Valdés,René2025-01-212025-01-21002502124068https://repositorio.unab.cl/handle/ria/63111INDEXACION SCOPUSExercising inclusive leadership is a complex task in a school system where educational quality comes down primarily to the performance of schools on standardized tests. The objective of this article is to understand the barriers and facilitators that school directors, executive boards and management teams point out and face to advance in inclusion and attention to diversity. To respond to the objective, the results of seven case studies with an ethnographic approach carried out between 2016 and 2021 in Chilean schools with an inclusive seal were systematized. The main findings show that, from the perspective of school leaders, inclusion is a state affair and a specific concern on the part of the Ministry of Education. However, they highlight important barriers to advance as regards inclusion such as: lack of professional training in inclusion, low student participation and the pre-eminence of standardized tests that affect inclusive processes. Facilitators are also recognized, such as: openness to change, positive attitude towards difference and the importance of collaborative work. The results allow us to discuss the contrasts between inclusion and standardization and to propose a set of recommendations for schools and educational policies. © 2025 Universidad de Murcia. All rights reserved.esaccess to education; Chile; leadership; neoliberalismArtículo10.6018/rie.560271