Special Education Literacy: Principals’ Essential Roles and Skills According to Parents, Attorneys, and Other Stakeholders

• In Event: Principals as Instructional and Community Leaders: Embracing Multiple Ways of Knowing

Abstract

The positive impacts of building leaders are well documented. However, their involvement with special needs students and operations is often an area of early struggle. Training standards have recognized this shortcoming but fail to share ways to address the needs. This paper provides information concerning special education-specific training necessities for principals. It is based upon 1:1 interviews with 41 participants from eight stakeholder groups ranging from parents of students with IEPs to educational attorneys. Each has contributed agreed-upon insights plus important specifics concerning roles, skills, and priorities aspiring leaders must know. This information is currently being used for training development and exceeds the published standards by giving voice to those directly involved in and affected by school special education operations.

Authors

• Thomas R. Hughes, Northern Arizona University

• Erin Preston, Northern Arizona University

• Taylor Wood, Northern Arizona University

• Stephanie Quiroz, Northern Arizona University