How many times do teachers wander into their principal's office for advice, support, guidance, or recommendations, only to find that those books on the shelf are outdated or obsolete? How many times have principals attended individualized education program (IEP) meetings and wished they understood all the new provisions of federal laws? And when…

Effective, "schoolwide" inclusion ensures the best outcomes for all students--but how can school teams knock down the barriers to inclusion and make sure it's happening across all classrooms? This concise book gives principals and other school leaders the solution they've been waiting for: a clear framework for leading inclusion efforts,…

The manual is intended to help Indiana secondary school principals in the delivery of special education services within their buildings. Introductory sections cover the basis of Indiana's special education law and outlines state and federal definitions of 10 handicapping conditions. The next seven sections provide administrative guidelines on the…

This guide describes the services necessary to support effective paraeducator services in accredited Iowa schools. A paraeducator is defined as an employee who works under the supervision of teachers or other licensed personnel who have the ultimate responsibility for the design and implementation of education and related service programs. It is…

When a new principal was hired at Gallup Junior High School in northwest New Mexico, he saw redesigning the administrative team as an important opportunity to develop leadership skills in his assistants and groom them for eventual advancement. His changes also provide cross training, so no single individual controls an essential function of the…

The text provides information to secondary school principals to assist them in designing and maintaining effective educational programs for severely handicapped high school students, including those who are labeled moderately or severely retarded, multiply handicapped, or autistic. A model of effective program characteristics is followed by a…

Six school-based improvement programs distributed throughout the United States were studied in order to determine how effective these plans have been and what factors help or hinder them. The programs studied shared three central features: 1) focus on the school as a whole; 2) involvement of teachers in designing improvements; and 3) incorporation…

As school communities become more diverse, making decisions regarding discipline will continue to be difficult. However, providing appropriate discipline for special education students is essential in order to maintain an effective learning climate. This article walks readers through a hypothetical situation in which a principal must make a…

School principals perform a crucial role in discharging a school system's legal obligations toward the handicapped. Since principals are unable to supply money damages, they are rarely primary targets of lawsuits involving handicapped children, but their role in representing Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) to parents is critical. Thus,…

This paper reviews federal and state court interpretations of federal and state laws concerning the responsibilities of local school districts in providing free and appropriate education for handicapped children. Particular attention is paid to the building principal's responsibility in carrying out the mandated policies at the operational level,…