School Principals and Special Education: Creating the Context for Academic Success

For almost 30 years, school leaders have been challenged to meet both the intent and the spirit of federal laws regarding the education of students with disabilities (DiPaola & Walther-Thomas, 2003), Special education has evolved from segregated classrooms characterized by low academic expectations, social isolation, and poor curriculum (Turnbull & Cilley, 1999) to widespread recognition that effective special education is not a "place" in a school building. Instead, special education is an integrated system of academic and social supports designed, implemented, and monitored to ensure that students with disabilities are appropriately educated (National Association of Elementary School Principals [NAESP] & ILIAD Project, 2001; National Commission on Teaching and America's Future [NCTAF], 1996; National Council on Disability [NCD], 1995; National Research Council [NRC], 1997; National Staff Development Council [NSDC], 2001), Over the same time period, the United States has embraced a sweeping series of school reforms designed to make public schools more rigorous leaming environments. These efforts accelerated dramatically over the past decade as virtually all states adopted comprehensive academic standards. In addition, many states implemented corresponding accountability systems to ensure that students, teachers, and administrators would all achieve performance accountability (Thuriow, 2000; Vernon, Baytops, McMahon, Holland, & Walther-Thomas, 2002). In many communities, critical school milestones such as grade promotion and high school graduation, as well as professional tenure and school accreditation, are being determined by "high-stakes" test results (Giacobbe, Livers, Thayer-Smith, & Walther-Thomas, 2001).