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Syracuse University SURFACE Dissertations - ALL SURFACE 5-13-2018 Inclusive Education in Practice: District-Level Special Education Administrators' Leadership Chelsea P. Tracy-Bronson Syracuse University Follow this and additional works at: https://surface.edu/etd Part of the Education Commons Recommended Citation Tracy-Bronson, Chelsea P., "Inclusive Education in Practice: District-Level Special Education Administrators' Leadership" (2018).edu/etd/880 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the SURFACE at SURFACE. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations - ALL by an authorized administrator of SURFACE. For more information, please contact surface@syr.

ABSTRACT Considering six million children ages six through 21 receive special education services in the United States (Department of Education, 2017), it is critical to examine the leadership it takes to provide equitable education to students with disabilities. This study employs a qualitative research methodology utilizing in-depth interviewing to understand the leadership experiences of seven district-level special education administrators who are committed to enacting inclusive educational practices using the following three paradigms or ideological approaches: phenomenological perspective, social construction perspective, and transformative inquiry. The following research questions guide this dissertation: 1) How do district-level special education leaders articulate their conceptualization of and commitment to inclusive education? 2) What strategies of advocacy are evident in the ways that district-level special education leaders make sense of their enactment of inclusive educational opportunities and service delivery for students with disabilities? 3) What actions and decisions have district-level special education leaders implemented in order to remain committed to their district’s enactment of inclusive education? A philosophical approach of inclusive education and theoretical frameworks of social justice leadership and disability studies in education provide the analysis lens in which to understand participants’ resistive actions and leadership practices. The data were analyzed using NVIVO, a digital research software, followed by hand-coding, analytic memos, and member checks.

Data demonstrated that participants’ drive for inclusive educational practices stemmed from family experiences or a poignant career event. Another finding was participants’ work in the field of inclusive education was an intentional social justice action to prepare students with and without disabilities to engage in the larger inclusive society. In addition, themes emerged in the data that demonstrate advocacy strategies linked to: 1) personal leadership disposition; 2) 2 advocacy for students with disabilities; 3) capacity building; and 4) actions. Finally, themes demonstrated that leaders worked toward improvement through: 1) an emphasis on the growth process; 2) connectedness with community; and, 3) compliance with legal regulations.

I conclude by discussing social justice leadership, advocacy tactics, and district practices that participants have implemented and describe implications for administrator preparation, teacher preparation, and state and federal policy. I propose a theory of inclusive education leadership that illuminates the process for creating systems change at the district level that involves praxis and critical reflection. It is my hope that participants’ subtle resistive tactics, incremental changes, and methods to set innovative district norms provide an exemplar for leaders who feel called and have an opportunity to enact inclusive educational services with a vision of constructing public school districts that seek to educate and include all learners. 3 INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN PRACTICE: DISTRICT-LEVEL SPECIAL EDUCATION ADMINISTRATORS’ LEADERSHIP By Chelsea P., Syracuse University, 2014 Dissertation Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Special Education Syracuse University May 2018 4 Copyright © Chelsea Page Tracy-Bronson 2018 All Rights Reserved 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I have the deepest gratitude for the individuals in my personal, teaching, consultant, and academic spheres who have shared this doctoral journey with me.

This work grows out of the experiences I have had throughout my career that have spanned the many aspects of inclusive schooling and are sprinkled throughout this work. I am appreciative of the district-level leaders who participated in this research. It is through your stories and experiences of cultivating district inclusive education that other educational leaders can understand the advocacy and practices needed to make this a reality across the country. Several mentors have shaped my thinking about inclusive education, inclusive school reform, leadership for inclusive education, and designing accessible curriculum.

I am incredibly grateful for my Syracuse University dissertation committee members who believed in me and who planted the seeds of inspiration for this work. Julie Causton, whose work was infused into every lesson in my classrooms in both New York City and Upstate New York. Your vision has been the inspiring force behind so much of what I have accomplished and, more importantly, the ways I make an impact in the field of inclusive education. I am blessed that such a mentor has transformed into my co-author and collaborative colleague—let alone a true friend! George Theoharis always demonstrated that a compassionate disposition is the key ingredient for any leadership recipe.

Your work in leading inclusive schools has strongly influenced and made a lasting impact on the direction of my scholarly contributions. Christy Ashby who stressed the importance of access and communication for students with disabilities and modeled incorporating disability studies into inclusive education teacher preparation has empowered me. Your mentorship and strong feedback has been remarkable throughout my journey. I hope you know, Julie, George, and Christy, the impact that you have had on my life.

To know that you v 6 each value and respect my research and this final stage of the PhD means the most to me! I hope to follow in your paths with my own Scholarship in Action. I do not take this gift lightly, for “with great power comes great responsibility.” I am ready to stand alongside the Syracuse University greats and use this gift to enact and lead the next wave of inclusive education. Thank you to my colleagues at Syracuse University for your continued support during the writing of this dissertation—Michelle Damiani, Eun Young Jung, and Kate MacLeod—and during the earlier stages of my graduate degree—Danielle Cowley, Jessica Bacon, Fernanda Orsati, Carrie Rood Gotham, Casey Woodfield, and Melanie Carroll. Thank you to my colleagues at Stockton University.

A special thank you to the top-notch mentorship of Mary Lou Galantino, Shelly Meyers, and Kimberly Lebak. I wish to also thank Claudine Keenan, John Gray, Pamela Vaughan, Priti Haria, Susan Cydis, Lois Spitzer, Darrell Cleveland, Norma Boakes, John Quinn, Ron Caro, Ron Tinsley, Doug Harvey, Meg White, George Sharp, Merydawilda Colon, Stacey Culleny, Amy Ackerman, Jung Lee, and Kate Juliani. Your advice, encouragement, and constructive feedback during this process of completing this Ph. has been valuable.

I am grateful for my students and families from Syracuse, Owego-Apalachin, NYC, and NJ—the experts who taught me the true meaning of inclusion in schools and communities. I wish to acknowledge my first students who helped me conceptualize inclusive education. Quin taught me that the best teachers are compassionate and deeply embedded into the lives of our students. Michael convinced me that facilitating social interdependence is gift that does not stop giving.

I am also especially grateful to James, Tyler, Neleah, Camryn, Shantell, Maylee, Aaliyah, Emma, Amber, Hunter, Adam, Ella, and Mikayla who taught me to think and teach in different ways, create exciting learning experiences, and to be passionate about teaching. To vi 7 Mark, Julia, Gabi, Juliana, Tara, Grace, Sabrina, Kevin, Eric, and Yuvika—may we continue to collaborate with your administrative team and transform educational structures so that you can be fully included in your neighborhood districts! This work started with all of you, my students, who taught me that passionate inclusive educators and leaders can truly change lives and make a difference. The findings from this research were enacted as I collaborated with incredible administrators in inclusive school reform partnerships. These colleagues are creating inclusive opportunities in their districts for all students—Alyson Nechamkin, Eric Siegel, Vanessa Jones, Hector Alvarez, Meg Pribyl, and Sylvia Zircher—and are using the tactics, strategies, and practices within this dissertation study.

May we continue our work in inclusive education! I am fortunate to have had incredibly loving support of family and best friends to cheer me on during my entire Ph. I am appreciative of my mom and dad who have encouraged me to chase my wildest dream and supported me personally, academically, and in business. You have modeled that family comes first and with that, given me wings to soar in my own life. Your daily love, holiday meals, and family vacations have shaped and left footprints in my heart! Heith, Holly, and Lillyanna have been constant loving and caring souls.

Heith, your willingness to pursue your business has been nothing short of astonishing to watch, and this has reminded me the importance of doing my life’s work. Holly, you are my fun-loving, fantastic sister-in-law, not to mention an amazing wife and mom for your family. Inga, my wiser sister, thank you for being my biggest fan, being a strong exemplar of an independent woman paving the way on the corporate ladder and in business, and giving the sweetest meaningful toast at our doctoral celebration. Thank you to my extended family of the best group of cousins, little cousins, aunts, and uncles who have relentlessly cheered for me.

Thank you to my best friends, vii 8 Aaryn, Erin, and Katie for your compassion, interest, and fierce love. Thank you to J. for waiting for me, supporting me, and loving me during this journey. I am thankful for the sense of adventure that fills our life.

There are no words to accurately express how grateful I am for you, but I do know that I am beyond excited for the next chapter of our life. I love you! Your love has been the anchor for my soul through the waves and the wind of this Ph.! viii 9 TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………………i Title Page…………………………………………………………………………………….iii Copyright Page………………………………………………………………………………….v Table of Contents…………………………………………………………………………………ix List of Illustrative Materials.x Chapter 1: Introduction……………………………………………………………………………1 Chapter 2: Literature Review: Promising Practices in Leadership for Inclusive Education…….27 Chapter 3: Methodology…………………………………………………………………………72 Chapter 4: Leaders’ Commitment to Inclusive Educational Practices…………………………133 Chapter 5: Leaders’ Moments of Advocacy to Enact Inclusive Educational Practices……….146 Chapter 6: District Policy Leaders’ Construct to Sustain Inclusive Educational Practices…….212 Chapter 7: Conclusion: Toward District-level Leadership for Inclusive Education……………254 Appendices .……………………………………………………………………………………281 References………………………………………………………………………………………348 Curriculum Vitae……………………………………………………………………………….378 ix 10 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIVE MATERIALS LIST OF TABLES Table 3.1: Paradigms and Ideological Approaches………………………………………………80 Table 3.3: Selection Criteria of Leaders…………………………………………………….5: District Demographics………………………………………………………………128 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.1: Educational Environments for Students Ages 6-21 served under IDEA, Part B……10 Figure 2.1: Literature Review……………………………………………………………………30 Figure 3.1: History of Study Graphic……………………………………………………………83 Figure 3.2: Recruitment Strategies Graphic…………………………………………………….3: Visual Data Representation……………………………………………………….4: Social Justice Findings…………………………………………………………….6: District Practice Findings……………………….8: Data Collection and Analysis………………………………………………………123 Figure 4.1: Leaders’ Commitment to Inclusive Educational Practices…………………………134 Figure 5.1: Complex Advocacy Tactics……………………………………………………….2: Advocacy Tactics Themes and Sub-Themes……………………………………….1: District Practices and Procedures ………………………………………………….1: District-Level Inclusive School Leadership ……………………………………….2 Praxis Process Used to Create Inclusive Districts ………………………………….271 LIST OF APPENDICIES Appendix 3. National and Regional Organizations………………………. Inclusion Survey-Praisner Original………………………….

Description of Survey Changes…………………………………………………309 Appendix 3. Inclusion Survey-Praisner-Modified for District-Level Administrators……. Recruitment Screen Procedure………………………………………………. Interview 1: Recruitment Screening Protocol…………………………………317 Appendix 3.

Interview 2: Categories and Questions Protocol………………………………319 Appendix 3. Interview 3: Open Conversation, Clarification, and Member Check Protocol. Researcher’s Memo……………………………………………………………327 Appendix 3. Researcher’s Memo……………………………………………………………328 Appendix 3.…329 xi 1 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Inclusive education means that students with and without disabilities have full-time membership and access to learning in heterogeneous general education classrooms within their neighborhood districts.

In school districts where administrators have adopted inclusion, leaders explicitly focus on establishing a sense of belonging, participation, social interactions, and progress in academics for all learners. Inclusive education relies on collaborative teaching between special and general educators, such that learning experiences, materials, accommodations, and modifications meet the needs of every student. Implementing it requires administrators to value diversity, differences, and disabilities as well as analyzing structural inequities. Administrators in inclusive districts make organizational decisions to ensure students districts might otherwise marginalize have access to learning in grade-level classrooms, special area subjects, friendships with general education peers, and recreational opportunities.

Inclusive education involves administrators interrogating and adjusting practices and structures to include all learners (Causton-Theoharis, Theoharis, Bull, Cosier, & Dempf-Aldrich, 2011; DeMatthews & Mawhinney, 2014; Theoharis, Causton, & Tracy-Bronson, 2016).