Six Essentials for Leading Special Education

Leading special education within the framework of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) presents complex challenges for school administrators. In a recent NAESP webinar, education experts shared their challenges in implementing IDEA in their schools and offered solutions to overcome those challenges.

Schools that are most effective master these six IDEA leadership essentials outlined by the Lead IDEA Center:

1. Professional, Legal, and Ethical Practices;
2. Educator/Provider Supports;
3. Instruction and Intervention Leadership;
4. Vision and Setting Strategic Leadership;
5. Institutional Leadership: Operations, Systems, and Resources; and
6. Family and Community Engagement.

1. Professional, Legal, and Ethical Practices

Making ethically and legally sound decisions to increase access and belonging for students with disabilities is imperative in the IDEA implementation process. But school leaders frequently feel underprepared to manage special education effectively, citing lack of sufficient training in IDEA regulations and specialized instructional practices, leading to overreliance on special education staff.

“I think my biggest struggle was that typically when you are trained as a teacher, you have one legal class, if that, and then when you become a principal, you have one legal class,” said Delaney Rosenberg, principal of Ellis School in Fremont New Hampshire and a Leader in the Field with the Lead IDEA Center. “You are expected to be either the 504 coordinator or an LEA at IEP meetings. At that table, you are supposed to have all the knowledge about the law [as it relates] to special education. That definitely feels like a lot of pressure.”

Leaders must seek ongoing legal training and collaborate with experienced staff to ensure compliance. Understanding IDEA is foundational to ethical leadership in special education.

“There’s a lot of added homework that we have to do as principals to make sure that we’re steering the ship correctly and that we’re complying with expectations,” added Rosenberg.

2. Educator/Provider Supports

Building and sustaining a committed, collaborative, and capable workforce dedicated to fostering the success of students with disabilities is another essential practice. But staff shortages and high turnover in special education create instability. Many schools hire teachers with provisional licenses and minimal preparation, which affects instructional quality and student outcomes. Structural barriers—such as limited resources and insufficient training—can further hinder efforts to support students with disabilities.

“One of the biggest challenges that I’ve been facing is an increase in number of students that are qualifying for IDEA and related services without an increase in the budget, actually usually a decrease in the budget,” said Leslie Sandoval, principal of Grace Miller Elementary School in LaVerne, California, and a Leader in the Field with the Lead IDEA Center.

School leaders must prioritize professional development and mentorship. Co-teaching models, where general and special educators collaborate, build capacity and confidence.

“One of the things that we’ve been doing is looking at how can our general education teachers come alongside special education teachers and work together to meet the needs of our students,” said Sandoval.

Rosenberg, who also uses a co-teaching model, adds, “[Our co-teaching model] is one special education teacher and one regular education teacher working together to plan, to teach, to assess, to lead small groups. That has done more than me talking to them about how great it is could ever do because they get to experience how wonderful they are together.”

3. Instruction and Intervention Leadership

It’s important to monitor, evaluate, and improve service delivery, instruction, and interventions for children with disabilities. Recently, aggressive behaviors and lack of self-regulation among students—especially those with disabilities—have been rising. Many principals lack training in evidence-based instructional strategies, leading to inconsistent support, but they’re still expected to model high expectations and be actively involved in instructional planning.

One strategy is to implement multi-tiered systems of support and push-in services that ensure students receive interventions in inclusive settings.

“We’re no longer pulling those kids out of the classroom to get services,” said Rosenberg. “We’re pushing in and making sure that they’re getting those supports in an environment that makes sense because there are connections between what they’re learning in the classroom and the individualized instruction that they’re getting.”

4. Vision Setting and Strategic Leadership

It’s up to the school leader to set a clear direction and communicate a shared vision that promotes collaboration and leads to strategic, impactful actions. Resistance to inclusive practices often stems from limited resources and entrenched mindsets, so leaders must set a clear vision and follow through with consistency.

“It starts with your attitude as the leader, being that example, setting that clear communication and direction that your vision for your school site,” says Sandoval. “We had our early adopters that were gung-ho and ready to go and then some that have come along slowly but surely. When they see success, then it’s easier to implement it further down the road.”

Early adopters of inclusive practices can inspire others. Leaders should be visible, supportive, and committed to modeling inclusive values.

“Be really tight on your beliefs, your integrity, and your core values, but be loose and collaborative on solutions,” said Andy Jacks, principal of Ellis Elementary School in Manassas, Virginia, and a Leader in the Field with the Lead IDEA Center.

5. Institutional Leadership: Operations, Systems, and Resources

As much as possible, align resources and develop operations and systems that are driven by continuous improvement to address IDEA challenges. Special educators are often excluded from leadership teams and decision-making, which undermines inclusion efforts.

“Inclusion isn’t just our kids getting into classrooms,” said Jacks. “That’s part of it. But part of it also is [having] your special education staff on your leadership team. Are they involved in collaborative learning teams or professional learning communities? Not only that, but did you create a schedule where it’s guaranteed that they can participate in these things?”

Dia Jackson, on the Lead IDEA Center knowledge development team and a former special educator, resonated with Jack’s statement.

“I remember multiple times when my self-contained class was not remembered or just kind of thought of as an afterthought,” said Jackson. “That really does impact student belonging.”

6. Family and Community Engagement

A non-negotiable is engaging in and maintaining authentic family and community partnerships. It’s vital but often difficult to sustain, especially in under-resourced schools. Leaders must actively build partnerships with families, ensuring their voices are heard and their involvement is meaningful.

School leaders should also seek community among peers.

“Sometimes as that special education teacher, you can feel alone and isolated because there might not be multiple people in your role at your school site,” said Sandoval. “As the administrator, it can feel the same way. There’s a whole community of people out there to support you. You’ve just got to connect.”

Ultimately, effective special education leadership requires a multifaceted approach: strong instructional leadership, inclusive practices, staff development, and engagement. Success depends on the dedication of school leaders to create environments where all students—regardless of ability—can thrive.

“For me, I think it comes down to the stuff on your computer can wait,” said Rosenberg. “There are always going to be things to come back to. There are always going to be fires to put out. But making sure that you get to know all your students, especially your students with disabilities, so that when you’re at that table next to their parents and with the teachers, you can speak to them as a person.”

Want to learn more about this topic? Watch the webinar “From Insight to Impact: Navigating IDEA Challenges in Today’s Schools.” And learn more about the tools available from the Lead IDEA Center that can help you find your own strategies to overcome challenges in navigating IDEA in your school.