Administrative Aspect of Special Education Essay

Introduction The Law provides for a throw in appropriate customary reading (FAPE) of exceptional squirtren by ensure the financial meet of instructors of circumscribed commandal activity and the nerve of the program. The disposition of extra subject at the macro level is assumed by the boldness and is usu on the wholey carried out as unmatchable of the functions of the section of fostering (or a similar body). In the Philippines, the Department of didactics (DepEd) is the chief government part liable for lead and man originator development.The Department is primarily in missionary post of the formulation, planning, instruction execution and coordination of the policies, touchstones, regulations, plans, programs and projects in argonas of formal and non-formal precept. It provides for the establishment and maintenance of a complete, equal and integrated system of reading relevant to the goals of national development through the public naturalize days system and it as well supervises all basic rearing institutions run by the occult sector.The current Department structure consists of the fundamental Office and the sphere offices which consist of the regional and sub-regional levels. There be field offices in sixteen regions, each headed by a Regional film director 157 provincial and city informs divisions, each headed by a tame beat appendage super and 2,227 instill dominions headed by a District Supervisor.See to a greater extent than Perseverance essayThe circumscribed precept plane section is lodged at the delegacy of Elementary and performs the following functions formulates policies, plans and programs for the preparation of instructional materials paygrade of programs in particular(prenominal) nurture conducts studies and develops standards of programs and service for circumscribed learners plans for prototype in-service breeding programs to upgrade the competencies of executive directors, su pervisors, coordinators, teachers as well as the non- fosterageal activity supererogatory(a) education effect and establishes/strengthens linkages with agencies concerned with the education and welfargon of children with special imply.The Regional theater director has the overall responsibility for the judicial system and supervision of special education at the regional level. The School Superintendent has the over-all responsibility for the administration and supervision of special education at the Division level and is assisted by the Division Supervisor. The District Supervisor supervises the instill adepts and opposite instill executives at the district level.The decision maker of special education is appointed based on qualification standards set by the Department and provided with appropriations from the national funds. The Department also sets up a minimum standard for the qualification of teachers, and establishes the criteria for the selection of pupils for sp ecial education. In other countries deal the US, education is primarily a State and topical anaesthetic responsibility. The U. S. Department of Education is the bureau of the national government that establishes policy for, administers and coordinates just about national assistance to education.The federal States and communities ar responsible for establishing public and private cultivates and colleges developing curricula setting requirements for registration and graduation determining evince education standards and developing and implementing testing measures to control if schools atomic number 18 meeting their education standards. The structure of education finance in America reflects this predominant State and local region. Of an estimated $1.1 trillion creation spent nationwide on education at all levels for school year 2009-2010, a substantial majority will come from State, local, and private sources. The Office of special(a) Education Programs (OSEP) is lodg ed at the U. S. Department of Education and is responsible for monitoring verbalize and local compliance to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ( caprice) by providing leadership and financial support for infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities ages birth through 21 years old.The fairness (IDEA) aims to ensure that all children receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE) and special services to assist in meeting their educational postulate. IDEA authorizes formula grants to states, and discretionary grants to institutions of higher education and other nonprofit organizations to support research, demonstrations, technical assistance and dissemination, engineering and personnel development and parent-training and information centers.These programs are intended to ensure that the rights of infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities and their parents are protected. Particularly, the OSEP conducts verification visits to states to re view their systems for customary supervision, data collection, and state-wide assessment. During these visits, OSEP staff work with state staff to ensure compliance and help improve the performance of federal programs. In addition, each state submits an annual performance report that reflects the states actual accomplishments compared to its established objectives. As part of its monitoring, OSEP uses performance data such(prenominal) as graduation and dropout rates to lay low perform states.OSEP staff and OSEP-funded technical assistance centers work in partnership with states to mold in send off strategies to improve endings for children with disabilities. At the micro level, the administration of special education is with the school principal. A recent policy thrust of the DepEd in the Philippines is the empowerment of the public school principals where the latter is able to assume more administrative authority and accountability for improving teaching competencies and pup ils achievement.This policy gives principals the administrative authority to have it off the schools funds for maintenance and other operating expenses raise additional funds for the school through Parent-Teachers and connection Associations design and develop his/her give birth school improvement program in collaboration with parents and alliance leaders insert in the selection, recruitment and surgical procedureion of teachers plan and develop an innovative curriculum, using the national curriculum as a framework.For the private sector, the school owner together with a bill of fare of Trustees acts as the school administration and defines the direction of the special education program while it is assumed that they follow the guidelines set by the Department of Education to be duly recognized and credited as a teaching institution. But much of the responsibility for the success of an educational program rests in the administration. There may be proven necessitate, accepted school of thought, qualified personnel, and for sale facilities and resources further without suitable administration, the entire organization may be one of confusion and misdirection.Programs of special education succeed in direct congenator to the efficiency of the administration. More often, when special education is introduced into a school system, the administrative plan usually does non install major changes in the animated organization. The responsibility for the program is often given to an Assistant Principal, a Director of assertion, or some other administrator who already has many duties. Consequently, the administration of special education program becomes a major problem in the education of exceptional children.The surplus Education AdministratorThe term administrator of special education for exceptional children is use to designate the school functionary directly in charge of the special education program. Regardless of the title, the argumentation entails organizing the special education program, equipping the structures with adequate schoolrooms, employing specially trained classroom teachers, ensuring the proper placement of pupils who are non able to attend unfaltering classes because of various handicaps, ensuring that a special academician instruction based on individual differences such as speech correction and any ordained therapy (speech, hearing, occupational, and physical therapist, etc.).Most of the studies ga thered determine who administers the special education programs (both in the public and private sector), what their functions are in regard to both administration and special education teachers, how much time they devote to the program, and whether they are administrators or supervisors. Rigsbee (2008) did a research on what makes a inviolable school-based administrator and interviewed teachers, support staff, parents, and students from a number of school communities in North Carolina.The results of the field head that there are characteristics common across school levels and community demographics such are the principal should be accessible and build a community of caring where students feel at home, there is an air of connectedness, sense datum of teamwork, a family atmosphere, and frequent celebrations so work becomes fun for everyone.Rigsbee (2008) further explained that the administrator moldiness treat the teachers, cafeteria staffs, custodians, and office staff as professed(prenominal)s give the staff a big picture understanding of the students guides and let them do it that they are valued for the work they are doing for the children. Lastly, Rigsbee (2008) adds that they develop leaders and do not micro-manage they work diligently to ensure that their teachers are equip to be leaders in the classroom and they distribute leadership as they advert as significant mentors to assistant administrators and teacher leaders to achieve the vision of the school.Special educat ion administrators play an important role in the education of disabled students. They are responsible for overseeing programs and services for students with acquire, physical, behavioral or linguistic disorders. additional job duties in the field range from ensuring adherence to federal, state and local special education regulations to helping teachers provide the unique services special education students accept.Knowledge and Compliance to the Laws on Special Education. In a record by Saravanabhavan and Pressley (2008) on Preparing Leadership in Special Education, they assessed the school principals in Florida and noted that school principals must need a thorough intimacy of special education practices to ensure that students receive adequate services, and teachers receive pertinent guidance and support for their students to become high academic achievers.Saravanabhavan and Pressley (2008) proposed the need for school and district administrators to be educated not precisel y in the foundations of special education, but also in the legal aspects link to to compliance and implementment of special education services, as well as instructional methodologies, and student placement, in order to enhance their capability in function their students.In another regard, McMullen (2001) investigated the acquainted(predicate)ity of Mississippis high school principals regarding the IDEA Amendments of 1997 in regard to four aspects (a) disciplining students with disabilities, (b) involving parents and students in decision making, (c) adhering to procedural safeguards and placing students in the least restrictive surround, and (d) impacting administrative practice.The study (McMullen, 2001) concluded that although the principals show some intimacy of the fair play, they did not appear to have sufficient knowledge to fully implement the Act, thus, proposed for a comprehensive training that will enforce a paradigm shift from the old Public Law 94-142 to th e impertinently reauthorized law for a more positive attitude toward the provision of services to children with disabilities. It is worth noting the need for administrators of special education program to be conscious of their legal obligations to students with disabilities in outside(prenominal) athletics and extracurricular activities.Fetter, et. al. (2008) cited that administrators in public schools are undoubtedly familiar with their duties under federal law to serve students with disabilities in the educational program. But only a few know whether students with disabilities are entitled to participate in athletics and other after-school activities, and if so, are not informed of what types of services and accommodations school officials and coaches should provide (Fetter, et. al. , 2008).The authors (Fetter, et.al. , 2008) state that the failure to sufficiently work through these issues leaves school districts vulnerable to dearly-won litigation and in addition to juggling the complicated legal issues related to serving students with disabilities who participate in athletics and extracurricular programs, many administrators are taking aggressive steps to promote healthy school communities by implementing body mass index (BMI) surveillance and screening measurement programs.The study concluded that while these programs offer an innovative approach to encouraging good health, they raise additional issues for busy administrators it is therefore imperative that administrators should be aware of the common traps, and practical slipway to comply with the law (Fetter, et. al. , 2008).The US law, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), stipulates that educational leaders must ensure that special and general educators use scientifically based instructional methodologies like applied behavioral programming, task analysis, direct instruction, and cognitive-behavior modifications in order to address the cognitive needs of the students.The proper imp lementation of the IDEA or any law for that bailiwick is enforced by leaders who have thorough knowledge of the law and are able to use these to enhance the performance and welfare of their constituents. The IDEA was revised in an effort to clarify the discipline mandates because it needed to be more consistent in the practices when disciplining students with special needs. However, Principals continue to misinterpret the law or avoid it altogether. As indicated in the studies below, it is apparent that knowledge of the harm laws and how it is put into practice are depended upon each other.In a study to determine the relationship between tabun bare(a) school principals knowledge of hinderance laws and the practices utilize for disciplining students with special needs as mandated in the IDEA, Claxton (2002) employ the Individualized Educational Programs (IEP), Behavioral Management Plans (BMP) or Behavioral intercession Plans (BIP), and Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBA) in the research.The Principals were given the opportunity to provide comments well-nigh discipline and the procedures they used for students with special needs. The study also run intod various demographics including age, gender, true college degree, administrative degree level reached, and years of experience in administration in relationship to the knowledge held of disability laws and the practices used by Georgia elementary school principals for disciplining students with special needs ANOVA was used to examine each demographic variable (Claxton, 2002).The results showed that the Georgia elementary school principals used discipline practices in line with the parts of IDEA 1997 with which they were most familiar but it did not indicate any significant difference in the principals knowledge and practice (Claxton, 2002). Because principals or their assistants are responsible for enforcing discipline and are on the front line in terms of student safety, they are often confli cted rough how to proceed when a student with a disability needs to be disciplined.Moreover, many principals need to be reminded that they are not the sole arbiter of discipline decisions for students with disabilities. The administrator should make an effort to embroil families by offering various opportunities for parents, advisory councils, and a multidisciplinary team to return part in varying venues (open house nights, question-and-answer sessions, and frequent communication via cry messages, emails, and publications).In another study conducted by Stephens and Joseph (2001) in the School understand Council of Ohio (SSCO) using an informal phone aspect to assess the knowledge of indiscriminately selected Central Ohio principals, special education administrators, and teachers they were asked to rate their assessment of what level of knowledge principals needed in order to do their jobs effectively.A three-level scale was used (1) no knowledge call for (2) a basic, workin g knowledge required and (3) intimate knowledge required in four basic categories Instruction and Programming, Placement Procedures, Federal and State Laws and Regulations, and Procedural Safeguards (Stephens and Joseph, 2001). The results showed that the perceived roles of principals differed when viewed by district level special education personnel and practitioners and these views where all in short letter to the self assessment of the principals (Stephens and Joseph, 2001).The findings elaborated the problems of principals regarding lack of knowledge includes the following the education of the handicapped managing the diversity of students with disabilities mainstreaming and inclusion body strategies large-scale assessment and accountability (Stephens and Joseph, 2001). administrative Competency and Leadership. Lowe &type A Brigham (2000) stated that numerous special education governance have cited the importance of the principals ability to be the schools instructional lead er.In special education, the principals role as the instructional leader will often determine the efficacy and the quality of special education services. But research and authoritative reliance generally reveal that principals are not sufficiently knowledgeable approximately important aspects of the education of students with disabilities. A major explanation as to wherefore they are typically uninformed about special education is that their lord preparation may be inadequate.According to Lowe & Brigham (2000), most school administrators do not receive sufficient training to supervise the instructional practices used by special educators. In an effort to both support and consolidate previous work in the area of over faultfinding skills for principals in relationship to special education, St pointson-Jacob, et. al. (2006) asked elementary and middle school principals what they considered to be critical competencies.Information was gathered on the principals endorseground, t raining, assignments, and specific practices related to administering special education at the building level and it was found that elementary and middle school principals agreed on eight critical competencies that principals need (1) managing the education of students in the less restrictive environment (LRE) (2) collaborative teaching strategies (3) the case study approach (4) general/special education procedures (5) parent rights (6) state/federal requirements (7) state/federal statues and (8) recruitment, selection, orientation, and supervision of staff (Stevenson-Jacob, et. al. , 2006).To help administrators increase their consciousness and sensitivity with issues that affect their interaction in the school, Hoy & Miskel (2001) conducted a survey with students with special needs, their teachers, and their parents in the school district.The study concluded that administrators who would like to become more competent with curriculum delivery issues must participate fully in th e planning processes of the IEP and IFSP because by engaging in this process it signals its importance and administrators gain a more complete understanding of the curricular issues that face parents such as tasks that are too difficult for the child homework assignments that are too long and that require prerequisite skills implementation strategies that work and should be continued teachers who are either unwilling or unable to make accommodations for students with special needs (Hoy & Miskel, 2001).The major breastwork seems to be lack of systematic and keep up programs for professional development in special education tailored to the needs of the special education administrator or principal.Therefore, educational leaders must be knowledgeable of the special education placement continuum to ensure that students receive instruction in the environment that will maximize their academic and social skills. In order to rule out increasing challenges and to maximize quality of ser vices provided to children with disabilities, it is vital to prepare school leaders and administrators with sound knowledge based in special education.path work in the foundations of special education and legal aspects of special education along with advocacy for children with special needs ought to become a nitty-gritty area in school leadership preparation. The administrator preparation programs should place more emphasis and time on core special education competencies for principals who can effectively lead special education programs in schools.School principals must have the opportunity and the incentive to participate in sustained and systematic special education programs. Attitude toward SPED Programs and Practices. Goddard & Goddard (2000) cited the highly important roles that administrators play in the education and lives of children with disabilities as they evaluated how the administrators are impacting on the procession of the students with special needs.The result of their study emphasized that administrators can seduce a climate that supports all students with the sentiency of key ideas in special education and important curriculum and environmental considerations that will enhance instruction (Goddard & Goddard, 2000).They (Goddard & Goddard, 2000) further explained that issues pertinent to the population of special needs students demand the focused time of concerned and knowledgeable administrators, and as such, will get on the development of programs that will increase accessibility like limber phase schedules, stipends or scholarships to cover costs of tuition, materials, child care, transportation, distance tuition and video-conferencing technologies.another(prenominal) area of special education that principals need to know and understand is the concept of inclusion and what an inclusive philosophy should reflect. The principal is the educational leader of the school, and as such, his or her attitude and philosophy regarding students with special needs sets the tone and is critical for determining how students with disabilities access the general education curriculum.Inclusion has been introduced way back in the 90s and the law has been explicit about the regulations in terms of a continuum of services however, many inexperienced principals still have difficulty interpreting what this means. Salisbury and McGregors study (2002) of five elementary schools engaged in inclusive practices showed personal attributes similar to those found in the transformational leaders.The transformational leader, according to Salisbury and McGregor (2002) had a greater impact on teacher motivation to perform beyond expectations and the behaviors associated are charisma, inspiration, and consideration of individual teacher needs while they strive to develop shared values and beliefs, meanings, and perpetration to common goals.The study further showed that principals tended to be leaders who shared decision-making power wit h their staff, extended the core values of inclusiveness and quality to initiatives throughout the school, and actively promoted learning communities and change through collaborative, intentional, and supportive practices (Salisbury and McGregor, 2002).In another study do by Kuaun (2002), which attempted to describe the profile of the school administrators (age, gender, civil status, educational attainment and length of service) and verified any significant difference on the perception of school administrators from fixity schools with SPED classes and from SPED schools regarding the inclusion of children with special needs.The researcher industrious the descriptive method utilizing a questionnaire which consisted of two parts personal information from 66 respondents and 48 close-ended type of questions about inclusion and administered them to sixty-six (66) school administrators (36 from regular schools with SPED classes and 30 from SPED schools) from twenty-two (22) schools in Me tro Manila (Kuaun, 2002).The findings indicated that majority of the school administrators are female, married, aged 51 to 60, with an educational attainment of reigns degree (from the regular schools with SPED classes) and Masteral units (from special education schools) and that majority from the regular schools with SPED classes have served longer as school administrators than the respondents of special education schools (Kuaun, 2002).Finally, the study concluded that both groups appeared to have a positive perception on inclusion of children with special needs as indicated by a no significant difference on the means scores in their inclusion perceptions (Kuaun, 2002),. This positive outlook towards inclusion was manifested in the study of Causton-Theoharis and Theoharis (2008) they cited that inclusion and the sense of belonging are seen as essential conditions for educating each child.The commitment of the principal under study implemented an inclusive philosophy which meant no equanimous special education classrooms, no resource room pullout programs, no kids sent to other schools (Causton-Theoharis and Theoharis, 2008).All the kids (kids with significant disabilities, kids with autism, kids with serious behavior issues, kids with learning disabilities, kids in wheelchairs, kids who were high flyers, kids who were learning English) needed to be an essential member of the classroom and school community thus, the general education teachers and specialists (special education, English as a second language, reading, etc. ) had to co-plan and co-teach (Causton-Theoharis and Theoharis, 2008).The same staff was used but arranged differently in all aspects of the school which included the after-school programs, reading interventions, the physical arrangement of classrooms and dramatic changes on the playground (Causton-Theoharis and Theoharis, 2008). Because of the special education administrators commitment to educate all their students together, the school und er study realized the substantial achievement gained by livery students with disabilities in the center of the discussion about school reform and in the center of the general education classroom.In another research, the findings of McClean (2007) revealed that many administrators are willing to accept having inclusive schools and most believed that schools are generally ill- equipped to run inclusive programs. Based on the study McClean (2007) conducted in Barbados, about (20%) twenty percent of the administrators surveyed believed that students with disabilities should be educated in special schools or classrooms only because they shared in the opinion that the inclusion of students with disabilities would retard the work out of students in the general education classroom.While majority of administrators, (80%) eighty percent, cute to have inclusive programs in their schools but were uncertain how to implement and manage these programs without the appropriate mechanisms for succ ess (McClean, 2007).The study further discussed that the success of inclusion is dictated by the principals and the teachers (whether special or regular education) who are committed to providing the necessary support are giving the vital input to make the inclusive process their own and are not threatened or separate by the implementation and management of any inclusive programs at their single schools (McClean 2007). The study concluded that the success of inclusion will ensue by winning the hearts and minds of all stakeholders which include the principals, teachers, parents and students, officials of the Ministry of Education and the wider communities.Abells study (2006) examined the attitudes and factors valued by Kentucky directors of special education (DOSE) who are currently implementing the frequent design for learning (UDL) principles within their school districts to further enhance the inclusion of student with special needs. The purpose of the study was to provide new information to DOSEs by researching leadership issues and aspects involving district level UDL implementation.Department level professional development and technology implementation issues were also explored. The survey was sent to the 176 respondents and the result found no significant differences in DOSES gender, education level, or years of administrative experience in relation to the DOSES own level of educational innovation (Abell, 2006).The study showed that the UDL implementation was found to be significant with regards to district acquisition of curriculum in digital formats and the technology infrastructure to run it but it was not a significant predictor, likewise, there was no significant relationship between DOSEs knowledge of UDL in relation to the size of their district special education population (Abell, 2006).The Universal program for Learning principles call for curriculum flexibility in relation to content presentation, student expression, and student engagement . UDL is a new approach for teaching, learning, and assessment, that draws on hotshot research and new media technologies to respond to individual learner differences (Center for Applied Special Technology, 2008).It is important to the field of special education that administrators are open and flexible to various strategies to find the best possible intervention for students with exceptional needs in an inclusive setting. The studies raised important points, because administrators play a polar role in setting the climate in schools. School administrators who believed in integration created program options for its promotion while those opposed to it have even sabotaged any efforts. A supportive school climate can also be enhanced when administrators set the occasion for teachers to have mastery experiences with the curriculum and with students progress in the curriculum.Administrators who are knowledgeable about the curricular needs of students with disabilities and how special edu cation and general education curricula intersect will be better prepared to face the challenges of educating all students successfully. There are hosts of ways that administrators can become familiar with current and emerging issues in special education.This was validated by Bakken, et. al (2006) in their study Changing Roles of Special Education Administrators Impact on Multicultural Learners. Bakken, et. al (2006) mentioned that special education administrators must take active part in the education of their students and they suggested the need to develop and practice highly effective communication skills because they believe that effective partnerships are built on communication.Other important considerations include an awareness of best practices in special education, effective instructional presentation strategies, curricular adaptations that support individual student progress and a variety of evaluation methods. By being student-centered students know when theyre cared about and know when an administrator makes a difference in a school and in their lives. It is discernable that supporting students with special learning needs is more successful when the principals attitude is positive and sympathetic.At the same time it must be recognized that a great deal of effort and time go into building a successful service delivery of special education programs. It takes a concentrated instructional leader to ensure that all children are able to succeed and achieve in class.It takes a strong instructional leader to ensure that all children and their teachers receive the supports and services they need to learn and develop. It also takes a strong instructional leader to create a positive learning climate that embodies a unifying philosophy of respect for all children and stakeholders in the total school community. Problems encountered.Tate (2009) conducted a survey of 108 special education administrators in North Carolina in order to identify their characteristic s (which included licensure, teaching experience, LEA information, and personal demographics) and factors that contribute to their staying or deviation the field using two open-ended questions that addressed the least and most satisfying.