ABSTRACT
Educational leaders are infl uential, but often unprepared for the various roles that await them in leading schools inclusive of special needs learners (Garrison-Wade, Sobel, & Fulmer, 2007). Contemporary administrators are responsible for ensuring that every student with a disability receives appropriate services and supports from qualifi ed teachers; that teachers develop the knowledge and skills to implement eff ective interventions; and that instructional leaders hold strong expectations for using these practices in schools that bolster the academic learning and social growth of students with wide-ranging needs (see Kozleski, Mainzer, & Deshler, 2000). Until recently though, school reform eff orts had not made the inclusion of students with disabilities a priority, nor had they recognized the role of school administrators in supporting student achievement. Now, “in a climate of accountability and elevated expectations” (Boscardin, Weir, & Kusek, 2010, p. 62), there is interest in clarifying roles, responsibilities, and leadership development with newly revised professional standards for general and special education administrators (Boscardin, 2011), and redefi ned models of shared and sustainable leadership for improving schools and student learning (Murphy, 2006).
