The fourth edition of "A Principal's Guide to Special Education," is an indispensable resource for educators navigating the complexities of special education in the 21st century, it is crucial to continue evolving the guide to address the ever-changing landscape of educational needs, legal requirements, and best practices. This new…

To strengthen inclusion practices in schools, a mandate was passed requiring special education teachers working at the middle and high school levels to become content certified. The purpose of this research study was to examine the outcome the content/dual certification mandate had on special education teachers' roles in co-taught inclusion…

Co-teaching is an instructional strategy for pairing special education and general education teachers to provide specially designed instruction to students with disabilities in general education settings. Instructional coaching is a professional development model that can provide co-teachers with additional strategies to effectively educate…

Practical and forward-thinking, "Developing Teacher Leaders in Special Education" is the administrator's essential guide to growing special educator leadership in any school, district, or program. Special educators need to be flexible, proactive, and collaborative -- qualities that make them uniquely suited to roles in school leadership…

Identifying a special education teacher's primary role has been complicated by competing legislative demands emphasizing every student's academic achievement in the general education curriculum versus some students' needs for individualized instruction that addresses their noteworthy academic achievement deficits. One result is that school…

In an effort to better support the needs of PK-12 students identified as gifted or high-ability, school leaders need to be familiar and comfortable with supporting gifted education educators and developing and evaluating gifted education programs. Gifted education educators should have defined roles and responsibilities, and school leaders need to…

To enhance teacher proficiency, this study explores the possible effects of integrating STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) principles into the early childhood special education (ECSE) curriculum. The present study centers on science literacy's function in enhancing educators' competencies working with young children. A…

Our nation has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to providing every child with an equal opportunity to an education. Two Federal laws that address the education for children with disabilities are the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), signed into law in 1965 and 1975,…

This book provides new and experienced Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) with a critical approach to understanding the importance of outstanding leadership of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and how to effectively meet the current SEND policy requirements. Closely informed by the statutory guidance for SENCOs, this…

Do you have the desire to build relationships with the special education teachers in your school or district but constantly feel weighed down by compliance issues? Special education teachers are leaving the field at alarming rates, and positive change through transformational leadership practices can help administrators build confidence and…

Each year, over 1.2 million children and youth identified as experiencing homelessness in the nation's schools face the educational disruption caused by not having a safe and stable place to live. Children and youth experiencing homelessness face educational challenges that include a lack of basic necessities, such as food, clothing, and medical…

In this second edition of "Smarter Budgets, Smarter Schools," Nathan Levenson proposes fresh strategies for more efficient, equitable resource allocation within school districts. Budgets, according to Levenson, can be a surprisingly powerful lever for improved student achievement outcomes and equity. Readers will find practical advice…

As schools reopen their doors and students return to the classroom, what will the "new normal" of special education look like? The pandemic exposed educational inequities and areas of urgent need--and now, schools have a unique opportunity to press pause and reimagine their practices. This book helps K-12 school leaders and educators…

The importance of strong family partnerships has long been considered essential to supporting the success of student with exceptionalities. Research indicates that building school-wide relationships with culturally and linguistically diverse families continues to prove challenges for administrators and other school personnel (Fowler, Coleman,…

Newcomers represent a large and understudied subgroup of students in California. The Oakland Unified School District has been disaggregating data on newcomer status for the last 7 years, providing a basis for analyzing graduation outcomes for newcomer compared to non-newcomer students. The data highlight the variance in outcomes based on program…