Special Education Directors’ Perceptions of the Adequacy of and AdditionalCoursework Needed in Their Graduate School Programs

Abstract

This study was developed to explore Kansas special education directors’perceptions of their graduate program coursework. Special education directors in Kansasprovided information about whether they perceived they were taught skills from theCouncil for Exceptional Children’s (CEC) Advanced Specialty Set: Special EducationAdministration Specialist during their graduate coursework. Additionally, specialeducation directors’ in Kansas perceptions were gained to understand what additionalCEC skills should be taught during the graduate coursework. The study was alsodeveloped to understand differences in the special education directors’ perceptions basedon the type of license endorsement (special education director, special educationcoordinator/supervisor, or district level license endorsement) held by the specialeducation director. The population for this study included all special education directors,including executive directors and assistant directors, in Kansas during the 2020-2021school year. The online survey was sent to 130 special education directors in Kansas,and 46 special education directors responded to the online survey. The findings from thestudy indicate that of the 26 CEC (2015) skills, special education directors in Kansasagree that 12 of the CEC skills were taught in graduate school coursework, two of theCEC skills were not taught in graduate school coursework, and did not agree or disagreethat 12 of the CEC skills were taught in graduate school coursework. Additionally,special education directors in Kansas perceive that additional coursework is needed ingraduate programs to prepare directors for all 26 CEC skills. Finally, the study’s findingsprovide clear evidence that special education directors perceptions about whether theirgraduate program taught the necessary skills or whether additional coursework is needed in graduate school coursework are not dependent on the type of licensure endorsement(director of special education, district-level endorsement, or another licensureendorsement) held by the special education director. The results of the current studycould be used to help state licensure departments determine what courses should berequired for directors of special education. Additional research studies could beconducted to provide information about whether the licensure endorsement held by thespecial education impacts the special education directors’ perceptions of their graduatecoursework. Recommendations for additional research studies include a qualitative studyor a study comparing special education directors’ perceptions of skills needed dependingon the size and type of their employing local education agency (LEA).