Thompson Policy Institute on Disability Expands Inclusive Principal Leadership Work with New Three-Year Grant

Chapman University’s Thompson Policy Institute on Disability (TPI) at the Attallah College of Educational Studies has been awarded an $848,859, three-year grant to expand its inclusive principal leadership work nationally.  

The project is led by Meghan Cosier, professor and executive director of the Thompson Policy Institute on Disability, and Audri Sandoval Gomez, director of the Thompson Policy Institute on Disability, who serves as co-principal investigator. Kari Adams serves as director of the Inclusive Leadership Center. 

The investment reflects a growing recognition that school leadership is a critical driver of inclusive and equitable schools. Many principals have not received adequate preparation to meet the needs of students with disabilities, and this new funding allows TPI to scale its work beyond its initial project. 

Building on the Inclusive Leadership Framework and Guidebook, the grant supports expanded professional learning, coaching, and research for both current and future school leaders. This phase also deepens engagement with faculty and instructors in administrator preparation programs and strengthens partnerships with county, state, and national organizations, including the Orange County Department of Education.  

Since launching in July 2023, TPI’s inclusive leadership initiative has reached more than 3,500 educators nationwide. Over that span, key milestones included the formation of a National Educational Leadership Advisory Board, the development of the Five Core Competencies of Inclusive Leadership framework, the finalization of the Inclusive Leadership Framework and Guidebook, and multiple cohorts of a Networked Improvement Community. The Inclusive Leadership Institute, delivered in partnership with the California MTSS Professional Learning Institute, engaged more than 900 attendees across two years. Additional efforts included district-based professional learning with multiple California school districts, among other initiatives.  

Over the next three years, TPI aims to use this opportunity, funded by the Oak Foundation, to integrate inclusive leadership competencies into administrator preparation coursework and partner with state credentialing and accreditation bodies to inform program standards.