The purpose of this book is to assist readers to use better practices when developing educationally meaningful and legally sound Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Beginning with the history and purpose of IEPs, this book examines the context and reasons IEPs were first created. The core chapters address better practices in conducting assessments, developing present levels of academic achievement and functional performance statements, crafting measurable annual goals, determining special education services, and monitoring and reporting on students’ progress. The authors also discuss placing students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment (LRE) and provide forms and graphics to assist in developing students’ special education programs.

Transformational Leadership provides the reader with a background of meaningful and purposeful leadership, and the building blocks of the learning organisation. These concepts are applied to the values and the operation of the Individualised Education Program team so schools can demonstrate special education effectiveness.

The Essentials of Special Education Law distills the legal complexities of special education into a practical resource for preparation programs as well as professionals in the field. Written and organized with college students and practicing educators in mind, this book serves as a go-to guide to the historical underpinnings of special education, the six pillars of the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), essential court cases that have propelled the field of special education to where it is today, and practical application tips to ensure legal compliance. With 45 years of combined special education legal experience, authors Andrew Markelz and David Bateman present the essential components of special education law like never before.

Superintendents, central office administrators, principals, school board members and students in the field of education will find this book to be useful in guiding their own professional development and practice. The authors cover a variety of useful topics in special education, ranging from finances, how to systematically monitor the assignment of paraprofessionals, and transportation, to legal considerations and methods of promoting parent engagement. Co-editors Bittel and Young invited seasoned educators and professionals to share their expertise in a wide range of important subjects that collectively promote an understanding of how to transform special education programs and service delivery in public school settings. Chapter topics were intentionally selected to address the common special education program challenges facing school superintendents; and the focus throughout this book was on providing practical suggestions to improve actual practice. As such, current and aspiring educational leaders and policy-makers who are interested in learning more about how to successfully tackle some of the more complex challenges in special education while find this book to be an invaluable resource.

The book identifies and analyzes important yet insufficiently explored moral issues in k-12 special education. It aims to achieve a successful combination of experience and theory. The experience comes from the many years the author was an Illinois special education due process hearing officer (1987-2007). The theory comes from the even more years he taught and did scholarly work in the areas of moral, political, legal, and educational philosophy as a philosophy professor (1969-2012). Each of the moral issues considered in the book figured importantly in one or more of the most significant disputes the author was called upon to adjudicate. Throughout the book he draws upon important concepts in moral, political, legal, and educational philosophy as conceptual resources. He considers these concepts invaluable for analyzing moral issues, especially when a person experiences discomfort caused by a sense that an issue is morally problematic but finds it hard to articulate the crux of the issue. Throughout the book, however the author has tried hard to write in language that readers unfamiliar with the terminology and discourse style of philosophy can understand, and always to make it apparent why and how particular philosophical points bear upon important moral issues in k-12 special education.

Tremendous changes have occurred over the past decade in the provision of services to students with disabilities. Federal mandates continue to define requirements for a free appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment. Additionally, there has been an increase in the number of lawsuits filed against school districts regarding the provision of educational services for students with disabilities. Case studies are a helpful way to understand these difficult issues. The case studies presented here are actual students eligible for special education and related services. The case studies are represented not to tell districts and parents that this is the only way questions about special education law can be answered, but to provide likely answers along with commentary for analysis. The cases were developed to help new (and experienced) special education leaders and supervisors survive the pressures of working with students with disabilities while working to provide appropriate services and prevent litigation.

This book brings together for the first time research informing leadership practice in special education from preschool through transition into post-secondary settings. It provides comprehensive coverage of 1) disability policy 2) leadership knowledge, 3) school reform, and 4) effective educational leadership practices. Broader in scope than previous books, it provides in-depth analysis by prominent scholars from across the disciplines of both general and special education leadership. Coverage includes historical roots, policy and legal perspectives, and content supporting collaborative and instructional leadership that support the administration of special education. Comprehensive – This is the first book to integrate the knowledge bases of special education and educational leadership as these fields impact school improvement and the performance of students with disabilities. Chapter Structure – Chapters provide a review of the knowledge base as well as recommendations for special education leadership and future research. Multicultural Focus – Addressing special education leadership within the context of a multicultural society, chapters incorporate content related to the diversity of families, teachers, and students. Expertise – Chapter authors have made significant contributions to the knowledge base in their specific areas of study such as educational policy, special education law and finance, school reform,, organizational management, and instructional leadership. This book is a reference volume for scholars, leaders, and policy makers and a textbook for graduate courses in special education, educational administration, and policy studies.