Date of Award
Fall 2025
Document Type
Open Access Dissertation
Department
Educational Studies
First Advisor
Mitchell L. Yell
Abstract
School level administrators play a critical role in the implementation of obligations set forth by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in their schools. To implement these obligations administrators, need to know and understand the IDEA. Researchers have shown that administrators often graduate from their principal preparation programs with little to no instruction in special education law, often leaving them feeling unprepared. The research that has been done into administrator knowledge of the IDEA has shown mixed results in levels of knowledge across different areas. Researchers have also found inconsistencies in administrators’ reported perceptions of their knowledge when compared to other factors such as reported training. The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge of school administrators and their perceptions of how that knowledge impacts their ability to do their job in effort to inform what supports they might need in gaining and understanding special education law. This mixed methods study utilized both survey and interview to gage administrators’ knowledge about the IDEA and get insight into their perceptions of its importance. The results of the survey indicated overall administrators had a base level of knowledge of the IDEA obligations addressed in the survey. Overall administrators reported their knowledge positively impacted special education tasks they performed and that it was important to know and gain knowledge of the IDEA. Differences between demographic groups in both their knowledge levels and perceptions were found in this study. These findings imply that while administrators may have some level of knowledge of special education law, districts need to be aware that administrators may not have all the IDEA knowledge they need to lead in special education related tasks. They may need different levels of support that could change throughout their careers. More research is needed to explore these differences and what specific supports may be needed for administrators with different levels of knowledge.
Rights
© 2025, Rachel Renae Garrison
Recommended Citation
Garrison, R. R.(2025). Supporting School Administrators’ Knowledge of the Idea: What Do They Know and What Do They Think. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/8623