Leadership for Effective Instruction for Students with Disabilities: Lessons Learned from Five State Education Agencies

In April 2024, the National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI) at WestEd convened a Thought Leader Forum focused on ways State Education Agencies (SEAs) can provide leadership to support effective instruction. Participants included representatives from five SEAs, school districts and schools, the U.S. Department of Education, higher education, state technical assistance partners, professional organizations, family centers, and federally funded technical assistance centers. State special education leaders and their partners from New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, and Washington each shared information about their change initiatives focused on promoting effective instruction for students with disabilities at the local level. The Forum raised this important question: How were these states leading change to promote effective instruction for students with disabilities? This brief was produced by the Utah Education Policy Center (UEPC) at the University of Utah, in partnership with NCSI, to address this question.