Date of Conferral

7-3-2025

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

John Harrison

Abstract

The problem addressed in this study was that school administrators may not be knowledgeable regarding how to support co-teachers, which may contribute to the underperformance of students in special education co-teach programs. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore school administrator perspectives regarding the supervision of special education teachers and the support they provide to them in the classroom. This study was grounded in Bass’ transformational leadership. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 12 secondary school principals and assistant principals who supervise special education programs in one large urban district in Texas serving 22,600 students from low socioeconomic, urban families. The data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s inductive thematic analysis and revealed the following six themes: Limited Knowledge and Experiences in Special Education, Limited Knowledge of the Co-Teach Model, Special Education Professional Development, Scheduling and Planning Times, Poor Collaborative Teaching, and Strategic Pairing of Teachers. Although administrators have some background knowledge of special education programs and the co-teach model, they did not effectively know how to implement the co-teach model or identify the different co-teach models while observing in the classroom, and the recommendation that a prescribed, professional development plan be developed and executed for administrators who supervise special education programs. This study may contribute to positive social change by providing strategies to strengthen the instructional leadership of school administrators so that their teachers may have a positive influence on students’ academic learning.

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