Principals' Perceptions of Preparation and Practice in Gifted and Special Education Content: Are We Doing Enough?

This paper examines in-service school leaders' perceptions regarding the degree to which their administrator preparation program addressed necessary skills and knowledge to effectively work with educators of children in special education and gifted programs. Principals from a large metropolitan district were surveyed. Findings indicate some dissonance between what educational leadership preparation programs and school districts are providing future school leaders and the on-the-job demands for school administrators. Results are provided along with suggestions for future research.