The assistant principal\u27s role in special education: An inquiry into the supervision of special education at the building level

The purpose of this study was to examine the roles and responsibilities of elementary level assistant principals in the supervision of special education at the building level. Elementary assistant principals in Virginia (N = 219) were surveyed to identify delegated roles and responsibilities, perceptions of level of preparedness to perform assigned duties, and formal preparation for these duties. The survey addressed five leadership domains---Organization, Collaboration, Instruction, Program Evaluation, and Professional Development. Findings indicate that assistant principals fulfill organization duties more often than duties in the other domains, and felt more prepared for this area of responsibility as well. Knowledge and skills were most often attributed to conference attendance and interactions with special education teachers. Findings suggest that assistant principals obtain their knowledge and skills to supervise special education by attending conferences, and reading special education journals. However, they rely even more on special education teachers for information regarding special education