Leadership
The Leadership Initiative is a statewide effort to provide support to education leaders with responsibility for administering programs and services for students with disabilities. This support is designed to build the capacity of Intermediate Unit and local school leadership personnel to improve achievement results for all students. Our theme is "Achieving Balance: Managing Compliance, Leading Improvement". Content area learning (reading, mathematics, and writing) and supported assistance to build leadership skills (supervision, school improvement, program development, compliance monitoring, and service delivery models) to manage this important work within various organizational structures comprise the dual focus of the leadership initiative. Ensuring that programs and services conform to federal and state regulations while improving student results is a critical component of the Initiative's work scope. Professional learning opportunities are offered in a variety of venues including large scale training activities, video conferences, small group work sessions, and webinars. View the Who Can Help Me? page in this section for a list of statewide special education leadership contacts.
Target Audience
Initiative Activities
Special Education Leadership Summer Academy The goal of the Summer Academy is to advance the pool of skilled leaders who serve students with disabilities through a focused program of learning. This 4 day training is held in the summer at Bedford Springs Hotel. One focus of the conference is for participants to learn research based practices and strategies to improve the educational performance of students with disabilities and to meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). Topics cover areas such as effective reading instruction, progress monitoring, writing instruction, etc.
Another focus is on the development of those leadership skills required to administer and manage special education programs and services that meet federal and state requirements, and is designed with new and aspiring administrators in mind. Topics typically include special education laws and regulations, managing the special education budget, compliance monitoring, data collection, effective supervision and other related subjects.
Video conference Series Video conferencing opportunities are offered throughout the year for administrators. These sessions allow administrators to remain onsite or close to home as they increase and sharpen their special education knowledge and skills.Mentoring to Mastery (M2M)The complex demands on the special education administrator are often overwhelming and challenging to new leaders. Special education administrators often work in isolation with little or no support. Disillusionment and dissatisfaction can lead to turnover. To help support and nurture new special education leaders, the Special Education Leadership Initiative, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Intermediate Units (PAIU) and the Pennsylvania Council of Administrators of Special Education (PACASE), has established a Mentoring Program for new administrators. The program's mission is to foster the development of leadership skills and knowledge of effective practices. New leaders are paired with volunteer veteran administrators (mentors) who provide support by sharing information, assisting with locating resources, and problem-solving. New special education administrators (proteges) who express an interest in being mentored are paired with mentors from the same intermediate unit and/or geographic area. For more information, contact Judy Ball at jball@pattan.net.
A session titled "Leadership - The Paraeducator Credential of Competency" was held on November 29, 2007. If you missed it, you may still hear it by going to