How Principals Lead to Promote Inclusive Practices: A Descriptive Study

This qualitative study explored the role of the principal in developing inclusive schools for students with disabilities. Leading an inclusive school is a significant departure from traditional schooling. An inclusive school is founded on a common mission and vision where all students are valued and everyone works collaboratively to insure that all children are educated and part of the school community. Five practicing principals in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania were studied within the context of their schools and practices. These five principals were identified by the Pennsylvania Department of Education as having developed and implemented schools where all students were valued and expected to be participating members. Case studies of the principals along with themes about their practice emerged. An inclusive school requires a leader to exhibit a number of skills and traits. However, this study suggests that exhibiting these skills and traits are not enough to explain the difference in an inclusive school. This study proposes spirituality is a needed element in order to inform or drive the leader's practice. Spirituality helps provide the explanation for why and how the principals were able to lead an inclusive school and why the principals remained focused during the change process. Spirituality may provide the entire school, but especially the principal, with the focus on relationships, reflection, and process that is needed to insure the vision of inclusive practices is realized.

Name thesis:degree_name

EdD

Level thesis:degree_level

Worldwide Access

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program for Education Leaders (IDPEL)

Year dc:date.available

2006

Author dc:creator

• Armstrong, Janet

Contributors dc:contributor

• Helen C. Sobehart
• Denise Anderson
• Ronald Korenich

• inclusion
• Leadership
• principals
• spirituality
• students with disabilities

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/10

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dsc.duq.edu:etd-1009