Building a system in which school leaders, teachers, families, and students engage successfully requires innovation and the courage to “think big” (Collett, 2019,
p. 2
). All of the students in your care deserve a K-12 learning experience that sets them up for successful and satisfying lives. Students with disabilities require more strategic consideration to make growth over time and meet appropriately ambitious goals.
School leaders who foster inclusive learning communities focused on closing specific skill gaps for students with disabilities in K-12 schools will make possible Virginia’s vision of a high school graduate (see
Profile of a Virginia Graduate
). Students with disabilities who receive specific skill gap-closing instruction in inclusive learning environments will be able to build critical and creative thinking skills, communicate, collaborate, and demonstrate citizenship. The
Profile of a Virginia Graduate
(POVG) should be the focus of discussions K-12 because the foundation of a successful secondary school experience for all students is based on the academic and functional skills established during the elementary years.
School leaders need to provide strategic support for teachers to ensure that critical functional Standards of Learning (SOL) and other life skills are considered when designing instruction, not just those directly measured on the SOL assessments. For students with disabilities, Individual Educational Programs (IEPs) must be designed to develop workplace skills, career planning, as well as community and civic responsibility. A focus purely on content knowledge to satisfy standardized assessments will fall far short of the expectation for all of Virginia’s graduates to be life-ready individuals prepared for postsecondary success.
