Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

James A. Bailey

Abstract

As instructional leaders, principals must apply leadership to ensure achievement of all students. There is a gap in practice involving challenges principals face while supporting the ELA achievement of their inclusive special education students. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand instructional leadership challenges elementary principals perceived were necessary to overcome in order to support ELA achievement of inclusive special education students. The conceptual frameworks for this study were Weber’s instructional leadership model and Hornby’s theory of inclusive special education. The research question sought to explore the instructional leadership challenges elementary principals perceive as necessary to overcome in order to support ELA achievement of their inclusive special education populations in grades three through five? Nine Northeast school district elementary principals with inclusive special education students in grades three through five comprised the purposeful sample. Thematic content analysis of data from semistructured interviews led to identification of six major themes pertaining to time, staffing, structures, instructional strategies, data, and applied philosophies. Potential positive social change implications include the possibility of improved ELA achievement of inclusive special education students, which has the potential to increase literacy and improve quality of life. Findings led to recommendations for leaders within the district which may be transferable to other similar district settings. Results of the study can be useful to leaders who aim to understand, recognize, and address instructional leadership challenges to improving ELA achievement of inclusive special education students.

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