Final Research Paper

Introduction
The attitudes that school principals at the elementary level have towards the inclusion of
learners with disabilities directly impact the success and well-being of these children. Principals
with positive involvements with learners with disabilities and broad interaction with concepts
related to special accommodations and education tend to have positive attitudes towards
inclusion. Besides, such students are likely to recognize the needs of learners with disabilities
better, thus enhancing the likelihood that they will create a less restrictive learning environment
for students with disabilities. This paper explores the impact of inclusionary practices on the
attitudes that principals have towards learners with disabilities. It also explores how a principal’s
positive experiences with diverse learners with disabilities affect their interaction with students.
Research Section
Scientific evidence
In the study, the researcher wanted to find out the attitudes of principals at the elementary
level towards the inclusion of leaners with severe disabilities. The aim was to establish the
relationship between training, personal characteristics, school characteristics and experiences
that shape a principal’s attitudes toward inclusion. In the study, a sample of 408 elementary
school principals was selected using the random sampling technique (Praisner, 2003). They were
all from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The principals were from schools that only enroll
elementary level students. Most principals reported that in their schools, about 6%-10% of the
student population was made up of students with disabilities (Praisner, 2003).

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The researcher designed the principals and Inclusion survey (PIS), an instrument that was
used in collecting the data. The tool was used to collect data that would help the researcher
identify the extent to which a principal’s attitudes were related to factors such as experience,
training, and programs offered within a school. The instrument ad four sections; one required the
respondents to fill in data on demographics, the second section asked for information on training
and experience, and then attitudes towards inclusion, and respondents’ beliefs about appropriate
placements were included in the third and fourth sections, respectively.
Unlike what the study hypothesized, in the findings, the author found no relationship
between a principal’s experiences with children with disabilities and attitudes towards inclusion.
The years of experience a principal has interacted with students either at elementary schools,
special education classrooms or in the administration of regular classrooms had no connection
with their attitudes towards students with disabilities. Experience does not play any role in
shaping the attitudes of principals. However, the experience was found to affect a principal
placement decision. Positive experiences with the least restrictive placements made principals
place students in such environments more often because they found them useful in facilitating
learning for the individual learner.
Relevance of findings
The author found that the behavior and perceptions of the principal directly influence
placement decisions. This is despite the fact that there is an IEP team that is mandated to assess
and make placement decisions appropriately based on the specific needs of students. In the week
two Video, Amanda Morin, a parent advocate, states that an IEP refers to an Individualized
Education Program. She states that an IEP may include a complex change in the structure, such
as placing a student in a special education classroom because they cannot fit in a regular

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classroom (What Is an IEP? | Individualized Education Program Explained, 2021). It may also
entail taking the student for extra lessons outside normal classroom programs to reinforce their
understanding. IEP may include small adjustments such as accommodations. These may include
a change in a student’s sitting position in class, change in the instructional technique or even
providing a student with eyeglasses. All these are aimed at enhancing instruction, and a principal
is indirectly involved in one way or another. Positive attitudes towards inclusion will ensure that
the principal is in support of these accommodations.
Further, for the implementation of inclusion to be successful, support from the principal
is necessary. The author found that a principal with a more positive attitude towards inclusion is
more likely to support the placement of students with disabilities within the least restrictive
environments. Therefore, given the impact that attitudes among principals have on the
implementation of inclusion and in the placement of learners with disabilities, then it is
important for the programs aimed at enhancing administrators’ skills to be inclusive of attitudes
and attitude development training. Good training can make a whole difference in the lives of
students with disabilities.
Opinion
The findings of the study are useful in shaping the implementation of programs meant for
students with disabilities. I found the article useful in helping principals identify factors that
influence their decisions when dealing with students with disabilities, as this is necessary for
ensuring that they support these learners. Praisner (2003) notes that principals are called into
engaging in training and professional development to enhance their understanding of the needs
of students with disabilities and know how to collaborate with other stakeholders to ensure that
every learner is placed in the least restrictive learning environment. I find the article useful in

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enabling principals to take advantage of available opportunities to model teacher and
administrator behaviors in the development of inclusive settings. Further, principals deserve the
support of directors of special education within their districts in making decisions on how to
enhance the experiences of students with disabilities through inclusion and appropriate
placement. Inclusion can also sometimes be costly as it entails having resources to support the
different programs being taken by different learners. Some accommodations are also expensive.
For instance, providing tape recorders for students with hearing impairments or making
accommodations for audio reading materials for learners who are auditory learners. According
to Praisner (2003), it is important to provide the learner with an environment that is least
restrictive. Thus, I find it better to provide accommodations for needy students and allow them to
still remain in a regular classroom instead of taking them away to a special classroom.
Summation
Overall, principals play a central role in the success or failure of special education
programs within their schools. Although the decisions on placement are made by an IEP
committee, the principal influences the decisions made and the outcome. As such, the article
explored in the paper demonstrates the importance of having well-prepared individuals take on
the role of principals in elementary schools as they affect the success and comfort of leaners with
special needs in schools. As explained in the paper, administrator preparation programs and in-
service training should include skills on how to enhance inclusion within schools. Inclusion
should be part of the curriculum as this will help ensure that every principal plays their role well
in fostering inclusion within the schools that they lead.

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References

Praisner, C. L. (2003). Attitudes of elementary school principals toward the inclusion of students
with disabilities. Exceptional children, 69(2), 135-145.
What Is an IEP? | Individualized Education Program Explained. (2021). What Is an IEP? |
Individualized Education Program Explained. Youtube.com. Retrieved 18 November
2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGYO9XWhI2Y.