Special education is a vital and challenging area of service within American education. The services it provides and the processes which are employed are highly articulated and regulated by an extensive network of federal and state laws. Policy tends to drive decision making processes and accountability more than it guides instruction, decisions about leadership or efforts to promote unity among stakeholders in the schools. Those remaining responsibilities rest with onsite administrators who may not always have an abundance of training or experience in the area of special education. This article focuses on practical issues, enhancements, and voluntary policy considerations that could help promote greater harmony and therein contribute to greater special education success. Starting with findings from an Arizona study that confirmed training oversights, the article illuminates the types of situations that can slow progress and even overwhelm untrained leaders. The article concludes by suggesting changes in the way administrators approach special education coupled with proactive policy recommendations intended to nurture a greater sense of collaboration throughout American schools.

This paper uses data from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to study various input data and their effect on student outcomes. The data pulled were related to school district, local, and personal wealth; student demographics; classrooms and classroom teachers. A multi-factor regression was then completed to assess which of these factors was significant in relationship to the percentages of students scoring proficient or advanced in English Language Arts and mathematics, as well as the districts’ overall Annual Performance Report score. The goal of this research was to identify which input data were significantly related to student outcomes and use that information to discuss school district implications.

Many scholars that study the professoriate and faculty careers have found a lack of clarity regarding policies for promotion to full professor at American colleges and universities. This issue is significant and needs further investigation because various studies have reported evidence of faculty career stagnation as a growing number of associate professors are not being promoted to the rank of full professor. This stagnation particularly affects women and people of color. Full professorship is often viewed as an important prerequisite for future opportunities and professional growth in academic leadership. The purpose of this study was to identify best practices in presenting clear promotion guidelines for the rank of full professor at U.S. research universities. Utilizing content and rhetorical analysis as research methodologies, the authors analyze the promotion to full professor policies at institutions classified by as R2: Doctoral universities with high research activity.

Current educational research identifies the significant relationship between principal leadership and teacher retention. In recent years, distributive leadership has been praised as a supportive leadership framework for school improvement. Given its success with transforming schools, distributive leadership has been suggested as a positive framework for increasing teacher retention. This research-based article concerns itself with qualities of distributive leadership that may support teacher retention. Results from the research call upon districts to develop policy in support of teacher retention. Specifically, this article provides current research from a recent study in Arizona that focused on the impact of distributive leadership with elementary and middle school teacher retention. This research was limited to a large school district in Arizona, though it revealed multiple areas where policy may support teacher retention. Ultimately, this article offers specific policy and practice considerations to mitigate teacher retention.