Fostering an Inclusive Leadership Team: A Critical Ethnography of a Learning Support Team for Students with Severe Intellectual Disabilities

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dc.contributor.advisorKowch, Eugene
dc.contributor.authorMooney, Laura Rae
dc.contributor.committeememberLashewicz, Bonnie
dc.contributor.committeememberLock, Jennifer
dc.contributor.committeememberScott, Shelleyann
dc.contributor.committeememberSpecht, Jacqueline
dc.date2021-11
dc.date.accessioned2021-09-22T16:54:04Z
dc.date.available2021-09-22T16:54:04Z
dc.date.issued2021-09
dc.description.abstractHigh school principals grapple with how to effectively reform the bureaucratic and social culture of their schools to be more inclusive of students with severe intellectual disabilities while also maintaining high standards of academic excellence for all students. There is a paucity of scholarship examining leadership from within an inclusive learning support team (LST) for high school students with severe intellectual disabilities. The purpose of this study was to describe how a learning support team informs inclusive leadership practice. The researcher studied learning support team members from one Alberta school and district, including a director of learning, a learning support specialist, a high school principal, a learning support teacher, two secondary teachers and two education assistants. The inquiry was guided by this research question: How does a learning support team for high school students with severe intellectual disabilities inform inclusive leadership practice? A critical ethnography approach was taken and involved both observations and interviews, with a systems analysis of the findings informing concepts like teamwork and the distribution of power among the learning support team. The resulting model for fostering an inclusive leadership team provides guidance for school leader teams in similar contexts when including students with severe intellectual disabilities. Specifically, the model emphasizes the need for a coherent relationship between the classroom, school leadership and district leadership teams so together they can: (1) make curriculum connections for students; (2) provide reflective practice opportunities for staff; (3) integrate teamwork into professional development activities; (4) innovate high school instruction to be more inclusive of this population of students; and (5) develop more inclusive policy directions. Conclusions point to a need for modified curriculum development at the high school level and collaborative professional development among principals, teachers, and education assistants.en_US
dc.identifier.citationMooney, L. R. (2021). Fostering an Inclusive Leadership Team: A Critical Ethnography of a Learning Support Team for Students with Severe Intellectual Disabilities (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/39240
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1880/113923
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisher.facultyWerklund School of Educationen_US
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.en_US
dc.subjectcollaborationen_US
dc.subjectcritical ethnographyen_US
dc.subjecteducational leadershipen_US
dc.subjecthigh school reformen_US
dc.subjectinclusive educationen_US
dc.subjectlearning support teamen_US
dc.subjectsevere intellectual disabilityen_US
dc.subjectteamworken_US
dc.subject.classificationEducationen_US
dc.subject.classificationEducation--Administrationen_US
dc.subject.classificationEducation--Curriculum and Instructionen_US
dc.subject.classificationEducation--Secondaryen_US
dc.subject.classificationEducation--Specialen_US
dc.subject.classificationEducation--Teacher Trainingen_US
dc.subject.classificationEducationen_US
dc.titleFostering an Inclusive Leadership Team: A Critical Ethnography of a Learning Support Team for Students with Severe Intellectual Disabilitiesen_US
dc.typedoctoral thesisen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineEducation Graduate Program – Educational Researchen_US
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgaryen_US
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophy (PhD)en_US
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrueen_US
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