School Administrators\u27 Knowledge of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (2004)

This descriptive, quantitative study investigated school administrators’ knowledge of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (2004) across three geographical locales: rural, suburban, and urban/city. Several statistical analyses were conducted to determine the extent of school administrators’ knowledge of the IDEIA (2004) in addition to the existence of a relationship between school administrators’ knowledge and their locale. A Knowledge Survey of the IDEIA (2004) was administered to school administrators of rural, suburban, and urban/city locales in one Southeastern state. The study’s results indicated that while school administrators possess only an average knowledge of the IDEIA (2004), rural administrators possess a greater knowledge of the IDEIA (2004) as compared to their suburban or urban colleagues. The study also revealed a statistically-significant relationship between school administrators’ knowledge of the IDEIA (2004) and geographical locale. Because of the significant influence held by school administrators, it is incumbent upon postsecondary institutions to equip school administrators with the knowledge of the IDEIA (2004) to meet the needs of students with disabilities