A problem exists in Nevada Pre-K-12 schools. Nevada schools rank last measured against all other states in the United States in academic achievement. Nevada students should expect better from the education system, beginning with the influential position of the building leader. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to delve deeper to compare the perceptions of Nevada principals to the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders and Special Education Competencies for Principals. Archival perception data were obtained from a survey given to Nevada principals at the end of 2016. The study addressed three research questions pertaining to perceptions of leaders regarding preparation programs, barriers to implementing the leadership standards, and themes that indicate areas of professional development recommendations. The conceptual framework of the study includes the principles of social justice logic, where what is good for students with special needs is also good for students in general education, and distributed leadership. Findings indicated that principals across the state of Nevada lack confidence in areas pertaining to families, implementing special education frameworks effectively, and implementing school improvement with the support of the district leadership. Since achievement must improve in Nevada schools, these findings contribute to the body of literature to support instructional leadership with professional development recommendations proven to be effective in improving student achievement. These recommendations include topics of the regulations regarding special education, family engagement, and building confidence in staff. [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.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]