The superintendents have become more of educational leaders in order to meet the federal mandates of NCLB and IDEA which have the goal of students with disabilities being proficient in reading and math by 2014, while providing FAPE to meet their individual program and service requirements. The increased accountability pressure of NCLB for federal and state funding for education and the need for superintendents to work effectively with their SELPA Directors are vital parts in order to meet the mandates and effectively serve students with disabilities. Three research questions were used to examine the strategies that are utilized by SELPA Directors which influence superintendents while providing innovative special education programs and services to improve student achievement. The mixed-method study included a survey instrument that had three open-ended questions that were sent to 35 SELPA Directors and 35 superintendents selected from the California regions of Oakland/San Francisco County, Los Angeles County, Riverside County, San Diego County, and Sacramento County. The respondents to the survey were 27 of the 35 SELPA Directors and 21 of the superintendents. In addition, there were five SELPA Directors and five superintendent interviews conducted to capture the inner thoughts and reflections of the dynamic relationships of effective SELPA Directors and superintendents. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]