Principals’ Perceptions of Quality Inclusion in Pre-K Programs
Date of Conferral
10-12-2023
Degree
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
School
Education
Advisor
Ella Benson
Abstract
Administrators play a key role in establishing learning structures that impact student learning from the earliest developmental stages. Throughout the northeastern region of the United States, elementary schools continuously assess the quality of student-teacher interactions to evaluate students’ developmental progress. The problem identified in this study was that in the northeastern region of the United States, atypically and typically developing students in pre-K inclusion programs are not exiting pre-K with the developmental skills required for kindergarten. Framed with Burns’s theory of transformational leadership, the purpose of this basic qualitative project study was to examine the perceptions of elementary school principals about inclusion in pre-K classrooms and the instructional and structural supports needed for teachers of pre-K children in inclusive settings in the northeastern region of the United States. Audio-recorded, semistructured interviews were conducted with five elementary school principals with special education and general education programs throughout the northeastern region. Open coding was used to analyze interview data, resulting in categories and themes. The results suggested that elementary school principals with pre-K inclusion programs inconsistently perceive their role as one of influence, often relying on personalized decision-making norms when considering instructional and structural resources for inclusive classrooms. Based on these findings, a 3 day professional development was designed to assist principals in understanding how systematic structures contribute to the quality of inclusive pre-K programs. Social change may occur over time as principals adopt research-based systemic structures, which are informed, intentional, and promote lifelong learning norms in diverse classrooms.
Recommended Citation
Alexander, Demetrius, "Principals’ Perceptions of Quality Inclusion in Pre-K Programs" (2023). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 14952.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/14952
