Leadership And Achievement

Leadership and Achievement 1

Leadership and Achievement

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Leadership and Achievement 2

Leadership and Achievement

Part2

It’s plain truth that leadership in the education sector has played an important role in helping

children with SEN/Ds. The mission and vision of every school leadership to take their students

from where they are right now and take them to their dreams and goals (SciencePG, 2012). Same

to education, leadership is the one to help students achieve their goals.

The government and other non-governmental organizations have invested much funds and time

in leadership to ensure the education sector has advanced. The government has put up leadership

training colleges to ensure highly qualified teachers are in school. For example, in England, they

have put in place training programs for teachers by constructing colleges to teach purely school

leadership. Besides knowledge impacted into the students in the classroom, school leadership is

of secondary importance. According to the researchers, of the students administered with good

knowledge, a higher percentage of them will always excel in their studies (Whelan, 2009:78).

Good leadership in schools always comes by understanding the environment and specific role

they will be playing in school. And it’s very important for leaders in schools to be able to

understand the context in which they are leading in schools. For example, they should understand

the type of school behavior and also know the reasons behind it. In addition to that, the school

leaders should also be able to know how matters are conducted in schools, analyze social

alienations, cultural and also the procedures of running the institution in order learning may go

on well. There is key roles leadership serves to ensure the education sector goes on well.

Types of leadership models

First, there is the adaptive leadership. This is a leadership in schools which focus on leadership

as a practice which will be used in situations where there are no solutions (Australian Public

Service Commission, 2017). When using this type of leadership model, there are some rules to

be followed. That is, in this leadership, a leadership will have to observe patterns and events and

take data without making any assumptions about the data’s meaning or forming judgments. And

finally, one will have to design interventions based on the observations and final the leader will

have to make progress on the adaptive challenge. This leadership is very vital in schools

especially when a problem has occurred which the action taken by one person can influence the

others.

Secondly, there is the authoritative leadership. This type of leadership is usually exemplified

when school leader dictates procedures and also policies, and he decides the kind of goals that

need to be achieved in the class or school. Moreover, in this leadership model, the teacher has

full control of the students. This type of leadership is very important in schools because the

students always have some respect for the teacher because he is the one who controls everything

Leadership and Achievement 3

and gives the instructions. The school will always run in order; the head teacher will be above

the other teachers and the class teacher rule the class.

Another leadership model that is very important in schools is the team leader. This type of

leadership involves someone providing direction or instructions in schools because of the

purpose of achieving a goal. The one who is chosen to be the team leader reports to the one

above him above till it reaches the overall head of the school. This model is very important in the

education sector, in that when the students in class want to achieve a particular goal, they choose

a team leader who will be able to lead them, same with the teachers.

Conditions Associated with the Success of a School

In a study conducted by Christopher Chapman et al (2012), they were able to highlight some of

the conditions that lead to a school’s progress and the standards of leadership that assist to foster

these operational terms. The first condition was culture and ethos. In this condition, the school

leaders put all their manpower in the learning of each and every student. This condition is also

characterized by the involvement of teachers even in the student’s personal life. The second

condition was practiced. The condition promotes all round excellence in a student’s performance.

From this study, there was a difference in practice from one school to the other. The common

factor in this condition was the togetherness of staff members in regard to their students.

Structure and systems were the third conditions. The conclusion drawn from this condition was

that the schools had well-defined structure systems that could accommodate any learning

challenge including children with special needs and disabilities. The fourth condition was

leadership and management. School leaders were happy with how they manage their schools and

how they are able to meet different cultures brought about by their students (Chapman et al.,

2010).

However, these conditions are not a representation of every school. The atmosphere in a school

influences a child’s learning ability. It is important for schools to adopt diversity since they are

the pillars of the society. A child’s disability does not make them any different from their peers

in terms of achievement. Exclusion of these students causes them not to reach their level of

performance ability, hence placing them in the role of societal outcasts. In a report from Ofsted

(2010), it is stated that those students who come from backgrounds that are not stable are more

prone to exclusion from school. Hence, they eventually perform lower as compared to their

counterparts. The saddening part in all this is that, even with the exposure the society has to the

disabled and special needs children, nothing much is changing. The story still remains the same.

School leaders need to realize that they play the biggest role in bringing about change. However,

the government needs to place more effort in giving these students a standing in the society.

Schools need to implement many improved structures that will not only support the SEN/D

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students but also give them an equal platform to compete with their peers. This will help greatly

aid them in reaching their full potential.

Societal Contributions on a Student's Achievement

The society plays a big role in the performance of a child in school. The government is at a place

where it is fighting for the SEN/D's rights. However, despite the efforts being made by the

government to include the special needs and disabled children in mainstream schools, these

children are still being excluded in the society. It is stated in the Lamb inquiry (2009) that,

children in the special needs group are nearly eight times more prone to exclusion in their

learning activities than their peers are. So where does this issue arise from and how can it be

rectified? It is recommended to adopt the social model as a mechanism to solve this issue. The

social model involves changing the school's structure, to accommodate all types of children with

special needs. The prestige of any school is in its performance. No one disagrees with this since

children go to school to learn and be the best they can in the society. The problem arises in cases

where schools put more effort in their performance and their place in the society, that they

disregard the inclusion of SEN/D. Without inclusion, these children continue to perform poorly.

This norm is however not found in all schools. Some schools have a system that encourages the

inclusion of special needs students and provides a platform in which these students can thrive.

The society has sung the slogan that, ‘disability is not inability' for so long. However, few people

put this to heart, and the society still views the SEN/D as a pariah. Changing this mentality is not

easy. This is especially so in schools which face external pressure from parents and the society at

large. Nevertheless, a change can come about if the beliefs and mentality of people change.

Relationship between Culture and Leadership

A person's culture determines their view points and how they lead. Therefore, an individual's

decision making can be influenced by the cultural norm in the institution. This often at times act

as a hindrance to change. On the other hand, a school may decide to adopt a much new culture

where they are inclusive of the special needs children and those also with disabilities. Culture

change can happen if the leaders are more open to newer things. That is why it is important for

schools to interact with other schools. Through activities like benchmarking, schools are able to

expose themselves to other school cultures, and this facilitates change. In a study conducted by

Zollers, Ramanathan, and Yu, it was discovered that schools that have adopted successful

inclusion, have some elements in common; funding, collaboration, visionary leaders, revising the

utilization of the various assessments, promoting the staff and learners, involving parents

effectively and adapting curricular practices that come along with instructional exercises.

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Such students need to feel normal in order for them to achieve both in school and in life.

Therefore, the expectations people place on them in regard to education needs to equal that of

their peers. They also need their school leaders to not only encourage them but to believe in

them. There is a clear symbiosis between leadership and achievement. The first step to a more

accepting and accommodating society is with school leaders. In spite of a child's ability or

disability, the world stands together in emphasizing the importance of education. However, the

bigger question is, and still continues to be, where do we place students experiencing additional

needs and disabilities in our education system? Parents also play an important role in this, since

they are the leaders at home. Therefore, the involvement of both teachers, parents and the

government, will give SEN/D an equal fighting chance in the society. A child's achievement is

not in their lack of sight, or voice or even hands. A child's achievement is in their minds. The

government has policies that favor SEN/D by inclusion. This is important for the student's

growth academically and also, it will act as a catalyst in enabling them to fit in socially.

Part 3

The roles of the Senior Teaching Assistant

The senior teaching assistants play a vital role in the education sector especially in children with

SEN/D. The senior teaching assistant supports and progresses pupil’s learning by using detailed

knowledge and specialist skills. Additionally, they help in the development and also in the

implementation of the Education Plans of the children with SEN/Ds. They ensure that every plan

that has been placed is implemented and the necessary requirements are provided.

Moreover, they establish and implement productive working relationships with the pupils, hence

they act as key Worker group of the children with SEN/D’s. They are able to organize the

children well so that they learn comfortably. Additionally, they ensure that acceptance and

inclusion of all the students in the class. That is, all students have equal rights in the class and

there is no one discriminating them.

In addition to that, they encourage the pupils to consistently interact and work together with

others and also ensure that all the students in the school are engaged in all the activities like

competitions in games. They invent ways of ensuring the students are cooperating at all times.

And also they always provide feedback to the children on the way they are progressing in

academics and also in non-curriculum activate.

Additionally, they promote independence among the students and also employ ways and

strategies of recognizing the students who have done well academically and also in other

activities and rewarding them.

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Finally, they support the students always no matter the problem they are facing, and they respond

to their needs as individuals. They are able to know the students facing challenges and find

means of helping them and preventing the problem from facing other children.

The Inclusive Method

Encouraging inclusion in any school has proven to be advantageous for the SEN/D. It is the

responsibility of the teachers and the society, to give these children a fighting chance. I often find

it valuable, not to seclude these children from their peers because it gives them skills in dealing

with the society. As a nation, we may not be where we want to be in terms of inclusion, however,

things are transforming and more schools are accommodating children with disabilities and

special needs. This is in comparison to the earlier centuries, where SEN/D students were placed

in separate educational facilities. The main argument as to why inclusion is very important is due

to the fact that, it enables people to develop appropriate attitudes towards people with SEN/D.

This also helps these children with special needs to be integrated into the community. According

to research conducted, people are able to be more comfortable around SEN/D, when they interact

with them and have information (Konza, 2008, p. 40). In my field of work, I am afforded the

chance to interact with these children. We are able to modify behavior and set a healthy amount

of boundary to improve behavior in accordance to the National Care Standards and Bild.

Through this inclusive method, the students with disabilities have achieved great success, for

example, the students with learning disabilities are performing no differently in mathematics and

reading like those with no disabilities.

Additionally, the students with disabilities are also performing highly in games just like the

students with no disabilities. This is clearly shown in athletics and other games too.

Challenges Facing the Inclusion Model

We are fighting for inclusion of children with disabilities and special needs into our mainstream

schools. However, certain challenges are faced in this inclusion model. In a statement released

by Ron Nelson, who is a Professor and Co-director of the Center for AT-Risk Children’s

services, as a society, we are fighting for inclusion; however, we do not know how to make the

inclusion model work. If implemented effectively, inclusion can assist in the overall achievement

of a student. With a population of 6.5 million students with SEN/D, it is essential to come up

with an effective inclusion model that will help meet their needs individually. Achievement is

brought about by the continuous growth of a student’s performance both education wise and

socially. Some of the other challenges faced when it comes to inclusion is the resistance by some

school leaders in implementing inclusion in their schools. Studies also show that majority of

Leadership and Achievement 7

principals are not prepared when it comes to matters of dealing with special needs children. This

can be caused by lack of any relevant program related with special needs and disabled students.

The reason leaders play a very big role in the achievement of a SEN/D is that, as leaders, we are

responsible for strategy implementation. Policies are changing, with school principals being

called upon to support teachers in developing more inclusive schools hence bridging the

performance gap (Billingsley et al., 2014, p. 6). This is a clear indication on the big

responsibilities school leaders have, in ensuring there is an increase in the performance when it

comes to children who are needy because of their disabilities. It is not easy to implement

successfully an inclusion model in a school. As a school leader, there will always be questions

arising, for example, will too much concentration on SEN/D lower the performance of the

children without disability?. This is an understandable question. One of my roles as a senior

teaching assistant is to liaise with teachers on the progress of pupils in relation to the target we

have set for them. This kind of system helps us keep up with every student. In my role, I am able

to help class teachers in different ways. This sharing of work load helps the concentration of the

performance of each of the student, therefore helping them meet their achievement goal.

It is a tag of war on whether inclusion is good for this special group of students. There is concern

that these students may fail to achieve their best on capabilities in the inclusion model because of

lack of very close attention. On the other hand, experts fear that if these students are separated

from their peers, they may not realize their full potential. In a recent study, it was observed that

students who are placed in inclusive classes perform better than those who are placed in special

needs classes. When brainstorming on this study, I discovered that, in the inclusion model,

students with SEN/D performed better due to the challenge they face in terms of education from

the other students. However, students who are taught in special needs classes do not have the

challenge and drive. They are also handled with kid gloves, therefore, they do not get to exercise

their full achievement potential (Spence, 2010).

Lamb Inquiry

Lamb inquiry is a program that was established as a Government response to the House of

Commons Education ((Lamb Inquiry INTRODUCTION, n.d.). The Lamb Inquiry in the

leadership of Brian Lamb held meetings with parents and this was the one which triggered the

SEN and Disability Information Review in order to provide the required information. The

recommendations given by the Lamb Inquiry suggested a new way of providing information to

the SEN and disability. Lamb Inquiry was established in order to investigate ways and means of

ensuring that parents are confident in the SEN system of assessment.

Leadership and Achievement 8

Recommendation for Future Enhancement in Terms of Achievement and Leadership

Children with disability and special needs should not be discriminated in our society. They play a

detrimental role in the future growth of our society. Their level of achievement is not determined

by any birth defect. Their performance levels and inclusion in schools can be enhanced through;

coming up with a leadership framework. This can be done successfully through the process of

redesigning the all schools' framework and instructional program. Secondly, another

recommendation is setting up direction. Once the direction is in place, there is a need for

developing people. This is mentally preparing people for the implication of the inclusion model

(Edmunds & Macmillan, 2010, p.3).

Based on my research and experience, every child has an equal chance of great achievement if

given the chance. It is reported that the highest number of children who do not attend school

comes from children in this category of special needs and disabilities. The society fails to see the

potential in these children. Therefore, it is the work of leaders both in school and in the

government to give these children a chance at a better education system. Principals may face a

hard challenge in ensuring effective implementation of the inclusion model, nonetheless, it is

their work as leaders both in school and in society to ensure that SEN/D are given a fair chance

as other children without disabilities (Achievement of Students with Disabilities in Inclusive

Classrooms, 2008). To adopt such a change, we all need to change our mind set. Stephen

Hawking is a name that is globally recognized due to his contribution to science. He suffers from

a rare early-onset form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis that has left him paralyzed. Due to this

type of illness, Stephen Hawking has been left disabled. However, this has not stopped this great

man of science from making an unmatched contribution to science. The life of Stephen Hawking

gave me the realization that, as I had earlier stated, ‘disability is not inability.'

The issue of full inclusion will continue to baffle people. Nevertheless, I still believe that if

leaders give this model a chance, it will work to the student's advantage. Look at the life of

Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He served as the U.S. president and during his time of service, this

President was in a wheelchair. These two icons are just but a few people I came across in my

research. However, I believe that caution should be placed when it comes to full inclusion.

Studies show that not all students with disabilities and special needs can go to mainstream

schools. Children with severe cases of special needs and disabilities may need too much attention

that at times may lack in mainstream schools. So the question arises, what is to happen to such

children? Is it okay to just confine them to the special needs schools or would it be healthy to let

them interact with other children? No reasonable conclusion can be drawn for this question. It is

a matter of debate. However, in conclusion, regardless of a child's ability or disability, it is the

role of the leaders both in schools and society, to ensure that they achieve in school and in life.

The atmosphere created in school by principals and other school leaders will create a platform

for the child's achievement. This also applies to the government and parents. The world is

constantly changing and as the world changes, so should we as school leaders. We should have a

Leadership and Achievement 9

mentality that is constantly being renewed. This will enable the successful implementation of

policies that will ensure that our students gain a competitive edge in the market. With the

examples given above of famous people with disabilities, it is a challenge for every person in

leadership position to renew our mentality and realize the destiny of these students is hanging in

the balance and it is our duty to ensure that they achieve to the fullest of their ability and get

equal chances as their fellow students. Good leadership and great achievement in schools go

hand in hand. They are dependent on each other.

References

Adaptive Leadership - APSC. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.apsc.gov.au/publications-and-

media/current-publications/thinking-about-leadership-a-brief-history-of-leadership-

thought/adaptive-leadership

Achievement of Students with Disabilities in Inclusive Classrooms.2008. [Online] Available At

http://www.ernweb.com/educational-research-articles/achievement-of-students-with-disabilities-

in-inclusive-classrooms/

Billingsley, S. B., McLeskey, J., & Crockett, B. J.2014. Principal Leadership: Moving Toward

Inclusive and High Achieving Schools for Students with Disabilities. [Online] Available At

http://www.ceedar.education.ufl.edu/tools/innovation-configurations/

Leadership and Achievement 10

Brodie, D. 2011. Leadership Achievement: The Challenge of Making Choices. [Online]

Available At http://www.goalsandachievements.com/leadership-achievement-the-challenge-of-

making-choices/

Chapman, C., Ainscow, M., Miles, S., & West, M. 2010. Leadership that Promotes the

Achievement of Students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities: Full Report.

Manchester, University of Manchester.

Educational Leadership:Teachers as Leaders:Ten Roles for Teacher Leaders. (n.d.). Retrieved

from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept07/vol65/num01/Ten-

Roles-for-Teacher-Leaders.aspx

Edmunds, L. A.,& Macmillan, B. R. 2010.Leadership for Inclusion. AW Rotterdam, Sense

Publishers.

Konza, D. 2008. The Inclusion of Students with Disabilities in New Times: Responding to

Challenge. South Wales, University of Wollongong.

Mencap, 2008, The Lamb Inquiry INTRODUCTION [Video file]. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.specialeducationalneeds.co.uk/the-lamb-inquiry-introduction.html

Spence, S. R. 2010.The Effects of Inclusion on the Academic Achievement of Regular Education

Students. [Online] Available At http://www.digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/369

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