Surveys of superintendents and principals in Northwestern Ohio to determine perceived outcome of special education competency needs

The research problem of this study is one of determining what special education competency needs superintendents and principals perceive as the outcome of preservice training presently required for administrative certification by the Ohio Department of Education.;The majority of principals and superintendents surveyed in Northwestern Ohio reported no required special education competency training during professional preparation in educational administration. Survey responses favored increased principal training in special education perhaps due to the direct contact principals have with special students, parents of handicapped or special students, both the regular class and special class teachers, Individual Education Program development committees, and legalities of the special education.;Respondent principals expected the assistant-superintendent/director of special education services to be responsible for most special education issue resolution areas. Inservice administrative offerings in special education techniques and issue resolution should be offered more frequently to school administrators, especially principals, by agencies within the community. Training in special education techniques and issue resolution areas is perceived as needed by superintendents and principals in Northwestern Ohio.;Two surveys, Special Education Administration: Survey of Superintendents and Special Education Administration: Survey of School Principals, were used as data collecting methods to determine the special education needs of regular administrators. A secondary advantage provided by the collected data was to show need for the development of competency-based training programs which can accommodate special education needs of regular administrators.