Building Successful Multicultural Special Education Programs Through Innovative Leadership

Abstract

With increased debates over various aspects of special education, it has become apparent that multicultural leadership is needed to prepare school administrators and teachers to design effective special education programs. In this article, the authors discuss several aspects of administering successful programs for multicultural students. To be effective and to address the educational needs of multicultural students, especially those with special needs, school administrators must implement best practices in their schools, and teachers must utilize best practices within their classroom. School administrators must be proactive in preventing the misidentification, misassessment, miscategorization, and misplacement of multicultural students. They also must provide culturally responsive leadership that ensures all students a high quality education.