K–12 Administration of Inclusive Schools in Canada: A Literature Review of Expectations and Qualifications of Formal School Leaders

The formal educational requirements for principals in Canada vary significantly between educational jurisdictions. Principals are typically unprepared to lead inclusive schools upon graduation from educational leadership programs, despite the importance of formal education and experience in inclusive education in order to lead inclusive schools. Being unprepared includes lacking knowledge about students with exceptionalities and how they can and should be accommodated. Whether administrators value and support inclusion is imperative to schools being inclusive. Support of inclusion can include the use of teachers’ varied and extensive skill set through distributed leadership. The utilization of a leadership style focused on distributed leadership can be addressed through educational leadership programs, but also through professional development programs such as locally developed programs on mentorship. Educational leadership programs need to change in order to develop leaders for inclusive schools. Until such change occurs, principals are in significant need of professional development on inclusive education and how to lead inclusive schools.