Hands-on, Practical Guidance for Educators

From math, literacy, equity, multilingual learners, and SEL, to assessment, school counseling, and education leadership, our books are research-based and authored by experts on topics most relevant to what educators are facing today.

What Every Principal Needs to Know About Special Education - Book Cover

Look Inside

Bestseller!

What Every Principal Needs to Know About Special Education

Second Edition
By: Margaret J. McLaughlin

Updated to address recent federal mandates, this new edition provides principals with information on accessing the general curriculum, standardized testing, and individualized education plans.

Full description

Look Inside

Product Details

Grade Level: K-12
ISBN: 9781412964166
Published By: Corwin
Year: 2008
Page Count: 120
Publication date: September 18, 2008

Select Format:

Review Copies

This book is not available as a review copy.

Description

"Contains critical information that administrators need as they navigate special education policies and procedures. Administrators will discover a practical process for not only improving the quality of special education services, but also for transforming the teaching/learning cycle for all students."
—Kim Benton, Executive Director of Federal Programs and Special Populations
Meridian Public Schools, MS

Lead effective special education programs that promote student achievement!

The No Child Left Behind Act and other recent federal mandates have established a new level of accountability for special education programs. Updated to reflect these changes, this practical guide assists principals in developing special education programs that address current standards and students' diverse needs.

The second edition of McLaughlin's bestseller provides a straightforward overview of special education for principals and other administrators. This resource offers insights on how to lead programs for students with special needs and covers basic legal and procedural information. Written by a well-known and respected scholar in special education, this guide includes new information that enables principals to:

Fulfill requirements of NCLB and the 2004 reauthorization of IDEA, including standards-based individualized education programs
Ensure that special education students can appropriately access the general curriculum
Understand standardized testing options and accommodations to comply with federal law
Support accurate identification and eligibility decisions, including Response to Intervention procedures
Promote positive behavior and encourage family involvement

Help your students with disabilities reach their full potential through high-quality special education programs and services.

Key features

This second edition of a best-selling book now offers
* Tips on how to create standards-based IEPs
* What principals need to know about the new NCLB and 2004 IDEA policies
* Information on RtI and Early Intervening Services
* Tips on how to implement positive behavioral interventions
* Updated references and definitions

Author(s)

Margaret J. McLaughlin

Margaret McLaughlin has been involved in special education all of her professional career, beginning as a teacher of students with serious emotional and behavior disorders. Currently she is the associate director of the Institute for the Study of Exceptional Children, a research institute within the College of Education at the University of Maryland. She directs several national projects investigating educational reform and students with disabilities, including the national Educational Policy Reform Research Institute (EPRRI), a consortium involving the University Maryland; The National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO); and the Urban Special Education Collaborative. She also directs a national research project investigating special education in charter schools and leads a policy leadership doctoral and postdoctoral program in conducting large-scale research in special education.

McLaughlin has worked in Bosnia, Nicaragua, and Guatemala in developing programs for students with developmental disabilities. She has consulted with numerous state departments of education and local education agencies on issues related to students with disabilities and the impact of standards-driven reform policies. McLaughlin co-chaired the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Goals 2000 and Students with Disabilities, which resulted in the report Educating One and All. She was a member of the NAS committee on the disproportionate representation of minority students in special education.

McLaughlin teaches graduate courses in disability policy and has written extensively in the area of school reform and students with disabilities. She earned her PhD at the University of Virginia and has held positions at the U.S. Office of Education and the University of Washington.

Table of Contents

Preface to the Second Edition

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Introduction: What Every Principal Needs to Know About Special Education

Five Things Every Principal Needs to Know About Special Education

Section I. Creating Quality Special Education: Understanding the Basics of Special Education

What Is an Appropriate Education?

The IEP

The Least Restrictive Environment

Who Is Eligible for Special Education?

Procedural Safeguards – “The Law in Special Education”

Other Important Laws Affecting Students With Disabilities

Legal Issues and Assessing Students With Disabilities

Other Federal Disability Laws

Understanding the Differences Among Federal, State, and Local Special Education Requirements

Section II. Creating Quality Special Education: The Foundations

A New Model of Special Education

Access to the General Education Curriculum

Understanding Accommodations

Developing Standards-Based IEPs

Promoting Positive Behavior or How to Avoid the Discipline Problem

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports

Building Strong Parent and Family Connections

Section III. Creating Quality Special Education: The Context

Adopt Evidence-Based Practices

What Are Evidenced-Based Practices?

The Importance of Using Published Research

Quality of Evidence

Data-Based Decision Making

Creating Shared Responsibility for Students With Disabilities

Collaboration Between General and Special Educators

Section IV. Summary

Glossary

References

Index

Reviews

"A practical and useable template for school administrators interested in creating exemplary programs for students with disabilities."

John Enloe, Director of Pupil Personnel Services
Sevier County Board of Education, TN

"This guidebook provides a solid foundation in special education for principals. The straightforward text will appeal to all building administrators."

Debi Gartland, Professor of Special Education
Towson University

"The book made me think a great deal about the leadership behaviors and content knowledge needed to create school programs that are effective for all children. The author has done a good job of pulling together critical information for principals."

Jane Belmore, Adjunct Professor
Edgewood College

"Contains critical information that administrators need to understand as they navigate through special education policies and procedures. In addition, administrators will discover a practical process for not only improving the quality of special education services, but also for transforming the teaching/learning cycle for all students. The clear explanations and examples contain the research-based ingredients that translate into a recipe for success!"

Kim Benton, Executive Director of Federal Programs and Special Populations
Meridian Public Schools, MS

Other Titles in: Principalship | Special Education Administration

Select Format:

Review Copies

This book is not available as a review copy.