A Practical Approach to Special Education Administration

James B. Earley, EdD, is an independent special education consultant, contracted for the LABBB Collaborative, the SEEM Collaborative, the Northshore Education Consortium, and Seaside Educational Consultants. He has 52 years of public education experience as a teacher, teaching assistant principal, and Massachusetts Department of Education supervisor and acting regional special education director; nearly 30 years as administrator of special education and interim superintendent of schools for the Watertown Public Schools; and 12 years as managing director of Walker Partnerships prior to assuming his current consulting activities. Dr. Earley has been a senior lecturer at Lesley University and Wheelock College, an adjunct professor at the University of Massachusetts Boston, and a student teacher supervisor for Salem State University. Dr. Earley has consulted for numerous educational organizations, has participated in a variety of special education task forces and committees, and was a member of the Executive Board of the Massachusetts Administrators for Special Education for 24 years. He has conducted over 125 independent program reviews and evaluations for public schools, private special education schools, and charter schools. He has conducted numerous professional development trainings for school districts within Massachusetts and several other states. He has been recognized for his contributions to the field of special education and received several awards, culminating with being named the 2003 Outstanding Administrator of Special Education by the Council of Administrators of Special Education. He received his bachelor’s in education and his master’s in education, social rehabilitation administration, from Northeastern University in Boston; his Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) in organizational and administrative theory at Boston University; and his doctorate in education, with an emphasis on educational leadership, from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Robert J. McArdle, MEd, is an independent special education consultant with over 47 years in public education as a mediator and educational specialist for the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, administrator of special education for Woburn Public Schools, pupil personnel administrator for the Greater Lawrence Technical School and Stoneham Public Schools, executive director of the Greater Lawrence Educational Collaborative and the Gifford School, and Northeast associate manager of Walker Partnerships. Mr. McArdle has been a visiting faculty member at Salem State University, Fitchburg State University, the University of Massachusetts Boston, and Endicott College. He has served in several interim positions and has mentored both public and private school administrators. Mr. McArdle has conducted over 70 public school special education program evaluations and has served on numerous advisory boards, task forces, and special committees. He has presented at numerous conferences and conducted professional training sessions for school personnel for over 40 years. Mr. McArdle has served in several executive board positions, including president of the Massachusetts Administrators for Special Education. He is also a past recipient of the Massachusetts Special Education Administrator of the Year Award.

Praise Pages
Dedication
Foreword
Preface
About the Authors
Introduction
Part I: Foundational Elements
Chapter 1. Legal Foundation for Providing a Free and Appropriate Education to Students With Disabilities
Chapter 2. Defining Your Beliefs
Chapter 3. Your Role as Administrator of Special Education
Chapter 4. Confidentiality
Chapter 5. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Part II: Program and Service Delivery Considerations
Chapter 6. Procedural Manual
Chapter 7. Process, Procedures, Practices: Referral, Evaluation, and Determination of Eligibility for Specialized Instruction
Chapter 8. Inclusion
Chapter 9. Programs and Services: Options and Choices
Chapter 10. Professional Development
Chapter 11. Discipline and Students With Special Needs
Chapter 12. Age of Majority and Transition to Adult Services
Chapter 13. Documentation
Part III: Working With and Managing Related Stakeholders
Chapter 14. Parents
Chapter 15. Central Office Administrators
Chapter 16. Building Administrators
Chapter 17. Role of Various Special Education Personnel
Chapter 18. Supervision and Evaluation of Department Staff
Chapter 19. Budget Development
Part IV: Extraordinary Concerns
Chapter 20 Dealing With Difficult Cases
Chapter 21. Advocates
Chapter 22. Due Process, Appeal Hearings, and Mediation
Part V: Additional Thought
Conclusion
Appendices
Acknowledgments
References