| This study examined elementary school principals' beliefs and practices regarding the types of resources that facilitate collaboration between general and special education staff working on prereferral intervention/Response to Intervention (RtI) teams and serving students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). In June 2009, elementary principals in Illinois completed an on-line questionnaire. The questionnaire gathered data on principals' beliefs about the importance of resources, the amount of time principals spent on collaborative activities, and actual resources principals provided to general and special education staff.;Using descriptive statistics, McNemar's test, multiple linear regression, and correlation, results of the survey were examined. Descriptive statistics compared information on principals' beliefs about important resources and the frequency these resources were provided to staff. McNemar's tests were conducted to determine if there were significant differences in resources principals provided to staff collaborating on prereferral intervention/RtI teams compared to those serving students with IEPs. The results indicate that principals provided resources inconsistently between the two groups. The results of the multiple linear regression analyses found that the more time principals spent on collaborative activities and the more important they rated resources for collaboration, the more resources they provided to general and special education staff. Correlation analysis found that the instructional expenditure per pupil does relate to the number of resources provided to staff collaborating on prereferral interventions/RtI teams but does not relate to the number of resources provided to staff serving students with IEPs.;The results suggest that principals' beliefs about resources are an important predictor of number of resources they provide, but there is a gap between principals' beliefs about resources that support collaboration between general and special education staff and the resources that are provided to staff. The resources were provided either inconsistently or at low rates for staff collaborating on prereferral intervention/RtI teams and those serving students with IEPs. The findings also indicate that wealth may be correlated with the number of resources provided. Based on the findings, three recommendations for practice are: better (a) opportunities for principals to collaborate with other principals, (b) means for assisting principals in keeping up-to-date with best practices, trends, and new mandates, and (c) state funding for RtI. |
