Leading Inclusive Schools: Principal Perceptions, Practices, and Challenges to Meaningful Change

Abstract

Background: For over 50 years, special education has been used as a tool to maintain racial segregation, particularly in schools located in low-income communities of color. This study utilized tenets found in disability critical race theory (DisCrit) and inclusive school leadership literature to examine the perceptions, practices, and challenges associated with meaningful change in inclusive schools. Purpose: The purpose of this article was to understand how six elementary school principals, identified as effective inclusive leaders, perceived students with disabilities within a low-income Mexican American immigrant community along the U.S.–Mexico border. Findings: Our study highlights the important role principals play in creating inclusive schools and the ways in which race, disability, family background, language, and immigration status effect principals in their efforts to promote inclusion. While each principal recognized the noted factors above and confronted a multitude of challenges, they differed in their beliefs and approaches to creating inclusive schools. Some leadership practices were aligned to research focused on effective school leadership while others more closely resembled social justice leadership practices. Conclusion: Findings suggest that principals must take into consideration a variety of factors to create inclusive schools and must draw upon a broad range of practices amid resistance and challenges to meaningful change.

Undoing systems of exclusion: exploring inclusive leadership and systems thinking in two inclusive elementary schools

“…As part of such efforts, principals report communicating with multiple constituencies, welcome the expression of concerns and recognize teachers' efforts in support of inclusion. DeMatthews et al (2020b) found that some principals further advanced an inclusive vision by applying an intersectional lens to consider students' multiple identities (e.g. race, gender and ability immigration status) and how schooling practices could be inclusive and reaffirming to many identities.…”

Defining Social Justice in Education

“…A social justice approach can be thought of as positionality, a set of analytical skills, and a disposition for positive transformation. Effective school leaders tend to work from a similar core set of behaviors that promote a vision, support professional growth, redesign effective systems, and manage the core mission of teaching and learning (DeMatthews et al 2020;Leithwood et al 2008). However, within these examples of effective leadership practices there are distinctions revealing how a social justice lens influences not only motivations and perspectives, but also the skills school leaders use to build systems and solve problems.…”

Failure is not final: principals’ perspectives on creating inclusive schools for students with disabilities

“…Improvements in teacher preparation and high-stakes accountability policies requiring SWDs to meet grade-level expectations have arguably contributed to an increase in access and outcomes, though achievement gaps have not narrowed in decades (Gilmour et al , 2019). Despite 45 years of progress, many schools continue to struggle to meet the diverse needs of SWDs, with efforts toward inclusion often stymied by challenges relating to organizational and professional capacity and school cultures that do not support the goals of inclusion (DeMatthews and Mawhinney, 2014; DeMatthews et al , 2021).…”

“…A growing body of research has focused on the effective inclusive leadership practices of principals (DeMatthews, 2015; DeMatthews and Mawhinney, 2014; European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education, 2018; Guzmán, 1997; Hoppey and McLeskey, 2013; Mayrowetz and Weinstein, 1999; Waldron et al , 2011). This research examines how principals establish a vision for inclusion, build professional capacity, facilitate high-quality learning experiences and redesign organizational features to support SWDs (Billingsley et al , 2018; DeMatthews et al , 2021). The complexity of establishing an effective inclusive school and the stubborn persistence of exclusionary practices means educators often require both technical knowledge to apply research-based approaches to instructing SWDs as well as a critical awareness of and willingness to undo socio-cultural forces that manifest as racism, ableism and other forms of discrimination (Annamma et al , 2013).…”

“…This notion can be troubling for educators, given the mission of public education broadly and the litigious nature of special education specifically (Zirkel, 2020). But acute instances of failure are predictable in the short-term as schools learn, build capacity and improve, especially given educator preparation that often ignores research-based instructional and classroom management strategies which include critical examinations of race and disability (Annamma et al , 2013; DeMatthews and Mawhinney, 2014; DeMatthews et al , 2021; Brownell et al , 2005; Pazey and Cole, 2013). Additionally, IDEA requires families and schools to collaborate and annually develop an Individualized Educational Program (IEP) that sets goals and establishes services and supports for each SWD, including specific learning disabilities like dyscalculia as well as visual or hearing impairments.…”