Cross-Case Analysis: Making Sense of It All

• In Event: What Does a District’s Commitment to “Inclusive Practices” Mean and How Does It Affect School Practices?

Abstract

A cross-case analysis was conducted using themes identified in interviews and observations across grade levels within the six schools. Structural and organizational factors impacted the extent to which students with disabilities were included in general education classrooms among the schools studied; for example, elementary and middle schools are organized in multidisciplinary teams that are more conducive to collaborative and inclusionary practices (Sailor, Odom, Dicker, & Benito, 2011). Scheduling and, particularly, time allocation for collaborative planning were factors in staff perceptions of progress toward inclusive education. The ability of school leaders to articulate a clear vision of inclusive education and the perceived commitment of school leaders to inclusion varied across schools. While leaders in some schools articulated support for inclusion, teachers and other staff noted that leadership did not provide support in the form of systematic and ongoing professional development. In these schools, different groups of staff held different visions for what constituted inclusion. Leaders also varied in terms of the extent to which teacher leadership was cultivated. In all schools the success of co-teaching and collaborative planning varied according to teams and seemed dependent on relationships of staff within each team. Likewise, in all schools perceived pressures to comply with mandates from NCLB, IDEA, and the district’s interpretation of those mandates appeared to interfere with realization of inclusive philosophies in the schools.
All schools showed growth in terms of results for students with disabilities on state assessments; however, the magnitude of improvement varied by population (gifted, general education, high incidence disabilities, and low incidence disabilities) and by grade level (elementary, middle, and high school). At the elementary and middle levels, changes in gain scores over time for students with disabilities paralleled those of students in general education. Notably at the middle and high school level, gain scores for students with low incidence disabilities were greater than those for students with high incidence disabilities.
Results of the cross-case analysis and findings from the overall study will be discussed by the presenters. The audience will be invited to participate in a discussion of the interpretation of these findings and identification of next steps for the research.
References
Sailor, W., Odom, S., Diker, L, & Benito, N. (2011). Inclusion: Successful strategies and useful perspectives. Paper presented at the annual Office of Special Education Programs Project Directors’ Conference, Washington, DC.

Authors

• Vonzell Agosto, University of South Florida

• Zorka Karanxha, University of South Florida

• David T. Hoppey, University of South Florida