In this episode, I reframe one of the biggest myths leaders face every spring: the idea that students “aren’t ready” for testing. Through real school examples and leadership insights, she explains why testing struggles often have nothing to do with student ability—and everything to do with adult alignment.

You’ll learn:

• How misaligned instruction, accommodations, and behavior systems create predictable breakdowns
• Why “stamina issues” are rarely about stamina
• The leadership shift that strengthens teams before testing season
• Practical steps to create alignment across your SPED and general education teams

If your school scrambles every spring or if students routinely shut down during testing, this episode will give you a clearer—and more actionable—way forward.

Listen now and start building the systems your students need to succeed.

Diana Williams partners with schools across the country to strengthen SPED systems, coach leaders, and train teams to deliver inclusive, legally sound, and high-impact instruction. Ready to support your team with the strategies they actually need?

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.thespeducatedleader.com

Diana Williams partners with schools across the country to strengthen SPED systems, coach leaders, and train teams to deliver inclusive, legally sound, and high-impact instruction. Ready to support your team with the strategies they actually need?

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.thespeducatedleader.com

Diana Williams partners with schools across the country to strengthen SPED systems, coach leaders, and train teams to deliver inclusive, legally sound, and high-impact instruction. Ready to support your team with the strategies they actually need?

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.thespeducatedleader.com

When general education teachers don’t know their students’ IEP goals, the plan stops being a roadmap — and starts being paperwork.

In this episode of Lead SPED Better, Diana unpacks why collaboration is the foundation of effective IEP implementation and what leaders can do to make shared ownership the norm, not the exception.

You’ll learn how to bridge the gap between compliance and connection, embed IEP awareness into your systems, and empower every teacher to play an active role in student success.

💡 In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why IEPs fall apart without true collaboration
• How to make IEP awareness part of your school-wide systems
• A 5-minute “IEP Awareness Check” that reveals gaps and builds accountability

📌 Leadership Next Step:

This week, try the IEP Awareness Check with your team. Ask three teachers if they can name one IEP goal or accommodation — then close the loop by sharing snapshots and expectations. That simple action can transform compliance into connection.

🔗 Links + Resources:

Email Diana: [email protected]

Work with Diana: https://calendly.com/dianarwilliams/meet-with-diana

Diana Williams partners with schools across the country to strengthen SPED systems, coach leaders, and train teams to deliver inclusive, legally sound, and high-impact instruction. Ready to support your team with the strategies they actually need?

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.thespeducatedleader.com

Progress monitoring shouldn’t stop at compliance — it should lead to clarity.

In this episode of Lead SPED Better, I share how to turn those binders and spreadsheets into real instructional strategy. You’ll learn how to connect data directly to next steps, empower teachers to act with focus, and build a culture where monitoring drives measurable progress.

We’ll unpack the common misconceptions that keep leaders stuck in “data collection mode” and explore a simple framework — the One Goal, One Data Point Check-In — that makes progress monitoring doable, powerful, and purposeful.

🔗 Links + Resources

Email Diana: [email protected]

Work with Diana: https://calendly.com/dianarwilliams/meet-with-diana

🧠 What You’ll Learn

• Why compliance-driven monitoring stalls progress
• How to connect data directly to instructional action
• A simple weekly strategy to make data meaningful

✅ Leadership Next Step

Try the One Goal, One Data Point Check-In with your team this week. Choose one skill, one measure, one next step — and watch clarity replace compliance.

Diana Williams partners with schools across the country to strengthen SPED systems, coach leaders, and train teams to deliver inclusive, legally sound, and high-impact instruction. Ready to support your team with the strategies they actually need?

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.thespeducatedleader.com

When we talk about Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), it’s easy to stay stuck in definitions and legal jargon. But what does it actually look like—and not look like—in real classrooms?

In this episode of Lead SPED Better, I dig into how true LRE decisions are made and why shared ownership between general and special educators is non-negotiable. You’ll hear practical questions to guide placement, real examples of what works (and what hinders growth), and why inclusion benefits all students—academically, socially, and emotionally.

🔗 Links + Resources

Email Diana: [email protected]

Work with Diana: https://calendly.com/dianarwilliams/meet-with-diana

🧠 What You’ll Learn

• How to apply LRE beyond the legal definition
• Key questions to drive thoughtful placement decisions
• Why shared responsibility is essential for student success

✅ Leadership Next Step

Choose one upcoming IEP meeting and use the five guiding questions from this episode to challenge assumptions and design the most inclusive placement possible.

Diana Williams partners with schools across the country to strengthen SPED systems, coach leaders, and train teams to deliver inclusive, legally sound, and high-impact instruction. Ready to support your team with the strategies they actually need?

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.thespeducatedleader.com

Some students ace mental math yet struggle to get a single number on paper. In this episode of Lead SPED Better, I unpack why “show your work” can be a hidden barrier for learners with dysgraphia, dyslexia, or weak executive-function skills, and what educators can do about it.

From number lines and graph paper to assistive technology like Modmath, you’ll learn how small instructional tweaks and the right tools let students demonstrate their true understanding without frustration.

🔗 Links + Resources:

Register for the free webinar: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/oBXA__PzRmyeJ931M-xFWQ#/registration

Email Diana: [email protected]

Work with Diana: https://calendly.com/dianarwilliams/meet-with-diana

🧠 What You’ll Learn:

• How dysgraphia, dyslexia, and executive-function challenges affect math output

• Simple classroom strategies to help students “show their work”

• How Modmath and other assistive tech can remove handwriting barriers

✅ Leadership Next Step:

Identify one student who “knows the math” but struggles to record it. Choose a single support—number line, guided notes, or ModMath—and try it this week.

Diana Williams partners with schools across the country to strengthen SPED systems, coach leaders, and train teams to deliver inclusive, legally sound, and high-impact instruction. Ready to support your team with the strategies they actually need?

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.thespeducatedleader.com

Nothing grinds my gears more than seeing a student completely disengaged while adults shrug it off as “just them.” In this episode of Lead SPED Better, we dive into how Supplementary Aids and Services (SAS) can transform learning experiences—not just for students with IEPs, but for any student who's been written off or misunderstood.

Whether it’s a graphic organizer, a fidget tool, or a speech-to-text program, SAS ensures students are learning—not just sitting. If your classrooms are compliant but not inclusive, this is the episode for you.

• Interested in my “Differentiation Without the Stress” PD? Email: [email protected]
• Need a CICO sheet or behavior contract example? Email me and I’ll send it your way.
• Learn more about working together: www.thespeducatedleader.com

• What SAS really means under IDEA—and how it plays out in classrooms
• 4 practical types of SAS: instructional, physical, communication, and behavioral
• Real-life examples of SAS in action (and where schools miss the mark)
• Why it’s not about “more”—it’s about removing barriers

Identify the student in your school who’s often overlooked or written off. Ask your team: what supports could re-engage that learner—and are we actually using them?

Diana Williams partners with schools across the country to strengthen SPED systems, coach leaders, and train teams to deliver inclusive, legally sound, and high-impact instruction. Ready to support your team with the strategies they actually need?

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.thespeducatedleader.com

Special education can feel isolating—especially when you’re expected to have all the answers. In this kickoff episode of Lead SPED Better, we break down what every principal and instructional leader needs to understand about IDEA, how special education law really works, and what’s at stake in the national conversation about the U.S. Department of Education. Whether you’ve inherited a SPED team, are unsure how to support them, or just want to avoid unintentional missteps—you’re in the right place.

• Register for Unprepared to Unstoppable PD Day: https://thespeducatedleader.kit.com/unpreparedtounstoppable
• Learn more: thespeducatedleader.com

• Why SPED educators often feel unsupported—even in “tight-knit” teams
• What IDEA actually guarantees (FAPE, LRE, and more)
• What “appropriate evaluation” means and why IQ isn’t everything
• Why IEPs often fall flat—and how to interpret them with a critical lens
• How LRE is misunderstood and misapplied in real schools
• What happens if the Department of Ed is dismantled—and who will pay the price

Ask your SPED team this question: "If I could change one thing about how we support your role, what would it be?" Then listen—and act.

Diana Williams partners with schools across the country to strengthen SPED systems, coach leaders, and train teams to deliver inclusive, legally sound, and high-impact instruction. Ready to support your team with the strategies they actually need?

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.thespeducatedleader.com