Special Education Administration and Supervision: the State of the Art

Finkenbinder, Ronald L.

doi:10.1177/002246698101500409

Cited by 11 publications

(12 citation statements)

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“…Following an extensive literature review on the role and function of the special education administrator, Finkenbinder (1981) suggested reasons for the lack of clarity with regard to special education administrative competencies. Finkenbinder concluded that, during the '70s, while practicing special education administrators struggled to define their role, general educators and university communities continued to misperceive that role.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Competencies for administrators of special education

et al. 1992

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Recent changes at federal, state, and local levels that continue to reframe special education have an unprecedented impact on the administration of those services. While many such decisions have clearly delineated changes at the level of the classroom, their application at the building or district level remains less clear. As roles and responsibilities continue to shift, it has become critical for those charged with administering services to students with special needs to examine and more accurately specify the competencies needed to fulfill their roles successfully. The need for a reexamination of special education administrative competencies is highlighted by two recent trends: the integration of students with special needs into less restrictive environments, and greater responsibility at the state and local level.Increased emphasis on least restrictive environments for students with special needs has resulted in greater numbers of students being educated with their peers in mainstream educational settings. One immediate consequence of mainstreaming has been the blurring of teacher roles and responsibilities. Teachers in these classrooms are assuming greater responsibility for students with special needs and are dealing with a more diverse group of students for longer portions of the school day. Teachers in special education classrooms are often responsible not only for instruction in that setting but also in mainstream classrooms. Furthermore, they frequently serve in a consulting role by providing workable ideas and strategies for other educators to use. As responsibilities shift and differences among teachers become less distinct, administrators are faced with the task of determining new ways to facilitate these changes.

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confidence: 99%

Competencies for administrators of special education

et al. 1992

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“…A series of legislative imperatives and parent-initiated litigation led to the 1975 enactment of Public Law 94-142, The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA) (Hartley, 1991). Public Law 94-142 has been widely credited with bringing about sweeping changes in special education (Finkenbinder, 1981;Hartley, 1991;National Association of State Directors of Special Education, 1993;Ponder, 1994;Sullivan, 1986;Whitworth & Hatley, 1982;) (Buka, 1998). Other legislation that has impacted special education is Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (National Association of State Directors of Special Education, 1993;Sullivan, 1986), the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act of 1984 (Walker, 1988) and the 1990 Americans With Disabilities Act (National Association of State Directors of Special Education, 1993).…”

Section: Historymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Changes in legislation relative to special education influenced changes in the role of the special education administrator (Finkenbinder, 1981;National Association of State Directors of Special Education, 1993). Prior to federal mandates, school administrators assumed the administration of special education along with other responsibilities (Washington, 1996).…”

Section: Historymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The mandate for educating children with disabilities prompted growth in special education programs as well as the need for qualified administrators for these programs (Washington, 1996). The need for additional administration and supervision resulted in the development of special education administration as a separate entity (Finkenbinder, 1981).…”

Section: Historymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As the field of special education evolved, the need for special education administrators arose (Washington, 1996). The role of the special education administrator has been described as ambiguous and complex (Finkenbinder, 1981;Furman, 1988;Hartley & Whitworth, 1979;Lashley, 1982;Ponder, 1994;Simpson & Lamb, 1979;Sullivan, 1986Sullivan, , 1996Sullivan & Leary, 1991;Washington, 1996;Whitworth & Hartley, 1982). In an organization roles are determined by expectations employees have of each other (Getzels & Guba, 1957;Hartenian, Hadaway, & Badovick, 1994).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The role of the special education administrator as perceived by principals, superintendents, and special education administrators in West Virginia

Porter¹

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This study examined the expectations held by key administrative personnel within West Virginia public schools regarding the role of the special education administrator. Existing differences in perception of the administrative functions of the special education administrator in West Virginia among and within groups of superintendents, principals, and special education administrators were investigated. Forty administrative tasks organized into seven administrative activities were examined in order to identify potential areas of conflict between the school system administrators. The responses analyzed pertained to both the perceived performance and the perceived importance of each administrative task. The West Virginia school personnel that participated in this study included: (1) all 55 county superintendents of schools, (2) all 55 persons identified as special education administrators and (3) a random sample of 150 West Virginia public school principals. The survey instrument used was the revised Newman instrument. For the current study, the Newman instrument was revised to reflect changes in special education that have occurred since the instrument was used 12 years ago in the Sullivan (1986) study. An Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to answer research questions one through fourteen and an alpha level of 0.05 was set as the criteria for determining significance. Analysis of the data indicated: 1. There were significant differences among the three groups of administrators on nine of the fourteen research questions. 2. There were significant differences among the three groups of administrators regarding the perceived performance of 28 of the 40 tasks and the perceived degree of importance of 14 of the 40 tasks contained within the seven administrative functions 3. The significant pairing included the superintendents and the principal and the special education administrator and principal. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Completion of a doctoral program is not an individual effort. In my case I want to thank my good friends and comrades in the doctoral program, Chuck Bethel and Rudy Pauley. Rudy, thanks for the push every time I seemed to need it during the dissertation process. I want to thank my committee members Dr. Phyllis Durden, Dr. Barbara Kean and Dr. Ron Childress for their great support. Special thanks are owed to Dr. Mike Sullivan for entrusting me with the replication of his dissertation and Dr. Powell Toth for his guidance and support throughout my time in the doctoral program. Thanks are also due to Dr. Mike Cunningham for his great generosity with his expertise and his time. I want to thank my family for their support and patience. My parents, Doris Leary and Dr. Paul A. Leary, have been helpful to me in ways too numerous to list. They instilled in me the desire to have goals and the discipline to work to achieve them. Without that, I would not have been able to complete this program. My daughters, Emily and Grace, have been a source of encouragement and support. My group of extended family and friends has e...

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