To address disparities in post-school outcomes for students with disabilities, federal legislation mandates appropriate education programs to include transition planning and programs for students with disabilities. Because administrators are held responsible for ensuring appropriate educational programs for all learners including those with disabilities, it is important to understand their perspectives on secondary transition; however, research on administrators' involvement in secondary transition activities is limited. Using a single-state survey, this study examined the perspectives of secondary school administrators (i.e., principals and assistant principals) on their involvement and engagement in providing effective transition services for students with disabilities and their perceptions of barriers to providing and supporting transition efforts. Frequency of responses show the majority of administrators indicated they were highly involved in including parents and families in transition processes and attending IEP meetings. Yet, they were never directly involved with collaborating with community agencies to be actively involved with students with IEPs. Frequency of responses also show the majority of participants identified families not being prepared to participate in transition processes as a significant barrier as well as the absence of real-life instructional contexts (e.g., paid work experience) and lack of effective supports for students with IEPs from outside agencies as significant or moderate barriers. Implications for practice and future research are provided.

Co-teaching is a social justice pedagogy that can increase educational access to groups of students who have historically been underserved and segregated in their schools. However, a school leader's failure to ensure inclusive cultures and critical support is its greatest obstacle. This retrospective, written by a former administrator and a special education teacher who collaborated on a high school co-teaching model for ten years, offers practical perspectives on implementation and includes actionable leader strategies for creating truly transformative co-taught classrooms.

Social capital (or the ways in which people in an organization collaborate and to a greater extent the quality of the professional community in that context) has a variety of implications for organizations, specifically schools. This study examined the relationship between the attitudes of administrators and faculty at the secondary level toward Internet-based technology and virtual networking and the development and support of social capital within school settings. A mixed-methods design was employed consisting of a questionnaire, focus group discussion, and site observations conducted in six secondary schools. Findings demonstrate a significant relationship between (teacher and administrative) perceptions of Internet-based technology and virtual networking and the development of social capital. Evidence suggests that school improvement as demonstrated by student outcomes (e.g., achievement and a sense of community welfare or connectedness) can be achieved by using Internet-based technology for virtual networking and professional community building. Given the proliferation of technology within school settings, this study provides (1) insights into those concerned with 21st-century learning priorities and (2) knowledge that can inform decisionmaking regarding attitudes toward Internet-based technology and virtual networking.

Though bullying is a near universal experience for middle school students at some point, LGBTQ + students experience additional stress and poorer academic outcomes than their peers do. This qualitative study interviewed six middle school principals from rural, suburban and urban schools. Data collection for this study included two semi-structured interviews over a four-month period. Data analysis included a constant comparative method using minority stress prior-research themes. Principals noted that many of the LGBTQ + students experienced prejudice and stigma. They also stated, that some of the LGBTQ + concealed their identity and at times internalized their phobias.

In this study, we examine teachers’ perceptions concerning the relative importance of different administrative supports for teacher retention across school levels (i.e., middle and high schools), retention status (i.e., low or high), and locale (i.e., rural and urban). Results from our Best–Worst Scaling analyses, with a sample of 178 South Carolina teachers from 12 schools, indicate respect as the most important type of administrative support for the full teacher sample, and subgroups (school type, retention status, locale). The relative importance of other types of supports suggested heterogeneity across settings. Results are supplemented with qualitative teacher interview data.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the experiences and knowledge that informed the decision-making of nine principals from a large midwestern urban district who shifted from implementing mainly exclusionary to restorative practices. Framed by Lederach's conflict transformation theory, the research question was: What knowledge and experiences informed school principals’ shifts toward a commitment to restorative practices? Analysis of semi-structured interviews yielded two themes: (1) The importance of professional development and (2) Shifting from punitive toward student-centered thinking. Findings and implications shed light on how to best support principals to shift their lenses towards restorative practices in schools.

Attrition rates among school leaders have risen in recent years, and scholars cite a lack of meaningful connections and responsive professional learning as leading reasons why they are leaving the field. School leaders are called to navigate unfamiliar and complex challenges, often working in isolation with limited opportunities for collaboration and professional growth. Social media forums, like Twitter, have potential to support a Community of Practice to facilitate learning around school leadership; however, there is a lack of scholarship exploring how school leaders use social media to support their needs. This mixed-methods study used sentiment and content analysis along with a phronetic iterative approach to explore how school leaders use Twitter to connect with others in the field. The umbrella categories of efficacy, agency, and resiliency emerged from the analysis, offering a glimpse into potential connections made through social media. The findings of this exploratory study suggest that principals are seeking connection, encouragement, and professional learning, yet further development in this area could help inform more formal practices to fill the gap in access to informal professional learning.

We present outcomes from a study testing the effect of professional development (PD) focused on integrating restorative practices (RP) into multitiered student support systems on how high school staff, students, and parents perceive their school's discipline practices. A total of 16 high schools enrolled in the 2-year study during which COVID-related school closures and a switch to distance learning occurred. Eight schools assigned to the intervention condition received the PD and coaching during the first year and periodic booster trainings delivered remotely during the second year. Eight schools assigned to the control condition received the PD and coaching remotely during the second year. While results did not reach statistical significance, they were in the desired direction and suggested changes in staff perceptions favoring restorative discipline practices. Quantitative findings were supported by coaches’ fieldnotes which described facilitators and barriers to implementing RP during in-person as well as remote instruction. We offer recommendations for providing support to high school personnel and students as they move toward a nonpunitive approach to discipline that favors community-building over rule compliance in real and virtual learning environments.