%0 Journal Article %T Denying Special Education to Students in Need: A Case of Accountability, Compliance, and Fear in a Texas Elementary School %A David E. DeMatthews %A David S. Knight %J Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership %@ 1555-4589 %D 2019 %R 10.1177/1555458918786988 %X Accountability policies have impacted school leadership practices both positively and negatively. In Texas, the adoption of a special education accountability policy led many schools and districts to delay or denial of special education to eligible students. This article includes an undisguised case describing the Texas Education Agency¡¯s district performance indicator that influenced districts to lower the percentage of students provided with special education. This case provides the context for a fictional scenario of a newly hired elementary school principal who is pressured to maintain low special education rates by her director supervisor and superintendent. The case explores special education law, top-down accountability, the intersectional identities of vulnerable students and families, and ethical decisions confronted by principals seeking to ensure all students are successful %K educational leadership %K special education %K accountability %K principal %K students with disabilities %K ethical leadership %U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1555458918786988