Leading Inclusive Schools for Students with Disabilities: A Systematic Review of Principal Leadership in the United States

A growing body of research provides evidence that principals play an important role in creating and sustaining inclusive schools for students with disabilities. We synthesized 19 studies within the United States from 1995 to 2024, examining the practices principals use to create and sustain inclusive schools. Most studies provided insights into the challenges principals confront and specific leadership practices they used to advance inclusion for students with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Many studies were qualitative and focused on elementary schools in urban contexts. We present areas of practice principals used to create and sustain inclusive schools and offer a critique of this body of research with implications for future research, policy, and practice.