Abstract
<p><em>Educational leaders, including principals and district leaders, are the primary special education leaders in public schools today. They are ultimately responsible for the successful implementation of inclusive special education programs, as outlined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004). Yet, educational leaders continually report they lack the knowledge and skills to effectively oversee inclusive education programs. The research that examines the perceptions, roles, and responsibilities of educational leaders related to inclusive education programs is extremely limited. Therefore, guided by transformational leadership theory, this qualitative case study explores the perceptions, roles, responsibilities of school and district leaders who oversee successful inclusive education programs. The findings suggested that educational leaders value the philosophy of inclusion. The predominant themes that arose were culture, collaboration, limited staff, purposeful inclusion, consideration of individual needs, acceptance, relationships, appreciation of diversity, and student learning. Educational leaders described their role in inclusive education programs as collaborators, problem solvers, professional developers, and facilitators. The findings from this study can serve as a basis for discussion regarding the strengths and needs of current practices for inclusive education. These discussions can be utilized to analyze current strengths, and potential needs for refinement of practices, policies, and procedures.</em></p>
Highlights
People with disabilities have been inadequately served for too long
There is an urgent need to explore the perceptions toward inclusion from perspective of educational leaders. 1.4 Purpose of Study The purpose of this qualitative case study is to understand the perceptions, roles, and responsibilities of district leaders involved in the special education decision-making process and principals who oversee successfully inclusive schools in a successfully inclusive district in a Midwestern state
Being aware of how other educational leaders perceive inclusion may serve as a powerful source of reflection and growth for all school- and district-level administrators across the nation
Summary
People with disabilities have been inadequately served for too long. For decades, people with disabilities have faced discrimination. Arguably the most instrumental stakeholder group involved in inclusive special education programming, do not understand their roles and responsibilities pertinent to inclusion, America’s public schools will not stand a chance at providing students with disabilities with the education to which they are entitled. With an increased focus on inclusion for students with disabilities, educational leaders must be creative and supportive of inclusion in order to best meet the needs of all students (Bublitz, 2016) In many circumstances, this requires educational leaders to demonstrate transformational leadership traits. Educational leaders must possess the fundamental transformational leadership traits of inspiring others, creating a shared vision and mission for the district, and the ability to foster change when warranted (Marzano et al, 2005) For these reasons, it is imperative to have an understanding of educational leaders’ perceptions regarding inclusive education practices. How do educational leaders articulate their role as leaders in inclusive education programs?
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