How can school leaders prepare for the changes required to create inclusive school environments?

Page 5: Establish a Sense of Urgency

The first step toward building an inclusive environment is to establish a sense of urgency––to help school staff embrace the need for change on both a rational and an emotional level. When establishing a sense of urgency school leaders need to:

• • Help staff recognize the need for change
  • Identify barriers to creating a sense of urgency

Recognize the Need for Change

Principals can help staff recognize the need for change by 1) presenting them with data, 2) highlighting realities currently facing the school, and 3) encouraging self-reflection. A rule of thumb is that 80% of any presentation should address why the school needs to change and only 20% should address how to achieve that change.

Present data

To establish a sense of urgency, principals might find it helpful to present current school data to confirm or support a need for school change. Three possible organizing questions and the data that can be used to support them are in the table below.

Who are we?		Student demographic data
How are we doing compared to others? How are we doing compared to others like us?		Data in areas such as academics, discipline referrals, attendance, or parental involvement

Highlight current realities

To establish a sense of urgency for staff not yet convinced that changes are needed (and to strengthen the sense of urgency for those who are convinced), principals may need to highlight current realities facing their school. Principals should point out that ignoring current realities may create a potential crisis (e.g., not meeting AYP, rising discipline referrals) and that making the desired change may help the school avoid such a crisis.

Elaine Mulligan discusses two current realities faced by schools that often create a sense of urgency (time: 0:52).

Encourage self-reflection

Principals can help staff recognize the need for change by asking them to reflect on and honestly answer questions about their school, such as:

• Do you believe that every student has the ability to grow and learn?
• Are all students, including those with disabilities and with diverse cultural or linguistic needs, integral members of the learning community? If so, in what ways do all students benefit?
• Do all teachers embrace a shared philosophy in which all members of the learning community (students, parents, and staff alike) are valued? If so, in what ways do all teachers benefit?
• Are we preparing all of our students to be college- or career-ready?

Barriers to Creating a Sense of Urgency

As part of their effort to foster a sense of urgency, principals should identify and discuss with their staff what beliefs, ideas, and practices might hinder the change effort. Some principals conduct informal surveys to identify the current beliefs, ideas, and practices of the staff. Through these data, principals can make themselves aware of barriers to creating a sense of urgency about inclusion. These may include:

• Low expectations and standards for students, especially those with disabilities and English learners. The existence of this barrier is supported by a study conducted by America’s Promise Alliance, which found that more than two-thirds of high-school teachers surveyed do not believe that all students can meet high academic standards.
• Teachers’ belief that student’s ability to learn is innate and fixed and, therefore, cannot improve as a result of hard work and effort. This mindset often leads to teachers’ low expectations for students’ performance.
• General education teachers’ belief that they cannot adequately meet the needs of all students, especially those who require additional supports
• Teachers’ belief that they are only responsible for students in their own classrooms
• Teachers’ negative attitudes about inclusion
• The perception that there is insufficient time or resources to make changes

Resistance, reluctance, and skepticism are normal and predictable reactions to any kind of major change effort in a school. And though these forms of opposition might seem like significant barriers, principals can actually use them to their advantage. In general, principals should confront resisters in a straightforward, timely, and respectful manner; approach them about their concerns in a non-threatening way; and ask them for ideas about resolving the concerns they have with the change effort. Some prevailing myths related to educating students with disabilities in the general education classroom often serve as barriers to change. Principals who have the facts are prepared to dispel myths. Click on each myth below to learn the facts.

Adapted from NIUSI, Misperceptions About Inclusive Schools and The Handbook of Inclusive Education for Educators, Administrators, and Planners: Within Walls, Without Boundaries (2004).

Matt Montoya created an inclusive school environment at Pima Butte Elementary School. Listen as he talks about the barriers he experienced trying to create a sense of urgency (time: 0:51).