The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) has managed the Advancing Inclusive Principal Leadership (AIPL) state network since 2019 to support state education leaders in bolstering principals’ capacity to lead inclusive and equitable learning environments for all students — with an emphasis on those with disabilities. States involved in the AIPL network develop and implement a plan to prioritize effective policy and practice strategies laid out in the online guide, Supporting Inclusive Schools for the Success of Each Child: A Guide for States on School Leadership. CCSSO today is proud to share an exciting update and new resources to support states through the AIPL network:
- CCSSO has partnered with five additional states through a second cohort to provide coordinated support on inclusive principal leadership. Those states are Connecticut, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) in Washington, DC, Florida, North Carolina and Washington state. By June 2022, the cohort two states will develop plans that are designed to advance inclusive principal leadership in policy and practice and will begin implementation of their plans with measurable progress by December 2022. Over the next year, CCSSO will also continue to support Arkansas, Mississippi and Ohio from cohort one in fully implementing their plans and achieving their proposed goals.
- CCSSO has released two additional case studies on Arkansas’ and Mississippi’s work. Through the state’s Inclusive Practices Project, the Arkansas Department of Education is making sure that students with disabilities and other struggling learners can access the general education curriculum. In participating pilot schools, principals play a key role in supporting professional learning communities of teachers centered on inclusive practices. Learn more about how Arkansas is creating a national model for inclusive school leadership and professional development here. And since joining the AIPL State Initiative, the Mississippi AIPL team has taken clear steps to usher in a more inclusive approach to leadership within the state agency. Learn more about how Mississippi is setting a vision and plan for their work here.
- Lastly, in partnership with the National Collaborative on Inclusive Principal Leadership, CCSSO has updated the inclusive principals guide to include a new ninth strategy in response to the COVID-19 crisis. It lists the steps SEAs can take to support inclusive, post-pandemic recovery and acceleration of learning for students with disabilities. Additional resources on restart and recovery have been added from CCSSO and from our partners through the National Collaborative, including the National Center on Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, the National Center for Intensive Intervention, National Center for Learning Disabilities and the Center for Learner Equity.
If you have any questions about this work, please reach out to Kaylan Connally, Program Manager of Student Expectations: kaylan.connally@ccsso.org.
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