Principal speaker
Dr Amanda Webster
Over the recent decade, education policy has emphasized the importance of inclusive school cultures and practices. In Queensland, the launch of the Inclusive Education Policy has placed the inclusive school agenda at the forefront. However, exposure to research and policy is not enough to create inclusive school programs. To transform their school's culture and practice, stakeholders need to be able to envision both the enactment of inclusive practice in their specific context and its fit with curriculum priorities.
Translating inclusive policy into daily practice requires skilled leaders who can guide staff in negotiating competing priorities and meeting accountability standards. School leaders must also be able to help teachers see how they can support the needs of individual students within current high-stakes accountability environments.
This presentation will present the findings of recent research that investigated the barriers preventing schools from implementing inclusive policy and identified a process that schools could use and implement inclusive school policy and support students with a range of needs in the real world context of school environments. School leaders will be provided with strategies for using the school improvement framework to help staff envision and implement inclusive school programs.
About our Presenter:
Associate Professor Amanda Webster is the Academic Program Director for the Master and Graduate Certificate of Autism programs at the University of Wollongong. Prior to her academic career, Dr. Webster worked for over 30 years with students and their families as a school leader, advisor, teacher, program director and certified behaviour analyst. Dr. Webster's research focuses on creating meaningful social impact and centres on leadership for inclusive education and community environments that support the achievement and self-determination of autistic and neurodivergent individuals with and their families. In addition to being a researcher with the Australian Autism Cooperative Research Centre, she has completed several large-scale projects examining the role of leaders and consultants in implementing education programs for students on the autism spectrum and is currently completing research on the ways that schools undertake decision making processes to support students with disabilities. Dr. Webster has worked closely with the departments of education in Queensland, NSW and Tasmania to lead research on the role of school leaders, staff and parents in establishing effective inclusive school cultures and practices that will enable students with a range of needs to achieve high quality outcomes. Dr. Webster's research has been published in a number of peer reviewed publications including three research-based books published by Springer and Routledge overviewing case studies and models of practice for empowering and supporting individuals on the autism spectrum in community and school settings.
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RSVP on or before Monday 7 September 2020 , by email pdn@griffith.edu.au , or by phone 07 37355626 , or via https://www.griffith.edu.au/arts-education-law/school-education-professional-studies/opportunities/professional-development-network/upcoming-events