SPECIAL EDUCATION COMPETENCIES OF BUILDING LEVEL ADMINISTRATORS IN A SCHOOL-BASED MANAGED PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM

This study was undertaken because of the increased role of the building level administrator in the administration of special education programs at the school level. The essential purposes of the study were to assess the special education competencies of regular elementary, middle, and high school principals or designees, in a school-based managed public school system in Florida, and to locate sources of knowledge/training contributing to the attainment of competencies. As a basis for the study, eight competencies previously delineated by Nevin in Vermont in 1977 were utilized. A portion of the present study sought to validate the eight competencies as essential for implementation of special education programs in Florida. A predominantly closed form type questionnaire was used to obtain the following data for each of the eight competencies: (1) determination of essential vs. non-essential, (2) level of possession of the competency (level 0 = no competency, level 1 = level of awareness, level 2 = level of understanding, level 3 = level of mastery or application), and (3) sources of knowledge/training in the past contributing to competencies possessed and desirable sources of knowledge/training for further training on competencies not yet mastered. Sources included university coursework, in-service by the district, special conferences, on the job experience, and reading professional literature. Major findings were that most respondents: (1) considered all eight competencies to be essential, (2) have not mastered all eight competencies but possessed each to a degree of understanding, and (3) obtained knowledge/training most often from on the job experience and wished to receive further training by in-service provided by the district. Competencies not mastered tended to be those requiring specific knowledge in special education involving due process, student records, federal and state mandates, programming policies, and staff functions/qualifications. Several implications relative to competency status, pre-service and in-service training, and future research with building level administrators are discussed.