Leadership for Inclusive Practices: Supporting Students Who Have Experienced Trauma

• Main Author: Choquette, Beth N.
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Boston College 2020
• Subjects: Inclusive Practices; MTSS; Social Justice Leadership; Tiered Supports; Trauma
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2345/bc-ir:108783

Thesis advisor: Lauri Johnson === For students who have experienced trauma, to succeed academically and feel that their social/emotional needs are being met, district and school leaders must create inclusive environments where students feel welcome, taken care of, and safe. This qualitative case study, part of a larger group study of inclusive leadership practices, examined how district and school leaders in a Massachusetts public school district provided an inclusive environment for students who have experienced trauma. The study utilized a qualitative case study design which included 24 semi-structured interviews of district and school leaders and a focus group with six teachers. Findings indicated that district and school leaders help foster a shared vision for inclusive practices by creating structures that can support the needs of students and by providing teachers with the support and training they need to support all students. Inclusive leaders created culture, provided resources, and allowed opportunities for professional development and training that aligned with the framework and cornerstones of social justice leadership (Theoharis, 2009). Implications indicate that district and school leaders have an opportunity to provide equal access, equity, and social justice for all students by assessing current practices in place, identifying areas for growth, and believing in a vision and mission where all students have the right to be educated in an inclusive environment. === Thesis (EdD) — Boston College, 2020. === Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. === Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.