Transforming Inclusive Education: Nine Tips to Enhance School Leaders’ Ability to Effectively Lead Inclusive Special Education Programs

Abstract

Principals and assistant principals, collectively referred to as school leaders, play instrumental roles in ensuring the success of inclusive special education in the schools they oversee. However, school leaders continually report they lack the knowledge and skills to effectively oversee quality inclusive special education programs. There are very few training programs available to school leaders that focus on leading inclusive special education programs. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to provide school leaders with nine tips, along with 11 immediately implementable practical strategies, to improve upon the inclusive special education programs in their schools. Topics include pertinent definitions, laws, and concepts associated with inclusion; models of coteaching; transformational leadership theory and traits; roles and responsibilities of school leaders in inclusive education programs; and practical strategies to implement to improve upon current inclusive education practices. This article is designed to be used with emerging, new, and experienced school leaders.