A study of communications between local administrators of special education programs and other professional and non-professional personnel responsible for implementing the special education program at the local level

The purpose of this study was to develop a data base concerning the comparative effectiveness of communications practices used between directors of special education in Tennessee and "involved others" and to use this data base to construct a model for effective communication in Tennessee. The model developed may be used to improve the communication process and its products in the local special education programs of Tennessee.

Two questionnaires were developed and validated. One group of respondents consisted of all local directors of special education in Tennessee, and their questionnaire was designed to elicit their perceptions of communication within their programs. The second group represented 8 subgroups who are described in relation to the special education program as "involved others." The questionnaire administered to this group elicited their perceptions concerning communication in their special education programs and measured the extent of their knowledge of special education laws, regulations, and best practices.

An analysis of the responses of 78.01 percent of the former group and 52.63 percent of the latter produced the following major findings:

1. Both local special education directors and involved others in Tennessee prefer face-to-face personal discussions as the means of communicating special education information.

2. Personal discussions by telephone were chosen by both groups as the second most preferred communications procedure.

3. Small group meetings were the third most preferred communications procedure.

4. Teachers and principals also favored letters/memos, bulletins, and calendars as means by which the special education office may communicate some types of information, and most special education offices regularly use these printed forms of communication with principals and teachers.

5. Most of the involved others had little knowledge of special education laws, regulations, and best practices.

6. The central office directors of other programs had the most knowledge, school board chairpersons and parents had the least.

7. There was a signifcant relationship (at the .05 level) between the knowledge possessed by the involved others and communications effectiveness, attitudes, and levels of interaction.