Who's Responsible?
Role Ambiguity
Who's Responsible?
When the roles of special educators are not clearly defined and effectively managed, it impacts all educators and the quality of services provided to students, particularly those with disabilities. This issue becomes exacerbated when general educators do not fully understand the contributions special educators can make in their classrooms, leading to a lack of collaboration and support. Consequently, there is a disconnect, and the needs of students with disabilities are not met.
Principals must adhere to federal and state special education laws, work closely with special education teachers to coordinate services, clearly define the roles of special educators, and set expectations for inclusive practices that can create more positive learning environments. By doing so, they can mediate tensions and foster a sense of belonging for both special educators and students with disabilities.
“[Special education teachers’] roles in schools vary widely... Thus, when new SETs begin teaching, one of their first—and most challenging—tasks is to ‘make sense’ of, or figure out, their roles.”
- Billingsley et al., 2019 Source
Principal Lee: Role Confusion and Disconnection
Learn from Principal Lee as she improves role clarity among teachers, ensuring that they understand their responsibilities in supporting students with disabilities and implementing IDEA.
Toolkit 1: Clarifying Roles and Responsibilities
Explore strategies that research and best practices highlight, along with short, medium, and long-term solutions, essential to clarify both general and special educators' role.
This tool was developed in partnership with the Collaborative for Effective Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform (CEEDAR Center), a federally funded technical assistance center working to build the capacity of state personnel preparation systems to prepare teachers and leaders to implement evidence-based practices within multi-tiered systems of support.