Abstract
Need for the Study. Beginning with the 1981-82 school year, every California school district will be functioning under the concepts of the Master Plan for Special Education. The major emphasis of this plan is to educate all exceptional children in the least restrictive educational environment. Therefore, the site administrators in California's public schools will find themselves more involved in the special education programs at their schools than in the past. Included in this involvement is the assessment of the effectiveness of the special education personnel under the supervision of the building principal. Purpose of the Study. This study was designed to present suggestions for addressing the effectiveness of special education teachers assigned to specific schools as provided for in the California Master Plan for Special Education. Methodology. Based upon information gained from a review of literature, a questionnaire was developed. The questionnaire was distributed to all special education teachers, their principals and the central office administrators in charge of special education in each district in Riverside County, except Riverside City. The selected districts were implementors of the Master Plan during the 1978-79 school year. As the questionnaires were returned, they were categorized by respondent classification. Of the 592 questionnaires which were distributed, 379 were returned, giving a 62.27 percent return. The categorized questionnaires were then tabulated to obtain results pertinent to special education teachers, site administrators and central office administrators. The responses were subjected to a 5 x 2 cell Chi-Square test to determine which items would obtain a .05 level of significance or greater. Those items were retained for further study by response category utilizing a 2 x 2 cell Chi-Square test. Only those responses which produced a .05 level of significance were then converted to percentages to use for analysis. Conclusions. Conclusions can be drawn from the data gained from this survey that if an ideal instrument were to be developed for the evaluation of special education teachers in Riverside County, it should include provisions for (1) feedback from the evaluatee; (2) a review and update of the job description; (3) positive and constructive comments; and (4) a carry-over of comments to subsequent evaluations. This study also supports the concept that the evaluation instrument must adhere to district policy and should be specific to special education. Recommendations. The data from this study should be used to develop an instrument for the evaluation of special education teachers in Riverside County. Steps need to be taken to clarify all components of any evaluation process enabling all parties to be totally informed and knowledgeable of each of its concepts. The results of this investigation give reliable data regarding the evaluation of special education teachers in Riverside County. A similar study should be performed in other areas of the state or throughout the State of California. The results of this expanded data would, therefore, be applicable to the evaluation of special education teachers statewide. This action would enhance the long-rang effect on the implementation of the Master Plan. With the passage of P.L. 94-142, all states are involved in expanded programs for the education of exceptional children. The attainment of expanded data in other states would be beneficial to the effective evaluation of special education teachers in those states.