(i.e.,planningtime,paperworkdemands,andalternativescheduling). Emergent Proficient Exemplary 0 1 2 3 4 515.Ihavetheabilitytocoachandprovideconstructivefeedbackandmentoringtospecialeducationandsupportservicepersonnel. Emergent Proficient Exemplary 0 1 2 3 4 516.Ihavetheabilitytofostercollegialrelationshipsbetweenspecialandgeneraleducationpersonnel. Emergent Proficient Exemplary 0 1 2 3 4 517.Ihavetheabilitytounderstandandmakerecommendationsregardingthechallengesparentsofchildrenwithdisabilitiesfrequentlyencounter. Emergent Proficient Exemplary 0 1 2 3 4 5

18.Ihavetheabilitytounderstandandmakerecommendationsregardinglegalissuesrelatedtospecialeducation. Emergent Proficient Exemplary 0 1 2 3 4 5

19.Ihavetheabilitytodevelopandimplementinclusionarypracticesinschools. Emergent Proficient Exemplary 0 1 2 3 4 5

inclusive leadership - eric inclusive environments that support learning for all students. ... ,...

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