Unifying Educational Systems encourages leaders to move beyond the traditional forms and rituals of leadership for special education that are caught within traditional definitions of a continuum of services. Grounded in public policy debates, research on teaching and learning, and an emerging consensus throughout the leadership community that calls into question our current practices, chapters in this volume provide a discussion of the purpose, principles, and paradoxes extant in the implementation of current special education policy. Chapter authors discuss how students are currently served, the feasibility of re-conceptualizing special education leadership in the current policy context, and the challenges for the future. Ultimately, Unifying Educational Systems calls for a new policy framework to integrate special education within the larger instructional support system in schools, in order to support a social justice and inclusive practices agenda.

Unifying Educational Systems encourages leaders to move beyond the traditional forms and rituals of leadership for special education that are caught within traditional definitions of a continuum of services. Grounded in public policy debates, research on teaching and learning, and an emerging consensus throughout the leadership community that calls into question our current practices, chapters in this volume provide a discussion of the purpose, principles, and paradoxes extant in the implementation of current special education policy. Chapter authors discuss how students are currently served, the feasibility of re-conceptualizing special education leadership in the current policy context, and the challenges for the future. Ultimately, Unifying Educational Systems calls for a new policy framework to integrate special education within the larger instructional support system in schools, in order to support a social justice and inclusive practices agenda.

"A convincing conceptualization of schools as complex adaptive systems. The authors? recommendations that leaders must "tinker at the margins" and lead in the "zone of complexity" provide sound and practical advice for school leaders faced with creating unified educational systems that will be able to effectively support students with increasingly diverse learning needs."
David W. Peterson, Superintendent
Northern Suburban Special Education District
Highland Park, IL

• Schools embracing special services personnel
• The roles of the community and other stakeholders
• Reconceptualizing schools based on learner-centered principles
• Program evaluation and incentives
• Brain and holographic design as a framework for complex adaptive systems
• Collaboration between school administrators and teachers
• Adapting curriculum and instruction

In this groundbreaking work of practical application, Burrello, Lashley, and Beatty demonstrate effective leadership strategies that will enable administrators to better manage the cultural imperative of equity and excellence for all students. They further support the plan for unified schools through case studies and a program evaluation of self-study guide. An essential resource for general and special educators, parents, and communities.

Leondard C Burrello et al address school change by juxtaposing Fritz's structural dynamics theory against K-12 school practice, providing steps to address structural tensions within schools to create a unified school vision, to develop professional learning communities and distributive leadership, to use data to drive decision making, and to contextualize the process by showing it in practice and through the lives of other school leaders.

"A convincing conceptualization of schools as complex adaptive systems. The authors? recommendations that leaders must "tinker at the margins" and lead in the "zone of complexity" provide sound and practical advice for school leaders faced with creating unified educational systems that will be able to effectively support students with increasingly diverse learning needs."
David W. Peterson, Superintendent
Northern Suburban Special Education District
Highland Park, IL

• Schools embracing special services personnel
• The roles of the community and other stakeholders
• Reconceptualizing schools based on learner-centered principles
• Program evaluation and incentives
• Brain and holographic design as a framework for complex adaptive systems
• Collaboration between school administrators and teachers
• Adapting curriculum and instruction

In this groundbreaking work of practical application, Burrello, Lashley, and Beatty demonstrate effective leadership strategies that will enable administrators to better manage the cultural imperative of equity and excellence for all students. They further support the plan for unified schools through case studies and a program evaluation of self-study guide. An essential resource for general and special educators, parents, and communities.