Abstract
Purpose. The primary purpose of this study was to identify the leadership strategies elementary principals used to alter the school environment to be diversity sensitive and inclusive, and to identify those strategies perceived as most effective. A second purpose was to identify actions taken by selected elementary principals to make teachers aware of effective instructional strategies to meet the needs of diverse students and to identify those actions perceived as most effective. Methodology. A descriptive research design was the methodology used for this study. The sample consisted of forty elementary principals randomly selected from a pool of identified participants from the central coast region of California. Specific criteria were used by superintendents to identify potential participants. Telephone interviews were conducted to collect data. Data were coded and analyzed qualitatively for categories. Findings. This study identified thirty-five leadership strategies that selected principals used to foster a diversity-sensitive, inclusive school environment. The top six strategies were establish broad communication, provide principal supports, establish shared leadership and decision making, provide staff development, establish community involvement , and model inclusive behavior. Establish broad communication ranked number one in most effective strategies. The study also identified forty-one actions that principals took to make teachers aware of effective instructional models for diverse students. The top two actions were provide staff development and staff professional dialogue. Provide staff development was also perceived as the most effective strategy. Conclusions. Principals used a variety of strategies to develop an inclusive environment and a variety of actions to share with teachers effective instructional models for diverse students. The dominant leadership strategy was establish broad communication while the dominant action was provide staff development. Recommendations. Educational leaders who have a desire to foster a diversity sensitive, inclusive school environment should: (1) establish a strong, two-way communication network between all stakeholders; (2) provide principal support, implementing shared leadership, providing diversity training, strengthening community involvement, and modeling diversity sensitive behavior; (3) provide staff development in appropriate instructional models for diverse students; and (4) plan and provide time for teaching staff to engage in professional dialogue.