Foundations of Special Education Leadership Administration, Assessment, Placement, and the Law

Citation

Escarpio, R. (2008), "Foundations of Special Education Leadership Administration, Assessment, Placement, and the Law", Journal of Educational Administration, Vol. 46 No. 1, pp. 127-129. https://doi.org/10.1108/09578230810849871

In this ever‐changing world of special education, practitioners as well as administrators must strive to keep up to date with all components of special education including the varying laws, the multi‐faceted assessment process and the placement of special education children in the continuum of services. There are numerous books that deal with the foundations of special education laws, its categories and even best practices for dealing with their students; yet few books deal with the leadership aspect of special education. The book Foundations of Special Education Leadership Administration, Assessment, Placement, and the Law examines the historical basis for special education while leaving an impression on the leadership aspect that is crucial in special education and its implementation of programs to ensure that the needs of exceptional children are met.

The author, Barry W. Birnbaum, is no stranger to special education programs and leadership. He has worked as a classroom teacher, school principal, as well as an associate professor in special education. The author provides a concise yet thorough view of topics in special education throughout the nine chapters in his book. Birnbaum begins his fourth book by detailing the necessity of special education. He examines the possible causes for the critical shortage of teachers is the field of special education. The reasons vary from extensive clinical field experience hours for pre‐service teachers to the multi‐layered tasks that await the special education teacher when he/she arrives at the school. Birnbaum (2006) also examines the alternate certification tracks that have led some professionals to switch careers and fill the void in special education instruction.

Birnbaum's clear and detailed writing comes through as he embarks on explaining the different and numerous laws that have been passed on behalf of students with special needs. The necessity for such laws are outlined from its earliest inception (Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas) through the modern era of The Education of All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (PL‐94‐142) and its subsequent amendments. Topics such as court cases, Free and Appropriate Education (FAPE), parental rights, the Individual Education Plan (IEP), and procedural safeguards are delineated and explained in everyday terms to assist the reader in blueprinting the framework for special education.

In chapter three, Birnbaum moves on to leadership as he begins to describe the leadership structure of the school and how it applies to special education. He begins to speak of the partnerships of general and special education that are necessary for the success of the school while lauding the necessities of an organized structure within the school. The responsibilities in this hierarchal structure, from superintendent to teacher must be clearly stated to ensure maximum production by all. In describing the fundamentals of school organization as a whole, he explains the governing policies and roles of those agencies responsible for public education: from the federal government to districts to service delivery options.

One of the most important sections of this book is in chapter four. Birnbaum (2006) gives a very detailed description on the assessment process as it applies to special education. He lays the groundwork in understanding assessment by taking the reader through formative and summative assessments used in special education. The reliability and validity of these assessments are brought into question as well as the idea of intelligence. The author describes the different types of standardized assessments including criterion and norm‐referenced tests as well as portfolio assessments. Describing the positives and negatives of testing concludes the section on assessment.

In chapter five, Birnbaum (2006) discusses the referral process and placement of exceptional children in special education programs. This section can serve as a quick table reference for understanding the referral process from referral to placement in the continuum of services for exceptional children. The author emphasizes services such as Child Find for identifying children at risk. By understanding the antecedents that lead to a referral, an administrator or practitioner is better prepared to handle any questions that might arise as a result of the referral or placement into the special education programs.

One of the main reasons for having read this book is to gain some insight on the leadership aspect in special education. This reviewer was curious to know the author's perspective on the quality of leadership in special education and his view on what makes a good leader. The last half of the book is almost exclusively devoted to leadership qualities and leadership in special education. The section on leadership in Chapter six begins by discussing what makes a good leader and how this leader can meet the needs of special education students. The author states the components of successful leadership in a school and all the responsibilities that administrators must face on a daily basis concerning their special education students.

But what happens when the laws that govern special education change? The school must change along with those laws. Yet navigating through these changes can be problematic if the right plan is not in place. Birnbaum (2006) lists seven principles that an effective administrator can use to lead that process of change: care, relate, examine, acquire, try, extend, and renew. The author advocates for being proactive in responding to change. He mentions how parents have become learned in the ways of the IEP and how teachers must continue to develop professionally to learn about the new laws that govern special education.

Flowing from the idea of change, Birnbaum (2006) begins Chapter eight by leading the discussion to the school culture being attributed to its success or failure. This is measured through school achievement. At the center of this success or failure of the school's culture is the school's mission that should guide the school at all times. An interesting part of this section is the qualities of a good leader according to teachers. Strong leaders are characterized as decision makers, good motivators, have interpersonal skills, and give teacher space yet motivate them at the same time. A principal should have all these characteristics, according to the author, and be responsible for the culture and climate of the school. Finally, the text examines the qualities of an effective special education teacher. The effective teacher must have knowledge of the general education curriculum. This effective teacher must also develop positive relationships will the members of the school community as well as being flexible, friendly, and optimistic.

The author feels that by having an optimistic outlook towards the students and the school community at large, the effective teacher can have an excellent demeanor toward his/her students. The book concludes by looking at para‐educators and their role in the classroom as well as the merits of mentoring programs for new teachers. Both practitioner and administrator can enjoy this book because the text insight into both careers as it relates to special education. The educator can benefit from this book because it reviews the special education program as a whole including the laws and the referral process. A school administrator can use this book as a quick reference to many questions that can be asked of special education students and their services. As noted by Birnbaum (2006), “The strong leader in special education will be one who understands the principles of special education and who holds these understandings as truths” (p. 81).