Leadership is key to capacity building and establishing a culture of growth. Effective leaders work collaboratively with others and use the “group to change the group,” contributing to the sustainability of the organization. Leaders who build a culture of growth value the experience and expertise of staff, support learning initiatives, and welcome new innovative ideas. As a leader, establishing a collaborative culture sends a clear message to your staff, resulting in increased collaborative efforts and a commitment to improving student learning. Although there may be some staff members who embrace this change, there are others who will be resistant to the change. For this Discussion, you will analyze the four elements of Cultivating Collaborative Cultures and how they impact organizations.

To Prepare:

· Review Fullan’s four elements of Cultivating Collaborative Cultures (Culture of Growth, Learning Leadership, Capacity Building, and Collaborative Work). Reflect on the components needed to build culture throughout the organization.

· Review the Boylan article. Focus on the systemic leadership employed throughout the organization to implement system-wide change as you consider how you will build culture.

An in-depth analysis of the four elements of Cultivating Collaborative Cultures and what they mean for special education leadership. As a special education leader, address the following:

· How can you support learning and innovation and build a culture of growth within your organization?

· How will you attend to the key attributes of collaborative work to ensure deeper learning experiences for students with exceptionalities?

                                                               Learning Resources

Required Readings

Fullan, M., & Quinn, J. (2016). Coherence: The right drivers in action for schools, districts, and systems. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

• Chapter 3, “Cultivating Collaborative      Cultures” (pp. 47–76)

Florian, L. (Ed.). (2014). The SAGE handbook of special education (2nd ed.). London, England: Sage Publications Ltd.

• Chapter 28, “Universal Design for Learning”      (pp. 475–489)

Boylan, M. (2016).  Deepening system leadership: Teachers leading from below. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 44(1), 57-72. doi:10.1177/1741143213501314

McLeskey, J., Waldron, N. L., & Redd, L. (2014). A case study of a highly effective, inclusive elementary school. The Journal of Special Education,48(1), 59-70. doi:10.1177/0022466912440455

Kurth, J. A., Lyon, K. J., & Shogren, K. A. (2015). Supporting students with severe disabilities in inclusive schools: A descriptive account from schools implementing inclusive practices. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities,  DOI: 1540796915594160.

Fullan, M. (2010). Motion leadership: The skinny on becoming change savvy. Retrieved from http://michaelfullan.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/11_TheSkinny_US.compressed.pdf