ABSTRACT

With the implementation of the 2015 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, known as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), school leaders are facing new challenges as they strive to lead schools that will improve student outcomes. The gap in performance of students with disabilities has been a challenge for school leaders for many years, and there continues to be a need for systematic efforts to improve the performance of students with disabilities. There are challenges to ensuring that the instructional needs of students with disabilities are fully met, as well as challenges in effectively using data to make instructional decisions that will improve student learning. At the same time there are numerous challenges facing school administrators, such as how to measure growth and how to build educators’ capacity to respond to unique student needs. The good news is that there are examples that can inform improvement efforts for students with disabilities. Evidence-based suggestions are provided for leaders at the district, school, and classroom levels.