Posted: October 27th, 2022

Assignment: Interview a Principal

Instructions 

For this assignment, you will interview a principal of an elementary, middle, or high school or a K-12 school or district and prepare a paper to report your results. This may be done face-to-face, via telephone, or via another technological application such as Skype, email, or IM. Basic questions are provided below, but you are encouraged to include some of your own. Be sure to take notes on the experience to add to the action plan/reflection section. 

For example, if the principal does not have a good background in special education law, you could suggest providing him or her with an update in special education law. 

Utilize the following basic questions for the interview protocol: 

General Questions

How long have you worked as a principal? 

How many special education courses have you completed? 

Under how many categories of the IDEA/IDEIA can a student possibly qualify for special education services? Can you name the categories? 

Who evaluates special education teachers in your school district? 

Who interviews and selects new special education teachers in your school district? 

Do you confer on a regular basis with the special education director and special education teacher(s) on matters concerning students with special needs? 

Are you utilizing the RTI Model of service delivery in your school? 

Are you aware of any recent court cases that have impacted special education law? 

Questions 9-18 are answered (4 –strongly agree, 3 – agree, 2 –disagree, 1 – strongly disagree). 

Prepare an Action Plan that would be suggested for the administrator interviewed. (Share this with the administrator if appropriate. If not, include this component in your paper only.) 

Students cannot be referred by a parent for possible special education services. 

Only research-based strategies can be utilized by special educators to teach students with special needs. 

RTI should take precedence over the IDEA/IDEIA when schools make procedural decisions.

Interventionists, coaches, or reading specialists can decide on the amount of service time received by a student with an IEP. 

Students with an IEP can receive services from someone other than a special education teacher. 

The same reading or math programs should be utilized for students with an IEP. 

A transfer student with an IEP should begin RTI services at Tier One. An RTI tier should not be skipped, even if the student has an IEP. 

The RTI Model does not present due process and student identification issues. Special education teachers can serve special education students in groups with more than three general education students. 

Include a reflection on what you learned about collaborating with administrators, constructing action plans to support their professional development in the area of special education, and helping them stay up-to-date through this interview experience. 

Length: 6 pages not including title and reference pages References: Minimum of 8 scholarly resources. Your paper should demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the ideas and concepts that are presented in the course and provide new thoughts and insights relating directly to this topic. Your paper should reflect scholarly writing and current APA standards