Leading for All: How to Create Truly Inclusive and Excellent Schools

"Jennifer Spencer-Iiams and Josh Flosi's journey through inclusion is quite remarkable. They chart a path we should all embrace and share the context and tools to support us effectively. They present a great shared text for teacher teams considering shifts to more inclusive practices."



“In Leading for All, the authors so vividly paint the picture of what collective student efficacy looks like in practice.”

"This is a clear guide for principals, central office leaders, parents, and special education advocacy groups to use while implementing changes that foster a more inclusive environment for special education students on campus and in the community."


"Leading for All provides a clear framework that all educators should use to improve inclusive practices. The authors have a clear vision for transformational change that will create inclusive school communities which starts at the classroom level." 


"Leading for All is a very readable book that integrates a wide-range of current knowledge as to how to create an inclusive learning environment for all students, not just special education students. The authors take us along on their journey, recognizing that this magnitude of change is not easy but is a moral imperative, and provide us with the information to undertake such change.

Foreword by Paula Kluth
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
Introduction
Chapter 1 - Finding Our Why
Why Inclusion?
Academic Research Supports Inclusion
Inclusion and the Whole-Child Movement
Equity and Social Justice
The Perspective of Families
Moving from Why to Why Not?
References
Chapter 2 - What We Mean by Inclusive Education
A Continuum of Inclusive Practices
A Summary of Changes Over the Past Eight Years
What Inclusion Looks Like
References
Chapter 3 - The Foundations of Inclusive Education
Putting Our Goals on Paper
Guiding Principles for Our Work
Kortney’s Story
References
Chapter 4 - Creating Inclusive Cultures
True Friendships
Providing Supports in the General Education Classroom
Shared Ownership and Co-Teaching
The Power of Language
All Students Participate in Cocurricular Activities
References
Chapter 5 - Improving Instructional Practices
Frameworks that Guide our Instructional Practices
Learning Targets
Engagement Strategies
Access to Grade-Level Content
Common and Consistent Data
Analyzing Data to Inform Instruction
Purpose of Evaluation
References
Chapter 6 - The Components of Inclusive and Equitable Learning Communities
Effective Physical Spaces
Teaching Common Expectations
Rituals, Routines, and Recognition
Engagement Strategies for All Students
Teaching Social-Emotional Skills
Restorative Practices
Relationships with High Expectations
References
Chapter 7 - Increasing Student Voice
Growth Mindset Revisited
Student Voice and Behavior
Augmentative and Alternative Communication
Students as Leaders of Change
Students and Their IEPs
References
Chapter 8 - Supporting Behavior in Inclusive Schools
All-Some-Few Thinking
Team “Student”
The Intensive Capacity-Building Team
Thinking Inclusively About Outside Placement
References
Chapter 9 - Leadership Moves to Make it Happen
Communication and Relationships
The Role of the Central Office
Salary Structures, Job Descriptions, and Union Contracts to Support Inclusive Practices
Structures for Professional Learning that Support Inclusive Practices
Structures for Leadership and Stakeholder Input
Partnerships with Other Districts and Outside Organizations
Closing Thoughts about Leadership Moves
References
Chapter 10 - What’s Next?
Transportation
Inclusive Early-Childhood Education
Adult Transition Services and Inclusive College Opportunities
Inclusive Teacher Education
The Mental Health System
Inclusive Practices in the Time of Distance Learning and COVID-19
Closing Thoughts
References
Index

Dr. Jennifer Spencer-Iiams is the Assistant Superintendent for Student Services in the West Linn-Wilsonville School District in Oregon. She has been a teacher and educational leader for 32 years. She led significant transformation in her district in the movement to a full inclusion model that honors student strengths and promotes belonging. Jennifer has served as an adjunct professor in the area of Special Education and in Emerging Bilingual Education. She has presented on models of inclusion at numerous conferences, served on statewide leadership groups focused on improvement in Special Education, and she collaborated to support national educational reform efforts for higher education and educator standards. Jennifer is a triple Duck, earning her bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees from the University of Oregon. She is the child of educators and her mother was always active in improving her community. Jennifer is the youngest sister to five strong women. She lives in West Linn, Oregon with her husband, three grown children in the area, and her dog Gus.

Leading for All is a practical guide that provides a clear pathway for educators to develop a more inclusive school community from start to finish. The authors share lessons learned from years building district schools where all students are served in their neighborhood school and in classrooms with their general education peers.
Features include:

• Three focus areas to guide change: Creating Inclusive Cultures, Improving Instructional Practices, and Increasing Student Voice
• 7 Components of Inclusive and Equitable Learning Communities
• Supporting resources for promoting inclusion throughout the school day, including co-curricular activities and transportation
• Stories of real students and teachers and the actions that impacted their success