The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, and the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002, added instructional responsibilities for school principals specific to students with disabilities. However, these laws did not require additional training in special education policy or instruction for principals, despite the existence of leadership standards that oversee administrator certification programs. The requirements for special education training in those programs are not keeping pace with the responsibilities expected of principals in special education instructional leadership. The purpose of this study is to analyze research completed from 1992 to 2015 that assesses the challenges, needs, and recommendations of principals regarding instructional leadership in special education. This qualitative meta-study and subsequent focus group discussions answers research questions addressing the following principal-identified themes: (a) challenges in special education instructional leadership, (b) primary training needs in special education instructional leadership, and (c) recommendations to address those identified challenges and needs. A leadership standards conceptual framework was used specific to Professional Standards for Educational Leadership (PSEL) and Educational Leadership Constituent Council (ELCC) standards, and an updated conceptual framework is recommended based on the results of this study. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]