Transforming Special Education Practices

This book offers school administrators and policy-makers with a practical, research-based reference for understanding and working with students in special education. It offers pragmatic insights into such important subjects as effective leadership practices, legal regulations, and solutions for budgetary challenges that are confronted each and every day in our nations schools. -- Lynne M. Celli, PhD, associate dean for graduate education programs, Endicott College, Beverly, MA We have taken on the challenge that no country in the world has ever undertaken: educating all the children. This book is very much of a how to guide for those educational leaders who have taken up this challenge. -- Tom Watkins, Michigan's State Superintendent of Schools, 2001-05 Superintendents must address the escalating costs, the expanding needs and the measurement/metric challenges in special education. The Urgency of Special Education Mandates should be on every superintendents desk. -- Randall Collins, Past President of AASA, Retired Superintendent of Schools, Waterford, CT. This book is an excellent combination of strong research and real life solutions to securing the best support for our children with special needs. This is a much needed expansion of the thinking that will secure success for special education in our schools. -- W. George Selig

Dr. Bittel is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Futures Education, a company providing special education and clinical services and management to districts across the country. Dr. Bittel is a Speech and Language Pathologist and has more than 35 years of executive leadership experience in the areas of special education, rehabilitation and developmental disabilities. He has taught on the primary, secondary, college, and graduate school levels. He serves as a Trustee at American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts. Dr. Nicholas D. Young has worked in diverse roles in education for more than twenty years, serving as a director of student services, principal, graduate professor, higher education administrator, and superintendent of schools. He holds numerous degrees from Austin Peay State University, Westfield State University, Western New England University, Union Institute & University and American International College, including a Ph.D. in Educational Administration and an Ed.D. in Psychology. Dr. Young previously served as the President of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, completed a distinguished Fulbright Program focused on Japanese educational systems, and was recognized as the Massachusetts Superintendent of the Year in 2010. He has served for more than twenty-seven years to date in the U.S. Army and U.S. Army Reserves; and he is currently the Commanding Officer for the 405th Combat Support Hospital, USAR, located in West Hartford, CT. Dr. Young is a frequent presenter at state, national and international conferences and has published widely on a number of topics in education, leadership and psychology.

Introduction Acknowledgements 1.The Superintendents Role in Special Education Leadership David Larson Ph.D., Herbert Levine, Ph.D., Dominick Vita Ph.D. & Nicholas Young Ph.D., Ed.D. 2.Organizational, Personnel and Fiscal Considerations in the Oversight of Special Education Services Brian Edwards, M.Ed. & Dominick C. Vita, Ph.D. 3.Forming a Necessary Partnership: Engaging the Families of Special Needs Students Peter Davies, MA & Christine N. Michael, Ph.D. 4.Rethinking the Assignment of Paraprofessionals: Ensuring Students are Well Served Within Budget Constraints Peter J. Bittel, Ed.D., Nicholas D. Young, Ph.D., Ed.D. & Michael Neiman, Ph.D., CCC-SLP 5.Methods to Meet the Budget Challenges in Special Education Peter Bittel, Ed.D. & Herb Levine, Ph.D. 6.NCLB and IDEA: Related Services and the Law Peter Bittel, Ed.D., CCC-SLP, Erin Edwards, M.A., CCC- SLP, Herbert Levine, Ph.D., Michael Neiman, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, & Wendy C. Reed, Esq. 7.Superintendents Use of Special Education Data and Performance Measures in an Environment of Accountability George David Jack, M.Ed., MBA 8.Special Education Transportation: Why is it Expensive and What Can Be Done to Reduce the Cost Richard Labrie, M.Ed. Biographies References