Test Your Knowledge on Implementing IDEA

Implementing IDEA: A Guide for Principals

The Council for Exceptional Children is a primary partner of the ILIAD Partnership Project, which provides information and technical assistance to implement the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 (IDEA ’97).
The development of this publication was supported by the ILIAD Partnership Project, which is funded by the Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education.
The National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), in collaboration with the IDEA Local Implementation by Local Administrators Partnership (ILIAD) project, has developed this document, Implementing IDEA: A Guide for Principals, to provide guidance on ensuring quality special education services and early intervention to building principals in elementary and middle schools.
The principal’s role is critical to success as public schools strive to meet the challenge of implementing the new IDEA requirements.
The guide focuses on setting standards of excellence and guidelines for principals to use when assessing themselves and their school community, and to ensure that school practices meet legal requirements.
The document is designed to be used in conjunction with other NAESP standards guides for quality elementary and middle schools and early childhood education.
The guide emphasizes the pivotal importance of building principals in ensuring that special education, related services, and early intervention are integrated and operationalized throughout the regular school program.
The standards and guidelines in this document are intended to be used to assess quality practices and guide program improvement, rather than as a compliance guide.
The document is organized around six categories: School organization, Leadership, Curriculum and instruction, Staff development, School climate, and Assessment.
Principals can use the guide to assess the extent to which their school meets the NAESP-developed quality standards and guidelines.
The guide includes excerpts from the text of the IDEA regulations referenced in this guide.
The guide clarifies that special education is a service and not a place, and includes specially designed instruction provided in various settings, speech-language pathology services, travel training, and more.Implementing IDEA: A Guide for Principals
IDEA mandates a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) to begin at age three for children with disabilities.
Special education and general education are part of the same system in elementary and middle schools.
Collaboration and shared responsibility among all stakeholders are necessary for educating children with disabilities.
Principals are responsible for ensuring that all children participate and progress to the maximum extent possible.
The school organization impacts the ease of implementing legal requirements and sound practices related to educating children with disabilities.
The purpose of IDEA is to ensure that children with disabilities have access to a free appropriate public education that prepares them for post-school activities.
The school’s shared beliefs, mission, and goals should encompass all children in the school community, including children with disabilities.
Well-prepared professional personnel, including early childhood special educators, are necessary to meet child and program needs.
The state must have a comprehensive system of personnel development to ensure an adequate supply of qualified special education, regular education, and related services personnel.
Placement and grouping practices for children with disabilities are determined by their individual needs and services provided by the public agency.
An interim IEP should be developed with specific conditions and timelines for trial placement before finalizing the IEP and determining the appropriate placement for the child.
Nonacademic and extracurricular services and activities must be provided to afford children with disabilities an equal opportunity for participation.Guidelines for Principals in Ensuring Inclusive Education for Children with Disabilities
Children with disabilities requiring transportation should not be excluded from participation in afterschool clubs or special interest groups.
Regular education teachers must participate in IEP meetings to ensure appropriate services and accommodations are provided for children with disabilities.
Time allocation is important for meeting the needs of children with disabilities, including time for staff planning and collaboration.
Principals must ensure that parents have the opportunity to attend IEP meetings.
A full-time, qualified principal is required for each school, and they must be knowledgeable about all aspects of educational programs, including special education services.
The principal oversees the school program that includes all children and interfaces with families.
The principal must advocate for sufficient numbers of special education and related service personnel to provide quality services to children with disabilities.
Placement decisions for children with disabilities must involve a placement group that includes the child's parent and the child when appropriate.
The principal ensures that all children, including those with disabilities, are full participants in the school community.
The principal must ensure that staff have sufficient time for planning and collaboration to address the needs of children with disabilities.
The principal is responsible for developing instructional schedules that minimize disruptions in instruction for individual children.
The principal is involved in every aspect of the school's operation and is the primary figure in determining the school's quality and character.Guidelines for Principals in Providing Special Education and Related Services
Principals must model their beliefs and ensure that all children are included in all aspects of the school's program.
Children with disabilities should be included in non-academic activities such as lunchroom, recess, and assemblies, as well as afterschool events and field trips.
Principals should create a culture for learning that focuses on increasing child achievement and achieving program goals.
IDEA provides that children with disabilities receive a free, appropriate public education.
Effective principals guide their school personnel to use positive practices when responding to a child's behavior and have positive schoolwide approaches that help prevent problems and support academic and behavioral progress.
Principals should be aware of the full continuum of services, including family and child involvement, within the school to address the needs of children with disabilities.
Parents of children with disabilities must be included in planning their child's education and have the opportunity to participate in the IEP process.
The IEP team must include at least one regular education teacher, one special education teacher or provider, a representative of the public agency, an individual who can interpret the instructional implication of evaluation results, and the child when appropriate.
Principals can enhance family involvement by supporting the participation of staff members in planning the child's IEP and creating positive comments from the school principal.
Principals must collaborate with the district special education director and relevant related services staff and educators in community-based educational settings.
Principals should develop decision-making processes and procedures that enable and encourage all staff to share ideas and solutions for improving special education and related services and increasing the achievement of children with disabilities.
The curriculum developed by the staff with the active involvement of parents and community members should reflect the specific needs and values of the community, draw on research about how children with disabilities learn, and integrate the standards of professional subject area associations and core content as may be established by the state.