Blazing New Trails - Connexions

Administrative Functions
The Administration of Special Education Programs in Rural Schools 111
Table 1. Special Education Administrative Functions.
1. Provides professional development training for teachers to increase their effectiveness
2. Addresses policy issues regarding the processes for student, teacher, parent involvement in
determining Individual Education Plans
3. Regularly participates in IEP meetings
4. Participates in IEP meetings to resolve conflict or difficult issue
5. Organizes community members to lobby for support for programs
6. Meets with various parties (parents, teachers, staff, consultants, legal counsel) to interpret legal
requirements
7. Communicates with the public concerning the nature and rationale of special education programs
8. Participates in organizing systems for dealing with student discipline issues
9. Exercises leadership in developing methods for integration of special education services and
supports within the general curriculum
10. Plays key role in selecting and assigning Special Education teachers
11. Establishes communication lines with school principals and other district administrators
12. Encourages special education teachers to develop innovative teaching methods
13. Monitors disciplinary actions involving students with disabilities to ensure due process is followed
14. Develops standards, objectives and procedures to establish and maintain a continuum of
appropriate special education services
15. Seeks to know the parents and interpret special education programs to them
16. Provides supervision for related service providers (such as school psychologists and speech
pathologists) in most cases
17. Provides work space for related service providers
18. Participates in arranging transportation for students with disabilities
19. Provides training for ALL teachers and other instructional staff members regarding special
education programs and policies
20. Budgets and identifies funding sources providing resources for special education programs
21. Writes grants to establish and conduct various special education programs
22. Determines, communicates and maintains standards to insure the inclusion of all students in
student activities including curricular and extra curricular
23. Coordinates programs with various agencies facilitating individual post-school transition
24. Ensures budget monies are received and appropriately disbursed
25. Recruits for staff positions
26. Plans, develops and establishes methods to ensure the identification of all children with special
needs
27. Communicates with school nurses, health officials, IEP teams where appropriate, and parents so
that student special health needs are recognized and met
28. Determines methods of assessment for students with disabilities (such as district and state
assessments)
29. Develops strategies to implement activities, priorities and programs required by local, state, and
federal mandates
30. Maintains accessibility to students, parents, teachers, and other groups interested in school
activities
31. Helps staff members and special education teachers set professional goals
32. Seeks resource alternatives within and outside the district to meet the special needs of students
33. Provides feedback to teachers concerning their performance
34. Deals with conflicts that arise among teacher/parent/support staff relationships
35. Implements and refines methods for student performance assessment
36. Monitors special education teachers to determine the extent to which curriculum goals and
objectives are being met.
37. Schedules work hours of support staff