Topics in Early Childhood Special Education

Administrator preparation is a developing area in early childhood special education administration. This article argues that, in its nascence, ECSE should approach administrator preparation through a set of models of organizational behavior and management. Four are presented---the technical, human relations, political, and symbolic models---with illustrations from ECSE field experiences. The article concludes by discussing a tendency in ECSE and administrative theory to favor the technical model when an integrated use of several models may better capture the reality of ECSE programs and practices.

Effective leadership may be viewed as (a) a personal style, (b) a set of competencies, or (c) a function of repertoire. Although leadership has more frequently been viewed as a style or as a set of competencies, the model of leadership as a function of repertoire has the advantage of providing a more adequate basis for selecting and preparing effective leaders for early childhood special education programs. The repertoire model, used in conjunction with the other models, offers a promising approach.

Administrative issues in privately and publicly funded programs are contrasted across six areas: funding, philosophy and services, population served, parent involvement, staffing practices, and standards and governance. Key differences between these types of programs center around funding stability and administrative flexibility. A service system featuring a continuum of services and active interagency coordination is advocated to overcome potential administrative drawbacks associated with both privately and publicly funded programs.

All educators face the possibility that they may be sued for negligence or malpractice. Courts have determined that special educators and early childhood educators must conduct their classes and supervise their children with special care, which means that these educators are more vulnerable. Basic definitions and concepts in educational liability are presented in this article, as well as descriptions of the conditions under which early childhood special educators may be held liable for physical, educational, or psychological injury of students. Litigation is discussed. Finally, preventive measures are enumerated and legal defenses are considered.

Budget and program planning are too often conducted as separate activities in the administration of an early education program. A cost analysis approach can effectively integrate them so that both program operations and financial management are combined and enhanced. The key to this approach is recognizing that both program and budget planning must focus on staff time. By analyzing staff time across the components of an early childhood program, one can analyze both program operations and their costs. The cost analysis system examines the program's personnel costs as well as nonpersonnel costs and in-kind contributions and provides a format for displaying a program's budget across its component parts.

This article is for leadership personnel who design in-service education for people serving the needs of young handicapped children. Following a definition and description of assumptions and guidelines, an approach for developing an in-service plan is described. In the final section, attention is given to special circumstances planners may face as they design meaningful staff development opportunities.

Current research in programs for preschool handicapped children and their families was reviewed under five administrative roles---program manager, policy planner, monitor-evaluator, advocate, and trainer-facilitator. Implications for administrators include activities/skill building in affective development, family services, technology, policy analysis, educational finance, advocacy, program evaluation/research, training, and interaction with staff. Consortium arrangements and technology are suggested as two means to respond to some of the implications. Additional investigation is recommended in effective leadership behavior with administrators of preschool programs and other areas.