Abstract
School leadership plays a central role in creating an inclusive learning environment that provides opportunities for students with disabilities to thrive. This chapter will shed light on the historical background of schools as they shifted to embrace inclusion and outline the key challenges that impeded school leadership from reaching full-bodied inclusive schools. To that end, this chapter will include an overview derived from the literature regarding the most imperative leadership practices that principals need to possess in order to facilitate the inclusion of students with disabilities into mainstream education: (1) demonstrating basic knowledge of special education, (2) building collaborative structures and processes to work together with students' interests at heart, and (3) embodying positive attitudes and beliefs toward special education. At the end of the chapter, the authors will provide key lessons, recommendations, and possible implications for improving leadership preparation.
TopIntroduction
It is not easy to be a principal in the twenty-first century with the ever-shifting expectations of communities, teachers, parents, and students. One of the many responsibilities principals have is to oversee special education services for children within their schools on a daily basis. Laws governing special education instruction have changed dramatically in the past 15 years (Parker, 2016). The principal is not only in charge of the building's daily operations, budgeting, human resource concerns, maintenance, and curricula; but they also need to be well-versed in special education legislation and regulations. Furthermore, principals must have a thorough grasp of the needs of the growing number of special education students and the ability to work effectively with parents who advocate for them (Parker, 2016). Unfortunately, principals often have a hazy picture of what their position entails in terms of daily special education procedures. There has been little, if any, official research on the experiences of special education principals to explain how preparation affects their school leadership performance. This chapter will outline the challenges and issues encountered by principals in implementing programs for special education and identify the key leadership practices that facilitate inclusion. It will begin with a brief historical background about how special education came to be included in school principals’ body of responsibilities, and the challenges they encountered as they began to carry out this mission.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Instructional Leader: This term is commonly associated with school principals who, among others, oversee curriculum, promote the development of teachers, supervise teachers, establish an environment that is conducive to learning, and are responsible for the success of each student in their schools.
Mainstream Education: This term references the inclusion of students with disabilities into general educational settings or mainstream schools.
Individualized Education Programs: This is a plan or program created with the goal of ensuring every child with an identified disability receives specialized instruction and necessary services.
SEN Children: Special educational needs (SEN) is a legal definition that refers to children with learning challenges or disabilities that make it harder for them to learn than most children of the same age.
Positive Inclusive Culture: A culture that ensures students from all backgrounds—regardless of socioeconomic status, needs, ethnicity, race, gender, or household income––have equal access to education and services.
Inclusive Learning Environment: A school or classroom in which students of every ability level receive teaching in the same place.
Principal Professional Development: In-service, continuous training that school principals undergo to help them develop new skills, stay up to date on current trends and best practices, and advance their career.