All students, no matter their ability or disability deserve equal opportunities, equity in programming and practices, and opportunity to reach their full potential. No child should be held back from achieving their goals due to lack of appropriate programs and services provided by schools. Unfortunately, this is not often the case. What is missing? What are the challenges? What can be changed to remedy this problem? This qualitative study was designed to identify programs and practices currently employed in high schools that help or hinder the success of special education students desiring to pursue post-secondary education as viewed through the eyes of their parents. Twenty-one parents of students who participated in special education in high school and then advanced on to higher education completed an online survey about their child's experience. Six of these parents then participated in a one-on-one interview with the researcher to further explore their experiences and beliefs. Five themes emerged from the data: inclusion, specialized instruction, accommodations, self-advocacy, and advocates. These themes demonstrate a strong connection to transformational leadership and represent areas of areas of practice that can be reviewed and addressed by educational leaders. Through review and application of this data, school leaders have the opportunity to improve educational practice and the ability to increase successful completion of higher education for special education students. [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.]