Important Moments in the History & Evolution of Special Education Administration
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Prior to the Revolutionary War, People with Disabilities Were Placed in Asylums And Given Only Protective Care. Education Did Not Exist. Post War, Procedures to Work with the Blind and Deaf Began and Were Precursors to Efforts to Work with the Mentally Challenged Who Were Previously Labeled Insane.
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Rev. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet becomes principal of the American Asylum for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb, the first residential school in the U.S.
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First initiated in Massachusetts to Serve as the Great Social Equalizer Providing Children with the Necessary Skills and Knowledge to Obtain Better Jobs and Upward Mobility.
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Established the Concept of Hands On Object Centered Learning
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Non-Verbal Assessments as a Scientific Means for Sorting and Categorizing Individuals. These Procedures Were Conceptualized as the Beginning of "Special" or Different Approaches for Students in Schools.
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The Eugenics Record Office (ERO) was founded in Cold Spring Harbor, New York in 1911 by the renowned biologist Charles B. Davenport, using money from both the Harriman railroad fortune and the Carnegie Institution.
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More than 60 years ago, Berry (1941) stressed that the problems inherent in special education administration are similar to those in educational administration.
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In 1904 in Europe, Binet & Simon developed tests to determine if a child "suspected of disabilities" should be transferred to a special education class. The test determined if the child was unable to benefit from regular class instruction. In 1916, Terman standardized the Binet-Simon test for American children. Thus began our history of systematically sorting children into special and regular education. http://mn.gov/mnddc/parallels2/three/001.htm
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Seminal Case Providing the Legal and Philosophical Basis for the Mandate to Include Individuals with Disabilities. The Case was Actually Formulated on the Basis of Race and Segregation. http://disabilityjustice.org/right-to-education/
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Instrumental in Establishing The Federal Government Involvement Particularly with Respect to its Provision Supporting Leadership Preparatory Programs for Special Education.
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The President's Panel on Mental Retardation proposed a program for "National Action to Combat Mental Retardation" in October 1962. The Panel called for greatly extending specialized education training in regular schools and in special schools, substantially increasing the supply of teachers with appropriate training, and coordinating the total resources of the community. http://mn.gov/mnddc/parallels2/three/004.htm
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Book Dealt with Problems Inherent in Special Education.
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Provided the Foundation of Least Restrictive Environment
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Began De-Institutionalization Movement
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Community Mental Health Act; Authorized Funding for Resarch Developmental Disabilities
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Lyndon B. Johnson Created a Bureau of Education for the Handicapped and Created the Office for Special Education Programming
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Established to Provide Federally Subsidized Health Care
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Federal Push to Fund Formal Training of Special Education Administrators in Four Universities.
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Grants for the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities in Public Schools
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In 1966 Research Lead by Connor Identified the Skills Necessary to Lead Specialized Special Education Programs Which Were Essentially Limited to Undergraduate or Graduate Preparation as a Special Educator Plus Two Years of Experience.
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Authorized Support of Regional Centers for Education of Handicapped Children
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Develops the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities (ITPA) Which Served as the Basis for the Exceptionality of Learning Disability.
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In 1970, only one in five students with disabilities was educated in American schools. By 1975, the Bureau of Education for the Handicapped was also saying that an estimated one million children with severe disabilities were still totally excluded from the education system, and at least another 300,000 were not receiving adequate services. http://mn.gov/mnddc/parallels2/three/017.htm
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Emerging Theorteical, Political, and Practical Complexities of Special Education Administration
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First Right to Eduction Suit in the Country to Secure Quality Education for All Children
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Federally Funded University Special Education Administration Certification Programs Reach 20 Programs.
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Argues That Everyone is Entitled to Free and Appropriate Public Education
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NY School Exposed for Inhumane Conditions. Please Review the Following Link and Watch the Videos Contained: http://www.geraldo.com/folio/willowbrook
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A federal law designed to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities in programs & activities that receive Federal financial assistance from the U.S.D.E. "No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the US.. shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program/activity receiving Federal financial assistance"
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FERPA is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.
FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children's education records. These rights transfer to the student when he or she reaches the age of 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level.
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Only 6/50 States Had Certification Requirements for Administration in Special Education
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was enacted by the United States Congress in 1975. This act required all public schools accepting federal funds to provide equal access to education and one free meal a day for children with physical and mental disabilities. Public schools were required to evaluate handicapped children and create an educational plan with parent input that would emulate as closely as possible the educational experience of non-disabled students.
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The Passage of Public Law 94-142 Changed the Direction of Special Education Administration Leadership Practices to Include New Responsibilities for Implementing the New Federal Law Including LRE and FAPE Provisions. The Professional Literature Suggested Special Education Administration Preparation Was a Frequent Topic. Qualities, Attitudes, and Competencies Were Heightened in This Decade Along with State Certification Requirements.
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Burrello & Sage: Special Education Administrators Preparation Textbook Nevin & Raske: General Education Administrators Preparation Textbook Focusing on Special Education Responsibilities of the General Educator These Important Works Established Special and Regular Education as Complimentary Disciplines Strengthening the Rationale for Collaboration and Integration of Special and General Education Leadership Programs.
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The promise of the "least restrictive environment" was great. Progress, however, was not. The system was not adjusting to the new requirements. The placement of students in less and more restrictive environments changed little. The United States General Accounting Office challenged the system to make substantive changes if the requirements of P. L. 94-142 were to be met within a decade of its passing. http://mn.gov/mnddc/parallels2/three/036.htm
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In 1970, only 1/5 students with disabilities was educated in American schools. In 1993, fewer than 7% of school-aged children with developmental disabilities were educated in general education classrooms. The struggle had shifted over the years from getting children with disabilities into public schools to supporting them to learn in the classrooms of neighborhood schools. In 1997, IDEA was amended.
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Handicapped Children Act Renamed American's with Disabilities Act
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The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 requires every state to have in effect policies and procedures to ensure a free appropriate public education (FAPE) for all students with disabilities.
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Congress reviewed IDEA 1997 and passed IDEA 2004 with a new set of regulations. It said that progress "has been impeded by low expectations and an insufficient focus on applying replicable research on proven methods of teaching and learning for children with disabilities."
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The Decade 2000-2010 Produced More Research & Information in Those 10 Years Than the Previous Three Decades Combined. This Decade Developed a Sharper Focus in the Demand for Knowledgeable Administrators and High Quality Special Education Instruction Including Democratic & Effective Leadership for Inclusive Schools. With the 2004 Reauthorization of IDEA, Specialized Administrative Responsibilities were Now Subsumed Within Broader Domains of Leadership, Public Policy, School Reform, & Technology.
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The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), which passed Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support in 2001 and was signed into law by President George W. Bush on Jan. 8, 2002, is the name for the most recent update to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. It Mandated: Annual Yearly Progress and Highly Qualified Teachers.
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Increase Accountability (More Data on Outcomes) http://edicacionespecialpr.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/idea_comparison_97_to_04.pdf
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Obama here releases his admin's blueprint to revisie the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
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Special education leadership consists of the of special education faculty at institutes of higher education, district special education administration, the site principal, and the special education teacher. Emerging roles include transformational leadership, culture, climate and ethos. Follow this link to establish the link between four areas of Special Education Leadership:
http://www.ijhssnet.com/journals/Vol_1_No_15_Special_Issue_October_2011/15.pdf -
Follow the link page 126 to Access full article and table: http://www.ijhssnet.com/journals/Vol_1_No_15_Special_Issue_October_2011/15.pdf
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The Perkins Act defines vocational-technical education as organized educational programs offering sequences of courses directly related to preparing individuals for paid or unpaid employment in current or emerging occupations requiring other than a baccalaureate or advanced degree.
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Challenges to the Further Development of Special Education Administrators Continue to Emerge with the Complexities of Administrator Responsibility for the Balance Between Legal Compliance and Instructional Issues, Including: Limited Resources, Accurate Evaluation Techniques, Informed Objective Decision Making, Utilizing Data, and Assessing Leadership Practices Across Traditional and Alternative Pathways.
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Practicums offer hands-on experiences in which the student will apply theory and law, develop leadership skills, analyze issues in the realm of special education, and apply theories of human relations, administrative, and leadership. Through communication, collaboration, and feedback, students will actively be engaged in the decision-making process as they apply practical knowledge about policies, evaluation and assessment practices, and supervision.
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Coursework includes curriculum, assessment, and instructional methods, special education law, and others that focus on the exceptional student in inclusionary settings.
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International professional organization (affiliated with the CEC) that provides its members with support and leadership. Standards include serving exceptional children and their parents, demonstrate proficiency in professional practice, uphold values and ethical knowledge of the profession, support research of scholarly inquiry.
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Special education administrators should continue to remain committed to the standards for professional practice (as developed by the CEC) in the following areas: Teaching & Assessment, Professional Credentials & Employment, Professional Development, Professional Colleagues, Paraeducators, Parents & Families, Research, Case Management, and Non-educational Support.
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Special Education professionals should remain committed to a code of ethics. Ethical principles include the following components: respect of diversity, promoting inclusive environments, using research-based practices to make informed decisions, promoting the physical and psychological safety of students, advocating for professional conditions and resources for improved conditions, etc.
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Seek professional development opportunities! For example, the Eastern Special Education Administrators' Conference was recently held in October 2016. Keynote presentations included supporting transgender students, evidence-based accommodations and supports for students with anxiety, and updates to special education law.
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Special education administration will become less prominent as general education administrators become more accepting of the concept that special education is ultimately the responsibility of general education administration. The role of general education administration will increase in managing special education as general teachers and administrators become more knowledgable and skillful in special education practices, including interventions.
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There will be an increase in the need for special education administration due to the complexities in implementing interventions for both high-incidence and low-incidence special education students. General education administration will rely on the expertise of special education administrators to implement interventions and supports for students with special needs. Special education teachers and special education administrators will oversee both inclusion and self-contained environments.
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Special education administration will remain as a prominent need but it will change from overseeing the entirety of special education to overseeing the inclusion of students with low incidence disabilities in the general education classroom. Students with more visible and severe disabilities will receive greater support as an attempt is made to integrate them into the general education population. This scenario will be propelled by a strengthening of the inclusion model.
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Special education training will be increased for both special education and general education administrators and teachers. This scenario is propelled by the need for schools to meet the needs of all learners, which comes in the form of both differentiated instruction for students who do not have individualized education plans and students who are actually identified as having either invisible or visible disabilities.
