Collaborating with Special Education Administrators

Overview & Synopsis

The Education for All Handicapped Children Act was reauthorized as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1990. When reauthorized in 2004 it maintained the IDEA acronym although it is now the Individuals with Disabilities Education "Improvement" Act. The federal government further demonstrated its emphasis on improvement by coordinating IDEA's school efforts with those of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001. IDEA and NCLB contribute to the developing environment of uniting general and special education students by emphasizing accountability and improved academic achievement. For example, IDEA permits the use of up to 15 percent of early intervention funding for students who may need supplementary academic and behavioral support, but who have not been identified as eligible for special education and related services--a population that consistently has been either left out or benefited very little from the system of supplementary support. In keeping with the policy shift aimed at coordinating improvement of education for both general and special education students, now is the time for general and special education staff to work together. In this article, the author presents and discusses three major questions that principals and special education staff should consider as they collaborate to effect education reform for all students: (1) What must principals keep in mind to work effectively with their special education staff in meeting district, state, and national goals? (2) What are the key challenges that schools face in their reform efforts? and (3) How can principals and special education administrators collaborate to create individualized education programs (IEPs)? (Contains 2 online resources.)