1. KEY POINTS IN SPECIAL
EDUCATION FOR
ADMINISTRATORS
By
Kari Lewinsohn
Fall, 2010

2. Objectives
Expand the knowledge base of special education
requirements; best practices for instruction and
setting; and support for staff.
Increase comfort levels of principals to administer
special education programs effectively.

3. Format of presentation
General overview of key points in special
education.
Book study option of What every principal needs to
know about special education by Margaret
McLaughlin
Can be purchased separately or 80% of book can be
viewed on books.google.com for free
Paraeducator supplemental presentation courtesy
of Council of Exceptional Children

4. Book Study Option
5 Things Every Principal needs to know about
Special Education
Presentation based
on the book:
What every
principal
should know
about
special
education
1.
By Margaret
McLaughlin
4.
2.
3.
5.
Core special education legal
foundations and entitlements.
Effective individualization that matches
instruction to the learning
characteristics of students with
disabilities.
Special education is neither a place nor
a program, but a set of services.
Meaningful inclusion
Create conditions that integrate special
education in all aspects of school
improvement.

5. Know where you are going and what
you are up against.
Click on picture to view video.

6. Effective Leadership
“Research has demonstrated
that principals who focus on
instructional issues, demonstrate
administrative support for special
education, and provide high-quality
professional development for
teachers produce enhanced
outcomes for students with
disabilities and for others at
risk for school failure”
(DiPaola & Walther-Thomas,
2003, p 9).
Fill-out the Reflection
Worksheet on page ***
of the handout.
On a sticky note write
down which of the three
recommended focuses
are the most difficult to
maintain.
Place sticky note on the
correct section of the
poster.

7. The Role of the Building Administrator
in Special Education Supervision
Directions
Read through the
article in the packet
titled:
On page *** of the
packet complete the
worksheet???
Additional Reading
Excerpt Link
Teaching Leaders to Lead
Teachers: Educational
Administration in the Era of
Constant Crisis By Donahoo
and Hunter
http://books.google.com/boo
ks?hl=en&lr=&id=91qGGG_
aXSAC&oi=fnd&pg=PA99&o
ts=oRANF4qZkh&sig=xQHOz
6p3D5ZRuwT96CalTL29jDE#
v=onepage&q&f=false

8. Section 1 of “What every principal needs
to know about special education”
Key points from Section 1
Book study assignment

9. #1
Legal foundations
Effective administrators must have
Working knowledge about
disabilities and the unique
learning and behavioral
challenges they present.
Understand the specific
duties associated with
special education
personnel.
Background in effective
instructional practices.
Effective administrators are
responsible for:
Communicating with
families;
Supporting special
education personnel;
Monitoring programs and
student progress;
Building teaming
Encouraging local
“experts” to support staff

10. Legal primer
Review legal primer
Key cases in special
education law are
reviewed.
Jigsaw activity
Divide into teams of 5,
have each member
select 1 case to review.
Share key points with
your group
Current samples of case law
http://www.wrightslaw
.com/caselaw.htm
Look through the
samples of current
case law, share your
thoughts and concerns.

11. Paraeducators
Secondary 30 minute Presentation
Secondary Presentation on
Paraeducators
CEC powerpoint on Paraeducators
Article
“Determining when a child
needs paraeducator
support”
July, 2007 CEC
Powerpoint
Click the above link to
start the presentation
on paraeducators.

12. #2
Effective Instruction and Differentiation
Preconceptions
Fill out the worksheet
on page *** of the
packet.
With a small group
share your answers to
each statement.
How to differentiate instruction
Differentiated
instruction is one of the
buzz words in
education.
Visit this website to
gain additional
resources.

13. Key points on differentiation
#1 Know your students
Determine the ability
level of your students
Survey student
interests
Develop plan for
managing behavior
#2 Have a repertoire of teaching
strategies
Examples:
Direct instruction
Inquire-based learning
Cooperative learning
Information processing
strategies (ex: graphic
organizers)

14. #3 Identify a variety of
Instructional activities
Activities that motivate
and challenge.
Good activities require
students to develop
and apply knowledge
in meaningful and
relevant ways
#4 Identify ways to assess or
evaluate student progress
Examples of
assessments include:
Portfolios
Rubrics
Performance-based
assessments
Knowledge mapping

15. #3
Least Restrictive Environment
Least Restrictive Environment
There are 10 levels of LRE for
students with active IEP
services.
Key that team members are in
agreement on the plan.
Try to work your way down
the levels until the team finds
something that fits the needs
of the child, not what the
school staff or parents want.
Least Restrictive Environment
Levels (Page ***)

16. Accommodations and Modifications
Accommodations
Accommodations are
used in order to allow
students to complete the
same assignment or test
as the other students.
The outcome is not
altered for the student.
Examples: Braille version
of the test/ student
providing answers orally
Modifications
Modifications adjust the
assignment or test in such a
way that it is not equivalent to
the finished product.
The outcome is based on the
individual performance of the
student.
Examples: alternative
assignments; partial
completion of assignment

17. Accommodations and Modifications
Assignment
Skim through the
document found on
pages ***** of the
packet.
How can you use this
document to facilitate
greater inclusion for
students in your setting?

19. Case law on LRE
Greer vs. Rome
City School
District (11th
Circuit Court,
1992)
Theme:
supplementary
aids and
services
In this case, the court decided in favor of parents who objected to the
placement of their daughter in a self-contained special education
classroom. Specifically, the court said: "Before the school district may
conclude that a handicapped child should be educated outside of the
regular classroom it must consider whether supplemental aids and
services would permit satisfactory education in the regular classroom."
The district had considered only three options for the child:
The regular education classroom with no supplementary aids and services;
The regular classroom with some speech therapy only;
The self-contained special education classroom.
The district argued that the costs of providing services in the classroom
would be too high. However, the court said that the district cannot refuse
to serve a child because of added cost.
On the other hand, the court also said that a district cannot be required
to provide a child his/her own full-time teacher. As in many decisions of
this type, no clear determination is made about when costs move from
reasonable to excessive. The major message in this case is that all
options must be considered before removing a child from the regular
classroom.

20. Case law on LRE
Sacramento C
ity Unified
School District
vs. Holland
(9th Circuit
Court, 1994)
Theme:
Academic
and nonacademic
benefits
In this case, the circuit court upheld the decision of the lower court in finding for the
Holland family. The parents in this case challenged the district's decision to place
their daughter half-time in a special education classroom and half-time in a regular
education classroom. The parents wanted their daughter in the regular classroom
full-time.
A number of issues were addressed in this decision. The court considered a 1989
case in Texas, (Daniel R.R.), which found that regular education placement is
appropriate if a disabled child can receive a satisfactory education, even if it is
not the best academic setting for the child. Non-academic benefits must also be
considered.
In upholding the lower court decision, the 9th Circuit Court established a four-part
balancing test to determine whether a school district is complying with IDEA.
The four factors were as follows:
The educational benefits of placing the child in a full-time regular education program;
The non-academic benefits of such a placement;
The effect the child would have on the teacher and other students in the regular classroom;
The costs associated with this placement.
As a result of applying these factors, the court found in favor of including the child.

21. Case law on LRE
Oberti vs. Board
of Education of
the Borough of
Clementon
School District
(3rd Circuit
Court, 1993)
Theme:
accommodations
and affect on
other children in
placement
In finding for the parents in Oberti, the court ruled in favor of a
placement that was more inclusive than that provided by a selfcontained placement. Specifically, the court ruled that three
factors must be considered:
The court should consider whether the district made reasonable
efforts to accommodate the child in regular education. The school
must "consider the whole range of supplemental aids and services . .
."
The court should compare the educational benefits the child would
receive in regular education (with supplemental aids and services)
contrasted with the benefits in a special education classroom.
The court should consider the effect the inclusion of the child with
disabilities might have on the education of other children in the
regular education classroom.
If, after considering these factors, the court determines that the
child cannot be educated satisfactorily in a regular classroom,
the court must consider whether the schools have included the
child in school programs to the maximum extent appropriate.

22. Case law on LRE
Poolaw vs.
Parker
Unified
School District
(9 th Circuit
Court, 1995)
Theme:
More
restrictive
environment
In this case, the court ruled in favor of the district's
offer of a residential placement contrary to the
wishes of the family that their child be educated in a
regular education classroom. The court stated that
the child's previous and current district placements
had adequately explored the effectiveness of
regular education placement with supplemental aids
and services. In doing so, the district found that the
benefits of regular education placement were
minimal and that the child's educational needs could
be met appropriately only by the residential
placement offered by the district.

23. Case law on LRE
School
District of
Wisconsin Dells
v. Z. S. (7 th
Circuit Court,
2002)
Theme:
More restrictive
environment
due to violent
behavior
The court held that the District’s decision to provide a home bound
education program for a student with autism did not violate IDEA. From
kindergarten through fourth grade, Z. S. had a history of kicking and
biting people, tearing his clothes and breaking furniture. At age ten, he
was placed in a residential facility where he did well. The following
school year, attempts were made to return him to the public school
setting, but he again was violent, disruptive, and truant. He was placed
in a specialized school, but was removed after less than a month. Finally,
the District determined (after a month without providing services) that it
would educate the student at his home. Although the child’s guardian
sued the district because she wanted him to attend the public school, the
court held that given the child’s history of unmanageable, violent
behavior, the district reasonably concluded that there was no basis for
believing that he could function successfully in a regular school
environment.
There are other court decisions in favor of more restrictive placements,
including a 1991 decision in the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals that
approved a centralized program for a wheelchair-bound student with
spina bifida. In this instance, the court decided that school authorities did
not have to modify the neighborhood school for wheelchairs when an
accessible program was available elsewhere in the school district.

24. Scenario Activity
Directions
With a partner, choose a
scenario.
Use the checklist on pages ***
of the packet.
Determine what you would
consider to be the least
restrictive environment based
upon the information
presented. Be ready to
defend your selection.
Scenarios
1.
Melodie, Grade 1
2.
Davie, Grade 3
3.
Jordan, Grade 8
4.
Jasmine, Grade 11

25. #4
Effective Inclusion
Video
Activity Instruction
Watch the video
Fill out the chart with
your questions,
comments, and key
points
Share one of each
with the group, discuss
ideas & solutions

26. Research on Inclusion
Inclusive and collaborative
Research has shown
that as schools become
more collaborative,
inclusive practices
increase.
Research findings
While researchers are cautious in their conclusions,
there are some positive signs. In particular,
students in special education and regular
education showed several positive changes,
including:
A reduced fear of human differences
accompanied by increased comfort and
awareness (Peck et al., 1992);
Growth in social cognition (MurraySeegert,1989);
Improvement in self-concept of non-disabled
students (Peck et. al., 1992);
Development of personal principles and ability
to assume an advocacy role toward their peers
and friends with disabilities;
Warm and caring friendships (Bogdan and
Taylor, 1989).

27. #5
School Improvement & Special Education

28. Video
Sir Ken Robinson
speaks in 2010 at the
TED conference
“Bring on the
Learning
Revolution!”
This inspiring 20
minute speech is
designed to
leave you with
something to
think about as
you go back to
your leadership
positions.

29. Resources
http://www.weac.org/Issues_Advocacy/Resource_Pages_On_Issues_One/Special_Education/special
_education_inclusion.aspx
http://www.teach-nology.com/tutorials/teaching/differentiate/planning/
What every principal should know about special education
By Margaret McLaughlin
http://books.google.com/books?id=tt0yn0LzpCwC&pg=PA4&dq=what+every+principal+should+know+about+special+education&hl=en&ei=jv6oTIDQI5SgnQeu5
MyxDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=what%20every%20principal%20should%20know%20about%20special
%20education&f=false
http://www.lease-sped.org/resources/coteaching%20binder%20for%20web/Administrators/Section%207%20%20Additional%20Information.pdf
http://www.wrightslaw.com/caselaw.htm
LRP special education connections newsletter