Leadership in Educational Reform. - Review - book review

School Administrator, March, 1995 by Linda A. Fernandez

Leadership in Educational Reform: An Administrator's Guide to Changes in Special Education goes beyond being a thought piece for educators pursuing comprehensive reform.

Daniel D. Sage, professor emeritus at Syracuse University, and Leonard C. Burrello, professor at Indiana University, provide a logically organized and comprehensive analysis of current restructuring thought, weaving reform of special education throughout their discussion. Historical perspectives of reform, leadership, fiscal policy, and special education are the base for their recommendations for providing inclusionary special education as part of comprehensive school reform.

Sage and Burrello draw parallels between restructuring goals and the goals and purpose of special education. They argue that separate or parallel systems fail to demonstrate the key beliefs of a culture of inclusiveness.

The authors systematically identify opportunities for developing inclusionary education. Case studies follow each discussion, along with concrete recommendations for school leaders as they pursue restructuring efforts with pitfalls and possibilities anticipated and clearly identified.

The authors take particular care in describing the leadership roles principals and special educators must assume for successful treatment of special education in educational reform.

(Leadership in Educational Reform: An Administrator's Guide to Changes in Special Education, by Daniel D. Sage and Leonard C. Burrello, Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., P.O. Box 10624, Baltimore, Md. 21285-0624, 1994, 331 pp. with index, $32 softcover)