A descriptive study of the attitudes and perceptions school administrators in middle Tennessee have of special education programs
Abstract
Since the passing of The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, individuals with disabilities have made tremendous gains in educational and employment opportunities. As the instructional leader, the principal is involved in decisions about the placement of students with disabilities and is in a position to ensure that these particular students participate in general education, including academics and extracurricular programs. Principals have a critical role in creating and maintaining effective school activities for students with disabilities. This research explores the attitudes and perceptions school administrators have of special education services in Middle Tennessee Public Schools. One hundred twenty seven building principals responded to a thirty-one-item questionnaire that addressed demographic information of participants, their attitudes toward special education, and opinions regarding their building's special education program. An open-ended question was included in the questionnaire to ascertain the greatest challenges principals have implementing special education services. Ultimately, this study provided support for existing research on the attitudes and perceptions of school administrators in regard to special education services. Furthermore, the results of this study indicated a strong need for ongoing professional development opportunities for building administrators, special education and general education teachers and a critical analysis of discipline procedures that are used for special education students versus general education students. Other issues such as funding, parental involvement, interpretation of special education laws, and various special education services (i.e. conferences, I.E.P. meetings, S-TEAMS, etc.) were a part of the results.
Subject Area
Educational administration|Special education
Recommended Citation
Timothy Noel Jackson,
"A descriptive study of the attitudes and perceptions school administrators in middle Tennessee have of special education programs"
(2001).
ETD Collection for Tennessee State University.
Paper AAI3007564.
https://digitalscholarship.tnstate.edu/dissertations/AAI3007564