Kirsten Lambert (PhD)

The 2024 Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD) statistics indicate that nearly one in five (24.7%) of school aged children have a disability and are needing additional supports (or differentiation) in the classroom. In our increasingly diverse classrooms, teachers are expected to provide a range of differentiation strategies in their learning and teaching to ensure all students are included in classrooms. This need for appropriate classroom differentiation is mandated to pre-service teachers (PSTs) via AITSL standards. Further changes are on the horizon as a result of the Disability Royal Commission (Sackville et al., 2023) which highlighted the need for further positive reform in schools to ensure all students with a disability receive a quality education. Focus is currently highlighting school students with disability, but what of their teachers and those studying to become teachers who live with disability? This paper explores the experiences of preservice teachers’ (PSTs) and teachers with disability undertaking a high-stakes teacher tests in Australia. Utilising Critical Disability Theory (CDT), in particular Goodley’s (2016) concept of neoliberal-ableism we explore some of the challenges and strengths relating to supporting PSTs with disability in Australia undertaking the high-stakes standardised test LANTITE. Data is presented as narrative vignettes (Clandinin, 2020) giving voice to those whose experiences are complex and layered. Our research findings shed light on how PSTs with disability have a passion for differentiation, with some students becoming passionate advocates for disability and difference in their classrooms. Yet ableist practices, including the costs of disclosure, and inadequate assessment accommodations marginalise and exclude or traumatise these valuable teachers. With increasing demands on the teacher workforce to be better prepared to differentiate their teaching and assessment for the one in five, there is opportunity to reform and consider how we train and retain our teachers with disability in classrooms. For the one in five students in the classroom, disability representation is important for their growth and learning journey. Having teachers with disability in the classroom is both a reality and a gift for all students. Ensuring equitable and inclusive education for all requires challenging our neoliberal-ableist policies and practices in Australian education.