Principals’ Depth of Perception of Knowledge on Special Education Programs: How Much Do They Really Know?

Abstract

In this study, research centered on the degree to which principals felt knowledgeable about basic generic leadership as well as special education functions. Current principals were selected from the 2018 state DOE databases from five states—Georgia, New York, Michigan, Vermont, and Oregon representing a wide demographic base. Ten (10) functions were generic leadership functions such as budget preparation or evaluating teachers while ten (10) others were related to special education such as authorship of Individual Education Plan (IEP’s) or Response to Intervention (RTI) strategies. Data suggest that a moderate difference exists with higher ratings attributed to generic leadership functions.

Preparing Special Educators and School Principals in Special Education Law: An Undervalued Area of Professional Training?

“…Furthermore, in-service principals report a great need for additional training in special education (Bai & Martin, 2015; Lasky & Karge, 2006; Schaaf et al, 2015), with direct assessments revealing that only 30.9% of in-service principals were able to correctly answer questions related to IDEA (Casale et al, 2021). In Pregot’s (2021) recent survey concerning the self-reported depth of knowledge of different administrative functions, 485 administrators indicated that of the lesser knowledgeable topics the majority (7 of 10) were related to special education. We must rethink how we are preparing and training these school leaders.…”

“…Although other school district professionals may support compliance with the Act, the oversight and evaluation of staff falls to the building-level principals. In fact, a recent survey of 485 in-service principals ranked teacher observation, inclusive education practices, and understanding IEPs in their top five administrative functions (Pregot, 2021). Thus, the intricacies of understanding "specially designed instruction" (34 CFR §300.39) and IEP implementation require that principals, at minimum, evaluate quality instruction and, when overseeing IEP meetings, adhere to IDEA's procedural requirements.…”

The Leading Wisdom Development Framework: An Integrated Roadmap for Cultivating a Sense of Purpose and Meaning

“…The school principals also tend to have limited knowledge about educating gifted learners. In a recent study (Pregot, 2021) about the principals’ ( n = 485) knowledge of special education programs from five states in the United States, the researcher found that a vision of gifted and talented programs was “practically nonexistent,” (p. 16) with 32 principals rating programming for gifted learners as “a leadership function outside of their leadership jurisdiction” (p. 11) . Callahan et al (2017) surveyed 1,566 district gifted administrators to explore how the state gifted policy was being translated into local practices.…”