The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate the perceptions of distributed leadership held by 15 administrators of special education and 15 special education teacher leaders invited to perform a Q-sort, rank ordering 40 statements representing distributed leadership attributes. The research questions that guided this investigation included: 1) Are there any clusters of participants who ranked the leadership statements similarly and differently; 2) Are the clusters related to demographic or personal characteristics associated with the participants; 3) Were there similarities as to how the items were ranked by the participants among the clusters; 4) Are there themes depicting the clusters based on the statement rankings; and 5) To what extent is there a relationship between the cluster composition, demographic and district variables? Results revealed two factors of participants who sorted their cards similarly, the priority given to each statement representing distributed leadership traits, and the preferred attributes associated with each factor. Each factor was further examined to determine how the demographics of the participants contributed to the similar sorts. This study demonstrates the importance of special education leaders developing an understanding of both the organization's purpose as well as the staff members' needs, personalities, strengths, and skill sets. As special education leaders move across the continuum of distributed leadership, their leadership practices transition from distributing leadership tasks from a top-down model to creating a truly collaborative environment embedded into the organization as it becomes action oriented through continuous improvements in programming and instruction with students with special needs. This research will contribute to expanding the understanding of distributed leadership practices in the field of special education. Future research should be devoted to better understanding the relationship between special education and distributed leadership, and the influence special education leadership has on an organization's culture, student programming, and student achievement in relationship to state accountability measures.

As policy makers and educators from varying philosophical platforms develop strategies for facilitating inclusive education, there is a subsequent realization that this involves inclusive leadership. Such leadership may be addressed through ethical decision-making, exceptionality in learning, equity, effective programming, and partnerships (Crockett, 1999). Related to the moral and ethical aspects of decision making is the issue of caring leadership. Among the educational leaders who have demonstrated caring leadership, and who have had transformative influences over followers are the four women who constitute this study. To understand how they evolved as educational leaders, testimonies of their experiences and perceptions were developed. These testimonies are presented as reconstructed narratives. The discussion on these narratives explores relationships between who these women are in character, their experiences of the ethic of care, and leadership. The study directs focus on the lives of these women with a view to documenting their contributions and sharing their voices about the education systems of Trinidad and Tobago, and the broader Caribbean area. Oral history interviewing, within the biographical tradition, is the methodology used for data collection. The data as transcribed narratives and topical life histories were then content-analyzed to identify common themes and link these with contemporary research on leadership, women, and the ethic of care as discussed in the review of the literature. Findings from the study revealed caring leadership as an evolutionary process, and the importance that spirituality, community, and a sense of gender-equity and inter-relatedness played in the lives of the participants. / Ph. D.

This study measured the relative strength of the relationships among the variables that research has suggested improve teacher attitudes toward co-teaching inclusion. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine which variable produced the strongest relationship effect on teacher attitudes toward co-teaching in an inclusion classroom. All general education and special education teachers (n=1009) in elementary schools in an urban division in Virginia were surveyed. Teacher attitudes toward a practice have had an impact on student achievement (Friend and Pope, 2005; Ghaith and Yaghi, 1997). A teacher's beliefs regarding an instructional practice or innovation were directly linked to educational improvements (Ghaith and Yaghi, 1997; Loney et al., 1976). School leaders and teacher preparation programs have provided learning experiences for prospective and current teachers (DeSutter, 2015; DuFour, 2004). These experiences were provided in an effort to ensure preparation for the challenge of teaching or co-teaching struggling students (DeSutter, 2015; DuFour, 2004). In this study, positive correlations were found between all of the research variables and teacher attitudes toward co-teaching inclusion. The highest correlations were between the leadership and professional development and the dependent variable teacher attitudes toward co-teaching in an inclusion classroom. The weakest research variable correlation was in student teaching. This mixed methods study established recommendations for leadership in the preparation and development of teachers for success in co-taught inclusion classrooms. Additionally, the study carried implications that teacher preparation programs should include more clinical teaching experiences embedded in their preparation programs. / Ed. D. / The topic investigated in this study was teacher preparation and attitudes toward inclusion. Inclusion is the practice of teaching students with disabilities alongside their nondisabled peers in the general education setting (Ervin, 2010). This study is a mixed methods study blending quantitative and qualitative findings. It was conducted by single administration of a Likert scale and free response item survey. All the elementary general and special education teachers (<i>n</i>=1009) in an urban division in Virginia. The research study examined teachers’ past experiences. Teachers were asked to reflect on their experiences in collaboratively teaching, or co-teaching, in inclusion classrooms. Previous research determined that leadership behavior and leader attitudes, teacher coursework, on-going continuing education through professional growth activities or professional development, and student teaching experiences all had positive effects on teacher attitudes toward inclusion. The data and analysis supported the findings of the study. Teacher responses showed their attitudes toward inclusion were influenced by each of the independent variables (leadership behavior/leader attitudes, coursework, professional development, and student teaching). Furthermore, there were changes in the relationship between the independent and dependent variables based on a variety of teacher experiences and background variables. This study is important because it blends the phenomenological findings from teacher free responses with quantitative findings on teacher attitudes toward inclusion. While all teacher groups’ responses somewhat agreed that inclusion was best for students, teachers continued to have concerns regarding the practice of co-teaching. This study identifies those concerns. The data, findings, and implications also provide insight for leaders who lead schools where teachers are prepared to practice inclusion.

A large number of due process hearings regarding the delivery of special education services to children with disabilities occur nationally and the number is increasing. Differences of opinion between professionals and parents concerning whether or not a child is disabled, the diagnosis of a disability, and the special services recommended or provided has resulted in parent-professional conflict accompanied by substantial financial and emotional costs to parents, professionals and educational agencies. The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the origins and dynamics of parent-professional conflict about special education services and identify promising approaches and strategies for preventing and resolving conflict between professionals and parents of children with disabilities.A comprehensive literature review revealed the major origins of conflict about special education services in the schools. These include (a) legislative mandates; (b) attrition of special education personnel; (c) ineffective leadership in the schools; (d) lack of collaboration between general and special educators and parents; and (e) hidden constraints in educational agencies such as time, money, and resources. The combination of "systemic cracks" in the nation's educational system and the failure of professionals and parents to use effective "communication and collaboration skills" were found to be the major sources of conflict between professionals and parents.Five promising approaches and strategies were identified for preventing or resolving conflicts about special education. First, identify systemic problems, initiate school-wide dialogues, and implement a change process to reform problems through legislation, policies, organizational structures, and operating procedures. Second, follow ten basic principles of dialogue and collaboration while communicating with each other. Third, engage in positive dialogue where each party reflects and takes responsibility for reaching a mutually shared alternative solution by understanding the other person's point of view and conversing as equals. Fourth, train professionals to adopt an interest-based approach to dispute resolution by engaging all stakeholders in a school-wide dialogue, addressing underlying interests or needs rather than reacting to demands. Fifth, use third party intermediaries such as parent-to-parent assistance, dispute resolution case managers, individualized education program facilitators and intervene at the onset of the conflict.

With increasing demand for school accountability following the NCLB Act of 2001, school leaders have a greater responsibility to students with disabilities than ever tinclude special education leadership due to the leadership imperative to meet the needs of all students (Lashley, 2007; Yell, 2012). Little attention, however, has been paid to special education and special education law in leadership preparation programs (Cusson, 2010; Pazey & Cole, 2013), leaving school leaders inadequately prepared to serve all students. The purpose of this study was to explore how six current school leaders who are graduates of a university-based “high-quality” principalship program created an inclusive school culture. Guided by the theoretical framework of sensemaking (Weick, 1995) and a phenomenological approach (Creswell, 2007; Patton, 1990), this study examined the ways in which six school leaders used what they know about special education and special education law to develop their understanding of such policy and sought to gain insight into why they made sense of and constructed their interpretations of the policy in a particular way. Of particular interest was their perceived roles in working with special education staff, and the effects their construction and application of inclusive education policy had on students with disabilities. The findings of this study suggest that these six school leaders’ sensemaking of inclusive education policy was influenced by three factors: knowledge, experiences, and personal contexts. Each of these three factors were situated within the context of the school leaders’ constructed identities. If the school leader perceived his or her role as a leader for special education, he or she was more inclined to seek special education and special education law content knowledge, ensure their campus staff attained and maintained the capacity to meet the needs of all students, and continuously searched for specific experiences and opportunities that they could make available to themselves and others that required them to grapple with difficult issues related to special education. In doing so, they were able to effect deeper-level change on their school campuses. / text

The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine what competencies urban directors of special education perceived to be essential for newly appointed urban special education administrators. Two research questions and two null hypotheses were generated to investigate the underlying factors in competencies perceived by urban special education directors to be essential for newly appointed special education administrators and to investigate the relationship between years of experience as a director of special education and these underlying factors. A factor analysis revealed that there were three underlying factors reported to be essential for newly appointed special education administrators. A multiple regression analysis indicated that the relationship between the years of experience as a director of special education and the underlying factors (Management, Instruction and Change; Supervision of Faculty; and Team Building Skills) was not statistically significant. A post hoc test was conducted to further detect differences in years of experience as an urban director of special education and the underlying factors. The results were sufficient to reject the null hypotheses in both cases.

No description available.

At the time of this study, there is intensified awareness of the importance of special education and the appropriate implementation of supports and services for the students identified as having special needs. In the United States, understanding special education laws, the needs of students with special needs who are served in the school building, and effective ways to interact with staff members and families about special education are important components of principal leadership success. Principal supervisors and others who provide training and ongoing professional development for principals and potential school leaders need to understand more about issues principals face in these expanding roles. This phenomenological study was conducted to explore the lived experiences of principals regarding their experiences and perceptions related to their levels of preparation for special education leadership. The conceptual framework based upon Bandura's social learning theory presented the principal as the role model for teachers and the leader in building relationships with families and supporting student success. Ten principals from K-12 schools were interviewed in person and on the phone. A priori and open coding were used to support interpretive analysis. Principals reported three main areas of concern related to their expanded role: knowing how to work with parents, responding to citations their district received due to not following laws, and learning how to handle challenging situations better. These results suggest that having more preparation and continuing training in the area of special education might contribute to principals' greater understanding of best practices, policies, and procedures.