Date

4-2021

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (EdD)

Chair

Jeff Rector

Keywords

Inclusion, Principal, Special Education, Assistant Principal, Opinions

Disciplines

Education | Educational Administration and Supervision | Educational Leadership

Abstract

Past research has shown a relationship between individuals’ attitudes and their intentions to act. The attitudes of principals and assistant principals can impact the implementation of inclusion in the public school setting. This predictive correlational study used multiple regression to analyze the linear relationship between the opinions about inclusion and the factors of administrative assignment, school level, administrative experience, special education endorsement, gender, percentage of minority students served, percentage of students served identified as economically disadvantaged, and percentage of students served identified with a disability. The sample included 104 elementary and middle school principals and assistant principals representing 26 Virginia school divisions. Administrator opinions were measured by completion of the Opinions Relative to Integration of Students with Disabilities (ORI). Data analysis revealed the percent of the variance is explained by the linear combination of the eight predictor variables was not statistically significant. Examination of the partial correlations for each predictor variable revealed that only the condition of holding a special education endorsement or not made a unique contribution to explaining the score on the ORI. Suggestions for future research include replicate the study in more Virginia divisions or other states, expand the study to include qualitative components, or expand the scope of the study to include other administrative roles, instrumentation, or theoretical constructs.

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