School Principals and Students with Special Education Needs: Leading Inclusive Schools

Over the past 30 years, school boards, faculties of education, and teaching organizations have helped teachers develop skills to support students with special education needs in their classrooms. However, less attention has been given to school principals in building their leadership skills to support inclusive schools. The purpose of this study is to identify the types of special education training that school principals engage in, as well as to explore the day-to-day issues and critical incidents that principals might experience when supporting students with special education needs. An exploratory study involving interviews with 15 principals and five other educational stakeholders in four school boards was employed to examine the related research questions. Five key themes emerged from the analysis of the interviews, including personal values in shaping inclusive school culture; variety in professional learning experiences; similarities in day-to-day experiences and the importance of being accessible for students and staff; the importance of leadership in fostering inclusive school culture; and the effect of critical incidents in shaping principals’ leadership roles. These themes are examined in light of the literature contending that school leaders are central to the shaping of inclusive school cultures

Special Education Needs and Disabilities in Secondary Education (Canada)

Canada is at an important crossroads around lower and upper secondary school students with special education needs (SEN). Research indicates that significant progress has occurred in school inclusion but there are significant, ongoing challenges. Examples of Canadian research include: case studies focusing on students with SEN in diverse lower and upper secondary schools (Stegemann and Aucoin 2018) how new teachers come to understand inclusion (Specht 2016) how learning disabilities are identified and supported (Stegemann 2016) supporting students with SEN, such as those with autism spectrum disorder (Maich and Hall 2016) the use of assistive technology to support all students (Sider and Maich 2014) mental health supports in Canadian secondary schools (Kutcher, Bagnell, and Wei 2015) school leadership practices to support inclusion (Sider, Maich, and Morvan 2017). Inclusion and equity are seen as important aspects of the social fabric in Canada but gaps in support for those with mental health concerns as well as for indigenous students point to a different reality. Limited specific research and a lacking federal vision for inclusive education means that those in indigenous, rural and/or northern communities, or others such as newcomers to Canada cannot always access services. Although research has led to significant changes in inclusive education policies and programs, impactful work needs to continue

What’s BEFORE the iPad®? Teaching Basic Prerequisite Skills for iPad® Use

Assistive technology, such as that available in an iPad®, have increasingly been used to support learning for all students and particularly for those with special education needs. The purpose of this article is to consider the prerequisite skills required for effective iPad® use. The effective integration of assistive technologies, from technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge perspectives is an important theoretical framework. From a Universal Design for Learning perspective, we consider how new skills can be taught and how task analysis is a critical part of the process. A review of suggested apps for prerequisite skills, such as cause and effect, tap, drag, and swipe, is included as are considerations for Individual Education Plans. An authentic case anecdote is provided to illustrate the ways in which prerequisite skills can be addressed. The conclusion integrates the scholarly literature on teaching and assistive technology

Making the Unknown or Invisible Accessible: The Collaborative Development of Inclusion-Focused Open-Access Case Studies for Principals and Other School Leaders

Gaps between research and practice exist in the field of inclusive and special education, especially around school-based leadership (e.g., principals). Research-based case studies are a way to teach and learn about disability, especially stigmatized issues such invisible disability (e.g,. intellectual disability), which may be complex with multiple stakeholders, yet difficult to access. This article reviews the collaborative process of developing and disseminating authentic case studies built on lived experiences of school principals as an example of bridging the gap between research and practice with multiple, engaging knowledge mobilization activities. Future knowledge mobilization activities, such as the development of interactive, online case-based based learning around inclusive classrooms and schools, are discussed

Self-determination and inclusion: The role of Canadian principals in catalysing inclusive-positive practices

While the placement of students with complex learning needs in Canadian classrooms may be mandated in policy, the development of inclusive-positive practices requires direct, and at times delicate, support and encouragement from principal teams. Without genuine engagement and buy-in from teachers and school staff, students in inclusive classrooms may not find meaningful opportunities in those spaces. Often, it falls on principals to be leaders of attitudes and practices so that inclusive school communities can thrive. Fortunately, the framework of self-determination theory provides a path by which principals can catalyse attitudinal changes (autonomy), best practices (competences), and enriched community relationships (relatedness). This study includes the questionnaire responses of 275 principals (and vice principals) from six provinces in Canada. Of those 275 participants, 46 principals also participated in interviews. The findings of this study suggest that affecting attitudinal changes requires specific and comprehensive practices. Principals also need to model inclusive-positive attitudes in their behaviour and practice. Finally, the careful curation and maintenance of relationships is a necessary for the well-being of the school communities. Implications for principal practice and school well-being are included