1. Preparing Principals and Superintendents as Special Education Leaders: A Capacity Building Approach to the Elimination of Special Education Administrators Thomas M. Skrtic, Ph.D. Council of Administrators of Special Education Council for Exceptional Children Louisville, KY April 20, 2007 University of Kansas (tms@ku.edu)

2. Developmental Sequence 1993-00 Interdisciplinary Policy Leadership (Ph.D) Special Education Policy Integration (Ph.D) National/state policy, leadership, and advocacy (SU/SLSI focus) 1999-03 Building Special Education Leadership (Ph.D) Policy leadership/integration in school/community (SU/SLSI focus) 2000-03 KSDE licensure reform and legislation Eliminates special education director and coordinator licenses 2003-07 Building Admin of Special Education Services 2004-08 District-level Special Education Leadership Now can’t do: degree/license & payback rules

3. Legislative and Reform Initiative in Kansas Reduce 14 disability endorsements to 4 Eliminate licenses for SLP, OT, PT, SSW Eliminate special education director and coordinator Three-level administrative licensure: District Leadership Building Leadership Program Leadership (no content area requirements)

4. Prior Endorsement Requirements Director of Special Education District Administrator certification Building Administrator certification or Special Education Supervisor/Coordinator endorsement 2 years teaching experience 2 years special education teaching experience 6 graduate credit hours at accredited IHE, including: 3 in org & admin of special education services 3-credit practicum in special education administration

5. Former Endorsement Requirements Special Education Supervisor/Coordinator special education teacher endorsement graduate degree in special education 2 years special education teaching experience 15 graduate credits at accredited IHE, including: 3 in curriculum 3 in special education supervision/coordination 3 in program planning 3 in org & admin of special education services 3-credit practicum in special education supervision/coordination

6. Audit Guide Proposal Special Education Director Reimbursable personnel must hold District Leadership license and have: a special education teacher endorsement (YES) a special education teacher endorsement (YES) a graduate degree in special education (NO) a graduate degree in special education (NO) 3 years sped teaching/supervisory experience (YES) 3 years sped teaching/supervisory experience (YES) 9 graduate credits, including (NO, Monitor Standards) 9 graduate credits, including (NO, Monitor Standards) 3 credits in special education law 3 credits in special education law 3 credits in org & admin of special education services 3 credits in org & admin of special education services 3 credits of supervised practicum in special education administration 3 credits of supervised practicum in special education administration

7. Audit Guide Proposal Special Education Coordinator Reimbursable personnel must hold Program Leadership license and have: a special education teacher endorsement (YES) a graduate degree in special education (NO) 3 years of special education teaching experience (YES) 9 graduate credits, including (NO, Monitor Standards) 3 credits in special education law 3 credits in supervision/coordination of special education services 3 credits of supervised practicum in special education supervision

8. DSEL Goal To prepare district leadership personnel to administer, enhance, and supervise the provision of educational services for students with disabilities and their parents, through integrated general/special education leadership preparation for superintendents who function as general education district administrators, special education transformational leaders, and disability-rights advocates in their districts, schools, and communities.

9. Educational Leadership & Policy Studies District Leadership Degree/Licensure Program District Leadership American Educational Reform Movements District Financial Management Educational Policy, Ethics and Law Advanced Organizational Theory Supervision of Instruction Curriculum Supervision District Business Management District Human Resource Management Research Methods (12 hours) School of Education Core (12 hours) Field Experience/College Teaching Dissertation (18)

10. DSEL Minor in Special Education Leadership Standards Based Reform (NCLB/IDEA) Law & Special Education Org & Admin of Special Education Services* Professional Collab & Parent Partnerships Research-Based Practices for Students with Disabilities SPED 985Naturalistic Research

11. DSEL Methodological and Substantive Foci Social, political, historical foundations Civic professionalism Problem-solving organizations Systems change via participatory inquiry Transformational (vs. Traditional) SBR Interprofessional and parent collaboration Balanced instruction (judgment vs. fidelity) Conditions of special education practice Status of children & families (risk in school/society)

12. DSEL Participants 2 SEA special education administrators 3 LEA special services / special education directors 4 building principals 1 special education teacher / former coordinator 4 with building and district license, doing Ph.D. 3 with building license, doing district license and Ph.D. 3 with building license, doing district license and Ph.D. 2 with building license, doing district license and Ed.D. 1 w/out building license doing district license and Ed.D.

13. BASES Goal To prepare building principals to administer and enhance the provision of educational services for students with disabilities and their parents through integrated general/special education leadership preparation for administrators who function as building principals, transformational special education leaders, and disability-rights advocates in their schools and communities.

14. Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Building Leadership Degree/Licensure Program First Year-SummerSecond Year-Summer T&L 750 Principalship T&L 854 Student in Society T&L 756 History Ed Thought T&L 852 School Resource Manage First Year-Fall Second Year-Fall T&L 757 Ed in American Society T&L 843 Curriculum Planning T&L 715 Ed Research & Evaluation T&L 853 Staff Eval/Development First Year-Spring Second Year-Spring T&L 752 Education Law T&L 840 Instructional Models T&L 755 Human Resource Manage T&L 895 Internship (integrated)

15. BASES GCP in Building-Level Special Education Leadership SPED 970 Standards-Based Reform (3) SPED 971 Org & Admin of Special Education Services (3) SPED 743 Positive Behavior Support (3) SPED 841 Learning Strategies & Content Enhancement (2) SPED 798 Effective Instruction for C/LD Students (1) SPED electives based on need/experience (6)