The Principal as the Special Education Instructional Leader. Revised

This paper focuses on the instructional leadership role behavior of school principals in relation to the management of special education programs. A framework is presented of the principal's role in seven broad areas of instructional management: community, beliefs and experience, institutional context, principal's routine behaviors, instructional climate, instructional organization, and student outcomes. Results of case studies of five principals are examined, in which interviewers employed a shadowing technique and conducted reflective interviews on which "conceptual maps" of their leadership behavior could be built. The case studies result in conclusions concerning influences on principals' behavior toward students with disabilities, the principal's role in inclusion of special education students, principals as reactive rather than proactive in service delivery, principals' reliance on central office special education staff, and the impact of contextual factors surrounding the school. (Approximately 75 references.) (JDD)