First Advisor

Vogel, Linda

Second Advisor

Cooney, Jonathan

First Committee Member

Peterson, Lori

Second Committee Member

Correa-Torres, Silvia

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Document Type

Dissertation

Date Created

12-2025

Department

College of Education and Behavioral Sciences, Leadership Policy and Development: Higher Education and P-12 Education, LPD Student Work

Abstract

The special education director in a school district has a wide-reaching role. Directors rely on extensive knowledge of educational law, instruction, child development, employee supervision, school finance, and more to positively impact the education of students with disabilities. Due to the extensive nature of the role, the practice of special education administration has been found to be stressful, and many practitioners experience burnout. Thus far, research has explored the nature of the role, the reasons for special education director stress, and directors’ preferences on surveys of positive coping strategies, but has not stepped back to ask the directors how they are coping now. The purpose of this dissertation was to describe how special education directors were currently coping with their jobs and asked the research question: How are special education directors in the Western United States coping with job-related stress? Using a qualitative, phenomenological methodology, 12 special education directors from the Western United States were interviewed to learn about the lived experiences of directors with coping. I found that directors experienced stress due to the high-stakes nature of student needs, due to being a leader and a boss, and due to the intense workload of the role. In response to this stress, directors experienced negative side effects, notably physical and mental fatigue, and went through a process of adjusting in their lives to counteract the stress. They performed a variety of coping behaviors, both those that could be described as conventional, “doctor-recommended” stress relievers, as well as “bad habits” such as self-medicating and working long hours. However, the directors experienced both their good habits and bad habits as normal parts of their lives that they balanced and adjusted over time. This study has significance for directors as they reflect on their own coping practices in response to job stress. It also has implications for educational leaders who support directors as they seek to understand the experiences of their directors, help them grow in their role, and design job characteristics that maximize the positive impact of the special education director on a district.

Abstract Format

html

Keywords

coping; stress; burnout; special education administration; leadership; special education director

Language

English

Extent

147 pages

Rights Statement

Copyright is held by the author.

Digital Origin

Born digital

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