K-12 General Educator and Special Educator Knowledge and Preparedness in Special Education Law

McBroom, Kelley

McBroom, K. (2024). K-12 General Educator and Special Educator Knowledge and Preparedness in Special Education Law.

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Title	K-12 General Educator and Special Educator Knowledge and Preparedness in Special Education Law
Abstract	Together, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act protect students with disabilities from discrimination and ensure that services are received in order to access the general education curriculum. K-12 general education teachers and special education teachers are among the most critical individuals in implementing the federal laws that protect students with disabilities in the school setting. Despite the shift to inclusive practices that is safeguarded by extensive procedures subject to litigation, past research has revealed a gap between educator knowledge and preparedness to implement special education law in the classroom. The purpose of the research was to answer the research questions, “What undergraduate preparation and professional development training do K-12 general educators and special educators receive regarding IDEA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, in one public school district?” and “To what extent are K-12 general education and special education teachers familiar with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, in one public school district?” To obtain this information, a qualitative study was conducted consisting of a 10-question open-ended survey which was distributed to 10 general education teachers and 10 special education teachers in one public school district. Survey data was analyzed using an open-coding method. Three major findings emerged from the data and were categorized into themes. Theme one concluded that educator’s obtain knowledge of IDEA and Section 504 mainly by means of professional development and through a district administrator. Secondly, educators identify the main components of IDEA as being FAPE, LRE, IEPs, and parental involvement. The tertiary theme revealed educator’s identify the main component of Section 504 to be protection from discrimination for students with disabilities. Findings suggest that teachers may receive more training and coursework geared towards The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act when compared to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Additionally, years of experience seemed to have little impact on knowledge and preparedness pertaining to special education federal law.
Date	2024

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Title: K-12 General Educator and Special Educator Knowledge and Preparedness in Special Education Law
Author: McBroom, Kelley
Abstract: Together, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act protect students with disabilities from discrimination and ensure that services are received in order to access the general education curriculum. K-12 general education teachers and special education teachers are among the most critical individuals in implementing the federal laws that protect students with disabilities in the school setting. Despite the shift to inclusive practices that is safeguarded by extensive procedures subject to litigation, past research has revealed a gap between educator knowledge and preparedness to implement special education law in the classroom. The purpose of the research was to answer the research questions, “What undergraduate preparation and professional development training do K-12 general educators and special educators receive regarding IDEA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, in one public school district?” and “To what extent are K-12 general education and special education teachers familiar with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, in one public school district?” To obtain this information, a qualitative study was conducted consisting of a 10-question open-ended survey which was distributed to 10 general education teachers and 10 special education teachers in one public school district. Survey data was analyzed using an open-coding method. Three major findings emerged from the data and were categorized into themes. Theme one concluded that educator’s obtain knowledge of IDEA and Section 504 mainly by means of professional development and through a district administrator. Secondly, educators identify the main components of IDEA as being FAPE, LRE, IEPs, and parental involvement. The tertiary theme revealed educator’s identify the main component of Section 504 to be protection from discrimination for students with disabilities. Findings suggest that teachers may receive more training and coursework geared towards The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act when compared to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Additionally, years of experience seemed to have little impact on knowledge and preparedness pertaining to special education federal law.
Advisor: Barger-Anderson, Richael
Committee Members: Rineer-Hershey, Ashley
Date Issued: 2024
Degree Granting Institution: Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
College of Education
Special Education
Degree Name: Degree of Doctor of Education (Ed. D.)
Degree Level: Doctorate Degree
Degree Discipline: Special Education
Genre: Dissertation/Thesis
Copyright Statement: The copyright to this item is owned by the author and falls under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)