Vol. 11 No. 2 (2016): Are Leaders Influenced by Advocates in Decisions on Special Education Eligibility?

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of the opinions of private practitioners and educational advocates on instructional leaders’ decisionmaking processes when making a recommendation for special education eligibility. School-based administrators (n = 56) with varying years of experience as special education administrators participated in this study. Using data from a series of vignettes and from structured interviews, results indicated that private practitioners and educational advocates significantly influence administrators’ recommendations for special education eligibility.