Analyzing the Presence of Academic and Vision-Specific Priorities in Specialized Schools through Culture: A Case Study

Abstract: This study analyzed how culture influenced a disability-specific curriculum in one specialized school. It assessed past and present artifacts, expressed values, and underlying assumptions. Variables for change were targeted to balance academics with the expanded core curriculum. The results indicate that some areas changed while other areas continue to struggle. ********** Administrators at specialized schools for students who are visually impaired (that is, those who are blind or have low vision) may be required to emphasize academic areas more than specialized skills because of the need to comply with the No Child Left Behind Act in order to access government funding sources. Meeting state and federal mandates, such as requirements for academic achievement as measured by standardized test scores, is challenging for all schools, but has the potential to damage the culture of specialized schools if the administrators are unable to balance academic and vision-specific priorities. Research has found that culture (such as attitudes and beliefs) is the most pervasive influence in a school and that even seemingly minor steps like shifting priorities can have profound effects on the lives of the students who attend the school. Research has also indicated that culture is frequently overlooked or taken for granted as a variable that affects students' success in schools (Bosworth, 2000). The study presented here assessed the impact of one school's attempt to use culture as a means of developing and retaining the balance between academic and vision-specific priorities after a decade of strain from educational accountability reform by past presidential administrations. Specifically, the study addressed the following questions using the protective school framework, which is defined in the Framework section of this article: (1) Were there changes in the school's academic and vision-specific priorities from the early 1990s to the present, as indicated by artifacts (visible organizational materials and structure), expressed values (explicitly written or stated beliefs and policies), and underlying assumptions (unspoken attitudes and beliefs about the school), and (2) How did these changes affect the outcome of cultural priorities in the following areas: teacher training, team teaching, evaluation systems, Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), state standards, the school improvement plan, short-term programming, summer programming, and residential programming? Framework Many models of organizational leadership can be used to build and promote the culture of various schools and businesses. However, such general models would not support the analytical measurement of the unique roles and functions of such organizational leadership within the field of visual impairment. Although Quality Programs for Students with Visual Impairments and the National Accreditation Council have developed models specifically for programs serving students who are visually impaired, these models do not necessarily address the cultural depth that I wanted to reach in the study presented here. The framework that I selected needed to reflect evidence of change in areas like organizational structure, attitudes, and policies, which ultimately affect every component and function of a school. Specifically, it needed to reflect the roles and responsibilities of students, staff members, administrators, and stakeholders of the school as active participants. A case-study approach was used because it is the chosen methodology and analytical framework for an investigation of this kind (Feagin, Orum, & Sjoberg, 1991). The uniqueness of the school's historic and current changes may limit replication, but the analysis provides a detailed record of the factors that have influenced the balance between academics and vision-specific priorities through one school's culture. For these reasons, I selected the protective school culture model, developed by Bosworth (2000). …