Discussion: Why Does This Matter?

Sustaining whole system change as a leader in special education will require establishing a collaborative culture in which additional leaders are developed across various levels of the organization. Fullan and Quinn (2016) suggest that, as leaders master the four components of the Coherence Framework, not only do the leaders become more effective, but the system as a whole becomes more effective and more likely to sustain the change. As you reflect on the four components of the framework, consider your strengths and areas of greatest need as a leader in special education. For this Discussion, you will consider the four components of the Coherence Framework and identify what you believe are the 10 most important aspects of creating and sustaining coherence as a leader in the field of special education.

To Prepare:

• Review Figure 6.3 of Chapter 6 in the Fullan and Quinn      text as you reflect on the leadership competencies needed to sustain whole      systems change.


• Identify the top 10 aspects you believe are important      in being a leader in special education. Support your choices with      research. In Module 7, you will create a video presentation using these      top 10 aspects.

Your top 10 most important aspects of being a leader in special education. Consider the leadership competencies for whole system improvement outlined in Figure 6.3. Support your choices with evidence from the research.

                                                             Learning Resources

Required Readings

Fullan, M., & Quinn, J. (2016). Coherence: The right drivers in action for schools, districts, and systems. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

• Chapter 6, “Leading for      Coherence” (pp. 127–138)

Florian, L. (Ed.). (2014). The SAGE handbook of special education (2nd ed.). London, England: Sage Publications Ltd.

• Chapter 47, “Education Without      Condescension: Philosophy, Personhood and Cognitive Disability” (pp.      803–818)


• Chapter 54, “Special Education      and its Contribution to the Broader Discourse of Education” (pp. 931–944

Kauffman, J.M. (2015). Opinion and recent developments and the future of special education. Remedial and Special Education, 36(1), 9-13. doi:10.1177/0741932514543653

Morrow, S. (2015). Management of change. International journal of e-learning, 14(1), 75-82. Retrieved from https://www.learntechlib.org/p/41283