scholarly journals Educational Leaders and Inclusive Special Education: Perceptions, Roles, and Responsibilities

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 248
Author(s):  
Cammy D. Romanuck Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Educational Leaders ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
District Leaders ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Roles And Responsibilities ◽  
Problem Solvers ◽  
Inclusive Special Education

<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>

scholarly journals Transforming Inclusive Education: Nine Tips to Enhance School Leaders’ Ability to Effectively Lead Inclusive Special Education Programs

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cammy Romanuck Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Assistant Principals ◽  
Training Programs ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
Roles And Responsibilities ◽  
Special Education Programs ◽  
Inclusive Special Education

Principals and assistant principals, collectively referred to as<em> school leaders</em>, play instrumental roles in ensuring the success of inclusive special education in the schools they oversee. However, school leaders continually report they lack the knowledge and skills to effectively oversee quality inclusive special education programs. There are very few training programs available to school leaders that focus on leading inclusive special education programs. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to provide school leaders with nine tips, along with 11 immediately implementable practical strategies, to improve upon the inclusive special education programs in their schools. Topics include pertinent definitions, laws, and concepts associated with inclusion; models of coteaching; transformational leadership theory and traits; roles and responsibilities of school leaders in inclusive education programs; and practical strategies to implement to improve upon current inclusive education practices. This article is designed to be used with emerging, new, and experienced school leaders.

scholarly journals Are Inclusive Education or Special Education Programs More Likely to Result in Inclusion Post-School?

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 304
Author(s):  
Garry Hornby
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Young People ◽  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Outcome Studies ◽  
Behavioral Difficulties ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Special Schools ◽  
Full Inclusion ◽  
Vocational Curriculum

The main goal of both special education and inclusive education for young people with learning or behavioral difficulties is their maximum inclusion in the community as adults. The question of which of these two approaches is more likely to achieve this goal is addressed by considering the findings of three outcome studies of young people with moderate to severe levels of learning or behavioral difficulties who experienced either option, or some combination of the two. The overall findings indicate that students who left school from a special education setting had better outcomes than those who completed their education in mainstream schools. This is considered to be due to the vocational curriculum and work experience they gained in their final years of special education, which those in mainstream schools did not receive. This suggests that a policy of full inclusion, with the closure of special classes and special schools, will result in less inclusion in their communities post-school for young people with moderate to severe levels of learning or behavioral difficulties.

Why Working Apart Doesn’t Work at All: Special Education and English Learner Teacher Collaborations

2018 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-39
Author(s):  
Sara E. N. Kangas
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
English Learner ◽  
Individualized Education Programs ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Individualized Education ◽  
Linguistic Development ◽  
Synergistic Relationships ◽  
Learning English

With many students learning English also identified with disabilities in public schools, collaborations across special education and English learner (EL) education are critical to promoting these students’ academic and linguistic development. Yet, many special education and EL teachers work independently of one another, focusing on their own specialized roles. In the process, students with disabilities who are learning English receive fragmented, inadequate special education and EL services. This article provides specific strategies—cocreating individualized education programs and instituting consultations—special education and EL teachers can implement to break out of their isolated roles and to build synergistic relationships that benefit the learning of students with disabilities who are learning English.

Providing Administrative Support for Classroom Paraeducators: What's a Building Administrator to Do?

2002 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 10-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cathryn G. Riggs ◽  
Cathryn G. Riggs
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Special Education Teachers ◽  
Administrative Support ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Building Administrators ◽  
Inclusive Instruction ◽  
Changing Roles ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Building Level

A growing number of paraeducators are employed in America's schools. Paraeducators are valuable members of the education team, especially as some districts face a growing shortage of certified special education teachers and others struggle to address issues relating to inclusive education programs. This article focuses on describing what building administrators can do to support paraeducator staff, particularly those who are employed to facilitate inclusive instruction. A brief overview of the changing roles of paraeducators is followed by a definition of “administrative support” in terms of the importance of responsibilities, relationships and respect. A list of ten specific suggestions for providing administrative support for paraeducators at the school building level is supplied.

scholarly journals Special Education Teachers’ Perceptions of Their Preparedness to Teach Students With Severe Disabilities in Inclusive Classrooms: A Saudi Arabian Perspective

SAGE Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 215824402095065
Author(s):  
Rashed Aldabas
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Special Education Teachers ◽  
Descriptive Study ◽  
Severe Disabilities ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Students With Severe Disabilities ◽  
Preparedness To Teach ◽  
Practical Implications

Successful inclusive education for students with severe disabilities (SD) relies on the preparedness of their teachers. This descriptive study investigated special education teachers’ perceptions of their preparedness to teach students with SD in inclusive educational settings. A survey was sent to 382 teachers of such students. In general, findings indicate that participants were confident that they were prepared to teach students with SD in inclusive education. Findings also show that the lowest levels of confidence were reported by participants with the shortest working experience, participants who have taught students with moderate and severe intellectual disabilities and those with multiple disabilities, participants who have taught in the lower grades, and those who have already taught in general classrooms. The practical implications of the findings are discussed for supporting successful implementation of inclusive education for students with SD in terms of improving special education teachers’ preparedness.

scholarly journals A Cross-National Study of the Effects of Education on Pre-Service Teachers’ Attitudes, Intentions, Concerns, and Self-Efficacy Regarding Inclusive Education

2022 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Miesera ◽  
Laura Sokal ◽  
Nicole Kimmelmann
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Teaching Practices ◽  
Teacher Education Programs ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Inclusive Teaching ◽  
Cross National

This study reports on a cross-national comparison of inclusion-oriented teacher-education programs. Canada and Germany have implemented inclusion in teacher education with the aim of improving inclusion in schools. Previous studies have shown the importance of latent characteristics of prospective teachers for the successful implementation of inclusion in schools and have pointed to the role of inclusion-oriented teacher education in developing these teacher characteristics. To measure potential changes in attitudes, intentions, concerns, and self‑efficacy, 132 student teachers from Germany and Canada were surveyed before and after a course about inclusive education. Internationally validated scales were used: Attitudes towards Inclusion Scale (AIS), Intention to Teach in Inclusive Classroom Scale (ITICS), Concerns about Inclusive Education Scale (CIES), and the Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practices scale (TEIP). The results of the German and Canadian groups differed: while significant changes in self-efficacy occurred between the first and second measurement points in both countries, the outcome for other factors varied. Significant changes in intentions to use inclusive teaching practices were found in Canada but not in Germany. The results are discussed in the context of the role of teacher-education programs in fostering inclusive teaching practices.

scholarly journals Work of teachers co-organising the process of education of pupils with special educational needs in the opinions of public school teachers

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Niemiec
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Educational System ◽  
Educational Needs ◽  
Public School Teachers ◽  
Special Educational Needs ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
The Public ◽  
Key Issues

One of the key issues within the area of issues related to contemporary special education is inclusive education. The purpose of the presented article is to analyse the key entities participating in the teaching and upbringing of pupils in the public educational system – the roles, tasks, professional qualifications, predispositions and personality traits of teachers of pupils with special educational needs. The article also presents results of research carried out by the author among teachers at public schools in the Silesian Voivodeship.

scholarly journals Qualitative Advancement in Inclusive Education in the Context of Societal Development: Dialectical Modelling

Pedagogika ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 141 (1) ◽  
pp. 190-213
Author(s):  
Alvyra Galkienė
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Educational System ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Universal Design For Learning ◽  
Integrated Education ◽  
Educational Effort ◽  
Design For Learning ◽  
Qualitative Evolution ◽  
Inclusive Special Education

By applying a qualitative method of dialectical modelling, the following three models of inclusion are analysed: integration, inclusive special education, and universal design for learning. The prerequisites significant for the implementation of each model are tested by contradicting them against other models, in order to reveal education components and their connections that either strengthen or impede the qualitative evolution of inclusive believes and practice.The results of integrated education analysis underline the impulse of societal movement that encouraged the development of processes of inclusion and the restructuring of educational system; however, at the same time, they reveal the possibility of tension due to the desynchronization between various components of social and educational system. The reduction of tension and the sustainability of inclusive evolution requires the harmonisation of social believes and cultural experience.The analysis of the “Inclusive special education” model shows that any polarized attitude and educational effort towards different groups of pupils generates barriers for ensuring successful learning for all the pupils and shapes elements of educational segregation. In overcoming this barrier, the change in educators’ attitude and practice is significant, embracing the entirety of the learners and giving priority to professional co-operation.The connections between the components of universal design for learning model allow to cover the whole of the variety of learners and to aim at personal success for every pupil. A universal educational environment that corresponds with the variety of educational needs is the core precondition for a good quality inclusive education.

scholarly journals Preparing Educational Leaders for 21st Century Inclusive School Communities: Transforming University Preparation Programs

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 13-24
Author(s):  
Kristine J. Melloy
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Civil Rights ◽  
General Education ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Educational Leaders ◽  
Preparation Programs ◽  
School Communities ◽  
Inclusive School ◽  
The Impact

University educational leadership preparation programs whose mission is to prepare Transitional Kindergarten through 12th grade (TK-12) school administrators need to transform their curriculum so that all leaders (not just special education leaders) have the knowledge and skills to create inclusive school communities that truly include all students. Evidence suggests that even though there are policies, laws, recommendations and an empirical base that supports inclusive education for students with disabilities, equity, achievement and opportunity gaps remain in our nation’s public schools. The purpose of this conceptual study is to provide a look at redesigned preparation programs built on professional standards changes, evidencebased practices, and practice-based evidence correlated with inclusive school communities. Transformed preparation programs prepare educational leaders who lead inclusive school communities in closing the gaps for students with disabilities, considering that 100% of the students spend 80% or more of their day in general education classrooms. The impact for students with disabilities is that they experience equity, social justice and their civil rights for education in inclusive school communities where all benefit.

A mainstream preschool program: Working model in rural Maine

1987 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 27-28
Author(s):  
James Mackin Walsh
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Public School ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Implementation Process ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Preschool Program ◽  
Preschool Special Education ◽  
Public School Systems ◽  
Working Model

Recent permissive legislation in Maine now provides state subsidy for preschool special education programs in public schools. As a result, there has been heightened interest and incentive to develop preschool program models which can be integrated effectively and economically, into current public school systems. This article will describe the development and implementation process of a model preschool program in Richmond, a rural Maine community. There is particular emphasis on identifying practical considerations for those who may be interested in addressing similar service delivery concerns.

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