Updated to address recent federal mandates, this new edition of the best-selling guide helps principals navigate accountability requirements and build high-quality special education programs. New information enables educational administrators to:
What Every Principal Needs to Know About Special Education
Principals should understand academic standards for every grade level in their school and have a working knowledge of the curriculum and teaching materials, said Susan Korach, an associate professor of education leadership at Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver. But also essential is knowing how to evaluate and collect evidence that students are learning, she said.
Those steps will give the principal a more nuanced look at teaching in an area outside of his or her expertise. And as part of sharing instructional leadership with other senior team members, the principal can ask the assistant principal to do the same to deepen their expertise. If they choose a different subject each year, over the course of time, they would know much more about the subjects that are being taught in their schools than they did when they started, she said.
Purpose: To highlight the important role of principals in implementing inclusive and effective special education services and to offer policy recommendations to support additional training and ongoing professional learning for school leaders.
The process of obtaining and interpreting psychological evaluations is usually the responsibility of the school psychologist and special education team, but principals are often involved in discussions regarding these evaluations and what the results may mean for a student's educational services. An evaluation's usefulness is greatly enhanced when administrators understand the purpose, strengths, and limitations of the various procedures and hold realistic expectations for the value of results.
A psychological evaluation is a set of assessment procedures administered by a licensed psychologist or credentialed school psychologist to obtain information about a student's learning, behavior, or mental health. Evaluations can be requested by parents, school personnel, or students who are of majority age. School psychologists most often conduct evaluations as part of the special education team's evaluation to determine eligibility for services; however, they might also conduct evaluations to help develop instructional or behavior plans for students, to identify significant mental health concerns, or to determine eligibility for gifted programs or school readiness.
Comprehensive evaluation: Not all types of assessment procedures are used or needed to conduct a comprehensive evaluation. The psychologist selects those procedures and tools that will help answer the referral questions. What is important is that the array of information gathered includes a review of what is already known, new information about areas of concern from a variety of sources, and verification of life factors (e.g., language or economics) that may affect the evaluation or the student's learning and behavior.
Most students with disabilities spend the majority of their school day in a general education setting. Therefore, it is essential for all teachers and school leaders to have knowledge, skill, and ongoing professional development to meet their complex learning needs. In this webinar, presenters will provide an overview of the HLPs, share a resource for school leaders to encourage implementation, and discuss strategies that can be used to differentiate support for beginning special and general education teachers.
Special education is instruction that is specially designed to meet the unique needs of children who have disabilities. Special education and related services are provided in public schools at no cost to the parents and can include special instruction in the classroom, at home, in hospitals or institutions, or in other settings. This definition of special education comes from IDEA, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This law gives eligible children with disabilities the right to receive special services and assistance in school.
However, the school does not have to evaluate your child just because you have asked. The school may not think your child has a disability or needs special education. In this case, the school may refuse to evaluate your child. It must let you know this decision in writing, as well as why it has refused. This is called giving you prior written notice. (For more information about prior written notice, see Q&A on Parent Participation, available online at:
IDEA gives clear directions about how schools must conduct evaluations. For example, tests and interviews must be given in the language (for example, Spanish, sign language) or communication mode (for example, Braille, using a picture board or an alternative augmentative communication device) that is most likely to yield accurate information about what your child knows or can do developmentally, functionally, and academically. The tests must also be given in a way that does not discriminate against your child because he or she has a disability or is from a different racial or cultural background.
In some cases, once the evaluation has begun, the outside specialist may ask to do more testing. Make sure you tell the specialist to contact the school. If the testing is going beyond what the school originally asked for, the school needs to agree to pay for the extra testing.
If the school does hold the meeting without you, it must keep you informed about the meeting and any decisions made there. The school must also ask for (and receive) your written permission before special education and related services may be provided to your child for the first time.
The IEP team will also talk about the related services your child may need to benefit from his or her special education. The IDEA lists many related services that schools must provide if eligible children need them. Examples of related services include:
As the primary leader in the school community, the school principal has ultimate responsibility foreverything that takes place in the school, and in some situations, outside of school. Legally, principals canbe held responsible even when they personally haven't done anything wrong. Good school leaders know andunderstand their legal responsibilities, where the pitfalls may be, and how to avoid them. Here are five legalhazards every principal needs to be prepared for.
The New York State Board of Regents and the State Education Department have set highgoals for educational programs and services for students with disabilities in New York.Among them are: All students will meet high standards for academic performance and personal behavior and demonstrate the knowledge and skills required by a dynamic world.
All educational institutions will meet Regents high performance standards.
The public will be served by qualified, ethical professionals who remain current with best practice in their fields and reflect the diversity of New York State.
Education, information and cultural resources will be available and accessible to all people.
The Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities(VESID) strategic plan is driven by a vision that is based on the belief that individualswith disabilities, given high expectations, opportunities and support when necessary, willlive successful adult lives. Children learn to become independent adults, contributing tosociety and participating in the community through quality educational and socialexperiences with their peers. The Rehabilitation Act of 1992 states clearly thatdisability is a natural part of the human experience and that individuals withdisabilities have the right to: live independently.
contribute to society.
pursue meaningful careers.
enjoy self-determination.
make choices.
enjoy integration in the economic, political, social, cultural and educational mainstream of American society.
This document provides information for parents, guardians and other family membersabout laws, regulations and policies affecting special education programs and services.However, these protections, rights and opportunities will best help students reach theirfull potential when parents, families and schools work collaboratively. Setting highexpectations for students and high standards for programs will provide the greatestopportunities for a successful adult life.
Special education means specially designed individualized or group instruction orspecial services or programs to meet the unique needs of students with disabilities.Special education services and programs are provided at no cost to the parent.
Step 4: Individualized Education Program (IEP)If the child is eligible to receive special education services, theCommittee develops and implements an appropriate IEP, based on evaluation results, to meetthe needs of the student. Based on the IEP, the Committee must determine thestudent's placement, ensuring that services are provided in the leastrestrictive environment (LRE). Placement must be as close as possible to thestudent's home, and unless the student's IEP requires some other arrangement,the student must be educated in the school he or she would have attended if notdisabled. For more information see least restrictive environment.
A referral is a written statement asking that the school district evaluate your childto determine if he or she needs special education services. This written statement shouldbe addressed to the chairperson of your school district’s Committee or your schoolprincipal. The referral may result in a request to have your child tested to see if he orshe needs special education services. In some cases, you may want to meet with theprincipal before agreeing to test your child to discuss other ways to assist your child.As a result, the referral may be withdrawn. 2ff7e9595c
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