Level of participation and attitudes of selected Texas elementary school principals with respect to special education programs for preschool students

Vita.The purpose of this study was to determine selected Texas elementary school principals' level of participation with respect to preschool special education programs in two areas, least restrictive environment and parental involvement, as related to the principals' attitudes toward school-based programs for preschool children with disabilities, as perceived by the principals and special education directors. The Principal Participation Survey (PPS) was developed to assess the principals' level of participation and attitudes. Corroborative data were elicited from district special education directors and teachers of preschool children with disabilities. School districts (n = 203) in Texas with a district special education administrator as opposed to affiliation with a special education cooperative were selected as the population of the study. Findings revealed that principals perceived their level of participation to be significantly higher than was perceived by the special education directors. Principals were in agreement regarding the acceptance of preschool children with disabilities on their elementary school campuses and placement in settings of the least restrictive environment; however, there were indications that they did not feel comfortable with the administrative responsibilities of the preschool special education program. Parental involvement was the area of the least participation by the principals and, based on legal ramifications, is an area of concern. There were significant differences based on gender with respect to participation in issues of least restrictive environment and attitude in that female principals reported a higher rating than the male principals. Significant differences were obtained based on years of experience with respect to parental involvement in that the average rating reported by the principals was lowest in this area. Based on the results, there appear to be implications for the need for enhanced administrative training for principals in the area of preschool special education. In addition, it would appear that principals need to provide more consistent staff development for their teachers in the regular education program in order to teach preschool children with disabilities. Further study was recommended to establish a basis for comparison of the level of principal participation in terms of quality issues regarding preschool special education