The following resource suite can support states in integrating effective inclusive principal leadership into policy across a principal’s career continuum—from initial preparation to ongoing practice and continuous school improvement. CCSSO and the NCIPL selected these resources for their alignment to the foundational PSEL 2015 and Promoting Principal Leadership for the Success of Students with Disabilities resource from CCSSO and CEEDAR.
Strategy 1: Set a Vision and Plan for Inclusive Principal Leadership
Advancing Inclusive Principal Leadership State Initiative Mississippi Case Study This case study documents actions taken by Mississippi to set a vision and plan for inclusive principal leadership across the state education agency.
ED COVID-19 Handbook, Volume 2: Roadmap to Reopening Safely and Meeting All Students’ Needs (PDF) This guidance document is a resource for states, districts, schools and teachers as they work to reopen schools and support all students, and it includes guidance on how to support a safe and inclusive learning environment.
Prioritizing Leadership: Opportunities in ESSA for Chief State School Officers This article helps states to strategically prioritize and invest in effective, locally tailored leadership strategies, including inclusive principal leadership.
Restart & Recovery: IDEA & COVID-19 State Strategies for Supporting Local Education Agencies in Confronting the Effects of the Pandemic This guide clarifies IDEA rules, addresses policy misinterpretations during the pandemic, and outlines ways local education agencies (LEA) can use IDEA funds to support effective inclusive practices.
School Leadership Interventions under the Every Student Succeeds Act: Evidence Review This RAND analysis offers guidance for states and districts on how to use ESSA to achieve their school-improvement goals by supporting principals and other school leaders.
Strategy 2: Cultivate Coherence and Collaboration
Academic Supports for Students with Disabilities This brief provides a breakdown of how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted students with disabilities. It also offers strategies for school leaders to consider adopting and those to avoid.
Advancing Inclusive Principal Leadership State Initiative Ohio Case Study This case study documents actions taken by Ohio to build coherence and cultivate partnerships that support inclusive principal leadership.
Forward Together: A School Leader’s Guide to Creating Inclusive Schools This resource focuses on three pillars of practice for creating inclusive schools: establishing common beliefs, creating an inclusive culture and implementing effective instructional practices.
Investing in Effective School Leadership: How States Are Taking Advantage of Opportunities under ESSA This brief outlines promising, evidence-based investments in school leadership from states’ ESSA plans and highlights states that are taking advantage of the optional 3% set-aside for school leadership development.
Leading for Equity: Opportunities for State Education Chiefs This guide recommends 10 commitments that state chiefs can make to create more equitable education systems, including investing in principals’ ability to lead inclusive schools.
Strategy 3: Transform Principal Preparation and Licensure
50-State Comparison: School Leadership Certification and Preparation Programs This resource can help states compare their policies around principal preparation program standards, program review/approval, and certification and licensure across the country.
Course Enhancement Module: School Leadership for Students with Disabilities This course enhancement module can inform the integration of inclusive principal leadership practices into principal-preparation program review and approval as well as principal licensure and certification.
Innovation Configuration: Principal Leadership – Moving toward Inclusive and High-Achieving Schools for Students with Disabilities This paper provides guidance for states on reforming principal-preparation programs to focus on preparing principals to lead inclusive and high-achieving schools for the success of students with disabilities.
Promises to Keep: Transforming Educator Preparation to Better Serve a Diverse Range of Learners State leaders can use this guide to develop principal-preparation programs that prepare leaders to work effectively with all learners through reforms to program review and approval, licensure and certification, and data collection, analysis and reporting.
SEP3 Toolkit – State Evaluation of Principal Preparation Programs This tool can help states assess the extent to which state leaders have prioritized school leadership—especially school principal preparation—and the extent to which the SEA is positioned as a resource to LEAs.
Strategy 4: Promote Principal Development on Inclusive Practices
Advancing Inclusive Principal Leadership State Initiative Arkansas Case Study This case study documents actions taken by Arkansas to create professional learning communities for school leaders and teachers centered on inclusive practices.
Developing Principals as Equity-Centered Instructional Leaders This article discusses developing principals to center equity in their school leadership.
High-Leverage Practices in Special Education: A Professional Development Guide for School Leaders This page provides school leaders resources in planning and implementing professional development on high-leverage practices for K–12 educators.
Intensive Intervention Course The National Center on Intensive Intervention guide is designed to support faculty and professional development providers with designing and instructing pre-service and in-service educators who are developing and/or refining their implementation of explicit instruction and intensive intervention.
UDL School Implementation and Certification Criteria This resource from CAST supports school leaders in guiding and measuring their use of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to create inclusive learning experiences and environments.
Strategy 5: Provide Targeted Supports to Districts and Schools
CCSSO’s Framework to Assist State Education Leaders in Planning for Restart of Schools provides customizable toolkits and templates to help state leaders plan for reopening schools and addressing learning loss following a pandemic or similar school disruption, with a special focus on addressing the needs of the most marginalized student populations.
Creating an Inclusive School Environment: A Model for School Leaders This IRIS Center-produced learning module helps principals create an inclusive school environment, using a process built around Dr. John Kotter’s eight-step model of change.
Principal Leadership: Moving Toward Inclusive and High-Achieving Schools for Students with Disabilities This paper features an innovation configuration matrix for moving toward inclusive and high-achieving schools for students with disabilities.
The CARES Act: Five Things that School and District Leaders Need to Know Now This blog from the Wallace Foundation provides an analysis of the CARES Act.
Strategy 6: Connect School Improvement and Principal Development Initiatives
American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 Fact Sheet This document provides an overview of the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) fund.
Moving toward Equity and Access through Inclusive Schooling: Considerations for School Administrators This guide provides an overview of considerations school leaders should consider when building an inclusive culture.
The Role of the Principal in Mentoring and Induction The module explores resources to help states, districts, and schools support effective principal leadership through mentoring and induction programs in turnaround schools.
Toolkit for Inclusive School Improvement This resource page provides a toolkit on pursuing inclusive cultures as a school improvement strategy.
Strategy 7: Meaningfully Engage Stakeholders as Partners in the Work
Advancing Inclusive Principal Leadership State Initiative Georgia Case Study This case study documents actions taken by Georgia to build coalitions and form partnerships with key stakeholders to strengthen principals’ capacity to lead inclusive schools.
Center for Parent Information and Resources This resource page provides English and Spanish resources to parents and can help states design parent-friendly resources and connect with state centers.
Leading by Convening: A Blueprint for Authentic Engagement This National Association of State Directors of Special Education guide can be used by states to help design or improve a stakeholder engagement strategy.
Let’s Get This Conversation Started This guide provides states with strategies, tools, examples and resources for stakeholder engagement. It was developed in consultation with 15 national advocacy and civil rights groups and contains specific strategies on how best to connect with, speak to, and learn from stakeholders with a unique perspective.
Parent Toolkit: How to Ask for Schoolwide Teacher Training to Help Kids with Learning and Attention Issues This resource can support parents and families of students with disabilities in advocating for high-quality educator development that meets the needs of diverse learners.
Strategy 8: Adopt Processes and Supports for Continuous Improvement
Assessing and Improving Special Education: A Program Review Tool for Schools and Districts Engaged in Rapid School Improvement This resource page provides templates and tools to evaluate special education programs and district/school quality improvement plans.
CCSSO Principles of Effective School Improvement Systems This guide introduces 10 principles to help states evaluate and improve school improvement systems.
Getting Better at Getting More Equitable This study examines how leaders think about and use continuous improvement to address equity issues.
Not Good Enough: Tips for Continuous School Improvement This article provides guidance from AASA/The School Superintendents Association.
Roadmap to Implementing the CCSSO Principles of Effective School Improvement Systems This guide begins to operationalize the 10 Principles of Effective School Improvement Systems and explores next-generation school improvement under ESSA.
Strategy 9: Provide Guidance on Efficient, Effective and Responsive Instruction Resources
High-Leverage Practices Video: Identify and Prioritize Long- and Short-Term Learning Goals This video highlights high-leverage practice (HLP) 11, which focuses on identifying and prioritizing long-/short-term learning goals for students with disabilities.
Intensive Intervention Course NCII collaborated with the University of Connecticut and the National Center on Leadership in Intensive Intervention (with support from the CEEDAR Center) to develop this course content on enhancing educators’ skills in explicit instruction, intensive mathematics intervention, behavior support and intensive reading intervention.
Returning to School: Considerations for Students with the Most Intensive Behavioral Needs, A Guide to Supporting Students With Disabilities, Their Families, and Educators This document outlines what school leaders should consider in supporting students with disabilities’ behavioral needs in the return to school following a pandemic or extended school disruption.
Returning to School During and After Crisis: A Guide to Supporting States, Districts, Schools, Educators, and Students through a Multi-Tiered Systems of Support Framework This guide provides an MTSS framework for supporting the entire state education system in the return to school following a pandemic or extended school disruption.
The Rising Tide that Lifts All Boats: Investing Stimulus Dollars with an Equity Focus This guide provides several specific strategies for districts, schools and educators to consider in order to optimize the positive impact of relief dollars on students, especially those with disabilities.
CCSSO Inclusive Leadership Webisode Series
CCSSO, in partnership with the National Collaborative on Inclusive Principal Leadership, developed Supporting Inclusive Schools for the Success of Each Child: A Guide for States on Principal Leadership with support from the CEEDAR Center and Oak Foundation.
The CCSSO Inclusive Leadership Webisode Series builds off this foundational resource to showcase resources and promising practices from states and national partners related to advancing inclusive principal leadership in policy and practice. The series covers a variety of topics pertaining to inclusive leadership, including Universal Design for Learning, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, distributed leadership, high-quality IEP development, among others. Please feel free to share these webisodes with your wider networks.