Narrative: This artifact that was developed in tandem with group members shows the ability to

use educational research in a larger context to inform duties as a principal and use those research
avenues to have an informed staff. This artifact addresses the issues on multiple levels of both
state and federal levels while tackling the effect that it will have in the community. This artifact
includes how to measure accountability and stay adept on the changes in policy and context that
will reflect in our specific community. It takes into account the state of the social economic
status of our community and applies best practices in the midst of harsh conditions. It also is
involved in the connection of these best practices with parents, students, the community, staff,
etc.

The Special Education Administrative Duties of the Principal

As the leader of their campus, the principal is a unique position to ensure the success, or
failure, of special education programs on their campus. The creation of campus wide
expectations, policies, and the hiring of competent staff all play into having a successful special
education program.
Accountability and Changes in Laws and Policies
One of the most significant implications of NCLB for campus principals is the Adequate
Yearly Progress (AYP) and the accountability measures that flow from NCLB to the campus
when students fail to meet AYP (Egnor, 2003). This is doubly true in regards to special education
programs, and principals need to pay close attention to what the AYP of the special education
students is, and how the faculty and staff can best met accountability standards.
Another key duty that falls to the principal of a campus is to inform faculty and staff, as
well as the general public, about any changes in law and policy relating to special education. A
good resource for maintaining knowledge on changes in special education laws and polcies as it
relates to Texas is:
http://tea.texas.gov/Curriculum_and_Instructional_Programs/Special_Education/Programs_and_
Services/Special_Education_Rules_and_Regulations/
It is important that administrators familiarize themselves with these laws, and also make
sure that the faculty and staff of the campus is familiar with any changes in these laws. This can
be accomplished by an annual or biannual meeting on changes in special education laws.
Staff Hiring

Due to No Child Left Behind (NCLB), all teachers hired must be highly qualified with
some exceptions, and this is doubly true in special education programs. Also, due to high
numbers of potential retirees at all teaching levels, including special education teachers, a head
administrator will no doubt have to make many difficult decisions when it comes to hiring
special education faculty and staff (Pankake & Littleton, 2012). The demand for special
education professionals is ever expanding as the graph from Regent University illustrates below:

http://www.regent.edu/acad/schedu/images/sped-chart.jpg
When beginning hiring to replace a special education professional, as an administrator
you must first decide what attributes will best fit your special education program. Some qualities
to consider when hiring are:

Willingness to collaborate and share knowledge with general education teachers

Familiarity with and use of technology to support curricular access, participation and
learning in special education students
University transcript shows strong academic success, especially in areas relating to the
teaching of special education populations.
Is able to effectively reach students with severe disabilities
Experience using research based practices in order to help reach struggling students
Experience or knowledge of how to implement positive behavior supports for students
who may need it.

Also, if it is at all possible, it is a good idea to be able to observe the potential hire as they
work with special education students in an authentic setting. Some districts have taken to having
potential hires actually teach a lesson in a special education setting (Fenlon, 2008).
Individual districts may have different guidelines when it comes to hiring for new
positions. As with any position, these guidelines should be followed.

Budgeting
The first step in creating or maintaining a budget for special education is to consider the
goals of the program. This includes an understanding of the special education community within
your campus; a need assessment to determine what areas might most need funds and which areas
might need less funds; have a system in place to determine where monies are most being spend;
and continuing to evaluate how the budget is leading special education at your campus to its
goals (Smart School Budgeting, 2012).
The next step is to decide what kind of budget your special education program will
operate under. This could be the same budget the campus operates under, or its own separate
budget. Some of the most common kinds of budgets are:
Site-based budgeting
Line item budgeting
Zero-based budgeting
Program & Planning (Might be an effective budgeting program for a single program,
such as a special education program)
Performance-based
Site-based
(Smart School Budgeting, 2012).
Support/Setting Expectations
Building level support from principals has been found to have a very strong effect on
nearly all aspects of special education teachers working conditions (DiPaola & Walter-Thomas
2003). Effective principals know their strengths and weaknesses and how to recognize staff
members talents, skills and professional interests.
A principals belief in the special education services of their campus can both make and
break a special education program (Connor, Tochterman, & Garrison-Wade, 2005). This means
that it is extremely important for a principal to offer and show positive support to the campus
special education team.

The Principals Role and Responsibilities in Professional Development for Special

Education

Staff Training
Under Competency 006 of the Principal Core Competencies outlined by Texas
Examinations of Educator Standards (2015), principals are tasked with, ...implement[ing] a staff
evaluation and development system to improve the performance of all staff members, select and
implement appropriate models for supervision and staff development, and apply the legal
requirements for personnel management.
With regard to staff trainings and campus development as influenced by special education
laws, an effective principal must determine the necessary amount of time to focus upon special
education throughout the schools allotment of campus development days. This campus
allotment time is a valuable opportunity to impart critical knowledge to ensure the
implementation and knowledge of special education obligations as outlined by the following
statutes (Pankake & Littleton, 2012):
Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
o Child Find requirements
o Disability Categories
o Individualized Education Plans (IEP)
o Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)
o Procedural Due Process
o The Referral Process
o ARD Meeting Requirements
o Manifestation Determinations
o Special Needs Confidentiality
o Behavior Intervention Plans (BIP)
Section 504 of Rehabilitation Act of 1973
In doing this, the principal is providing his or her staff with the knowledge and awareness
to protect themselves, perform their contractual obligations in full compliance of legal
requirements, and ensures that all students will be served according to their needs.
While Section 504 is separate from what districts provide in regard to special education
services, it is necessary that the principals staff have a firm grasp of the different between the
two special programs (Pankake & Littleton, 2012). Doing so will allow for enhanced
collaboration between general education and special education staff while also pinpointing clear
lines of delineation between the responsibilities for both sets of educators. This also bolsters the
staffs ability to advocate for their students through increased awareness and ability in
advocating for appropriate special programs based upon student needs.
Another consideration for principals and possibly central administrators depending upon
the internal district personnel structure, annual compliance trainings can be added upon to
address these issues. Lastly, pressing upon these concepts contributes greatly to the schools
climate and hidden curriculum that pertains to the staff. The manner and structure of such
trainings are additional aspects to consider when determining the desired school climate for staff,
students, and parents.
Continuous Professional Development for General Education Staff

Within the realm of professional development, the most heavily influential process upon
educators is the ongoing professional development that occurs throughout the academic year.
Depending upon the mindset of the administration, the manner in which this development occurs
can vary greatly. One research-driven methodology for fostering continuous improvement is that
of the coaching leader mindset (Lee, Anderson, Dearing, Harris, Shuster, 2010, p.12-13)..
...Coaching offers a new (or perhaps renewed) mindset that is about honoring educators where
they are and walking with them as they polish their brilliance toward accomplishment,
competence, and unlimited results for our [children] (Lee et. al., 2010, p.22).
With special education, the principals role in implementing appropriate models for
supervision and staff development dictates a need for weaving special education into the
coaching mindset. With general education staff members, the principal, through coaching
conversations, will be able to guide staff members towards:
Implementation of Accommodations and Modifications
Collaboration with Special Education Staff
Data Collection Practices
Classroom Management Practices in Relation to Behavior Plans
Referrals
In each of these areas, the principals role is to guide the staff member in a process of
self-discovery towards areas for improvement while also enabling the staff member to determine
the manner in which the improvement will take place (Lee et. al., 2010). The staff is able to take
charge of their own improvement by removing adversarial, dictatorship-style methods of
conducting professional development. While focused on professional development, this mindset
can greatly contribute to school climate along with the campus mission and vision statements.
Fostering increased collaboration and cooperation between general education and special
education staff members can greatly alter a students entire educational experience.
Continuous Professional Development for Special Education Staff
The principal must alter his or her responsibilities depending upon the audience. When
focusing upon the special education department on the campus, an effective administrator must
consider the specific roles and responsibilities of the special education staff in order to best
determine how to foster effective professional development goals.
The special education staff function as a stark contrast to the general education staff. One
aspect for an effective administrator to consider is a special education staff members role as a
caseload manager. As a caseload manager, a special education staff member is charged with
(Pankake & Littleton, 2012):
Facilitating the implementation of a students IEP
Developing the IEP
Tracking annual goals
Collaborating with parents
Delivering instruction within the special education setting as outlined by the instructional
services of a students IEP
Collaborate with general education staff on addressing student needs within the IEP
In these areas, a principals responsibility within the framework of professional
development is to foster continuous improvement with each of these areas. Using a RESULTS

coaching mindset, a principal, or appraiser, can periodically engage in coaching conversations to

assist special education staff in conducting self-evaluations with regard to these tasks. In doing
so, special education staff will be better able to self-identify areas for improvement, cultivate
strategies to implement plans for improvement, and increase the effectiveness of research-proven
methodologies applied within each area (Lee et. al., 2010). Encouraging and setting high
expectations for collaboration with general education staff will smooth out many of the daily
occupational experiences while ensuring proper implementation of student IEPs and IDEA
compliance.
As it goes with many aspects of professional development, the manner in which the
principal conducts his or her role and responsibilities towards professional development can
drastically alter school climate and school communication because professional development is
about influencing the actions of all staff members within a campus (Lee et. al., 2010).
Parent - Staff Relationships

Government policy continues to promote the partnership of parents and professionals

through numerous private incentives. Yet effective, working parent-professional partnerships
remain elusive in practice(Pinkus 2005).
In regards to building key relationships it is important to define and understand how
relationships will function in regards to the special education context. It is the administrators
duty to prepare staff in preparation to define the relationships in the correct context. There are
four principles of partnership to be addressed: (Pinkus 2005)
Consensus on the purpose of partnership
Clarity as to who is in the partnership and why
Enabling power distribution between the partners
Implementing transparency and accountability mechanisms for monitoring the
partnership
In reflecting on these four key points, the principal and the appointed special education
head are able to present a consistent format to each one of the parents. This will allow each
relationship to be clearly defined and constantly tracked in forms of accountability. It is
necessary that these pieces be clearly thought out before the arrival of external parties within the
school community. Having these specific criteria will allow for uniform metrics and records.
This will allow meetings and ARDs to be handled in efficient amounts of time, providing small
modifications for each specific case. These will allow for collaboration at a high level and legal
standards to be properly met. In addition, the consistent format will allow connected parties to be
informed on whom to contact for important parts of the communication. This will allow the
administrator and special education chair to have a streamlined system that allows for individual
and group accountability.
Beyond the documentation and timely effectiveness aspects, the student and the parent
can be served at high levels. This structure enables the frequency of communication between
staff and parents to increase. As frequency increases, the parents knowledge of the
individualized education program process and their role widens. This allows for feedback and
increase in overall satisfaction in the programs. This allows for strong relationships.

Inclusive Teaching

The classroom is ultimately meant to have teachers use effective strategies to constantly
improve the learning (and lives) of students with disabilities. (Scanlon and Boyle 2010) . The
administrator should focus deeply on the inclusive model. This makes sure that all legal aspects
are covered while students are constantly integrated into the general education curriculum. This
collaborative environment can be facilitated through proper grouping, small modifications, visual
stimulants, etc. It is important as an administrator to emphasize lessons and classrooms that
appeal to multiple types of learners and abilities.
In regards to school climate it is important for the administrator to highlight the
importance of the paraprofessional in the classroom as a support and as a partner. In order to
work together to achieve needed outcomes, both parties must work together to look at effective
practices using multiple strategies. It is important for the administrator to highlight the
professional relationship that should take place in the classroom. This builds a strong school
climate to allow the implementation of proper inclusive classrooms and co teaching models.

Consideration and Initiation of Parent Involvement for Special Education Students

One of the components of IDEA is includes mention of parental involvement as
stakeholders in the education of their children. As an administrator, it is important to be aware of
the legal requirements of involving parents in the special education process, including the legal
requirement of providing Procedural Safeguards. However, a successful home-school
relationship for students with special needs goes beyond the legal requirements. As we have
learned and discussed community and parent involvement with the education process is likely to
positively impact the school climate and culture, which also has the potential to impact student
achievement. When looking at the relationship between schools and parents of students with
disabilities, research suggests that this relationship is even more critical as there are often more
disconnects between the parents and school personnel. As an administrator, it is important to
be aware of this and develop plans to promote more positive relationships for parents of student
with disabilities. In the article, Critical Engagement, Cam Cobb suggests that schools strongly
consider the perspective of the parents, citing this as one of major areas of disconnect between
school personnel and parents. The views of the parents and the school in regards to the childs
disability and/or the need of parental input in reference to the school setting often conflict,
leading to broken communication and decreased success in decision making and planning. The
article attributes some of this conflicting perspective to a lack of awareness on the part of the
school, who often has a less personal view of special education. As an administrator, it is
important to provide school personnel the opportunity to participate in professional development
and collaborative conversations in an attempt to gain additional perspective, which will help
have more empathic conversations when working with parents. Additionally, it would be helpful

for parents to receive more opportunity and resources in regards to the perspective of the school
setting. A great source of this in the state of Texas is the Procedural Safeguards document, which
outlines rights of parents as well as procedures. While it is required to offer this to parents, many
times this is skimmed over as a procedure, but it is not explained or communicated to parents.
This is an example of minimal parental involvement, and these are areas in which schools can
improve.
Cobb goes on to caution administrators of taking a standardized approach to parentschool relationship--- being too formal--- because this can have an adverse effect on relationships
with parents of students who receive special education services, as it can create barriers of
formality rather than allowing for open conversation and collaboration. So what does Cobb
suggest?
First, in terms of logistics, school professionals need to establish multiple and varied
opportunities and safe spaces for dialogue in settings and at times that are convenient for
parents. School professionals, for instance, need to recognize that interactions with
parents do not necessarily have to take place on school property within the hours of a
school day. Second, when dialoguing with parents, school professionals need to listen and
respond in ways that acknowledge the different manners in which parents view parent
school collaboration. Parents, for instance, need to have ample and varied opportunities
to speak with educators when collaborating on the creation or revision of an IEP. Third,
school professionals need to create multiple and varied opportunities for parents to
review communications, decisions, and education plans for special education learners.
School professionals need to use regular and multiple modes of communication, such as
phone calls, face-to-face conversations, and clearly worded notes, to share their views
with parents, engage in meaningful discussion, and collaborative planning. Further
research needs to examine contexts where school professionals successfully apply the
above-mentioned practices of inclusion. Such research will illuminate the interlocking
matters of (a) how school professionals foster inclusion through interpersonal interactions
and (b) how they come to value such a goal. The human dimension is a matter of building
and nurturing personal relationships that not only respects parents but also empowers
them (Cobb, 2013, p. 13).
It is also suggested that the school initiates opportunities for parent involvement, rather than
being reactive only to parent requests or questions. Having opportunities to provide information
and resources to parents of students with special needs is helpful to parents, but it is also
beneficial to provide networking opportunities for parents to communicate and collaborate with
other parents, as well as school personnel.
To find out more about what an administrator can do to facilitate parent involvement and
engagement in schools, I interviewed the parents of a child with Autism. I found it interesting
that many of their statements went beyond research, but also supported ideas reflected in
research. The top thing on their list of importance was being understanding and open-minded,
which I felt was similar to what we referred to earlier about seeing the varied perspectives.
Parents feel like it is important that they receive more personal communication in regards to the
explanation of the resources and options available to them as well as school procedures. They
would like to be involved in community events/programs such as family groups and seminars

that include both them and the teacher to bridge the gaps between school and home. Finally,
they felt that compassion for the parents and willingness to work with them was crucial, by doing
things like making time and schedules time around the parents---especially impoverished school
district--- which makes them feel like a priority and that the school cares about them as valued
members of the education process. As I spoke to the parent this evening, he profoundly said,
Allowing your humanity to come through and show that you really do care about the kid about
the parent and that you will go the extra mile, means more to the parent than you could ever
imagine. Not just compassion, but knowledge of the child and how to help the child---or a
willingness to gain the knowledge.