Time Use by Special Educators and how it is Valued

Abstract

Recent federal legislation is affecting how special educators assess students, select curricula, document growth, teach, and consult—in short, how they spend their time during a school day. This study empirically measured special educators’ use of time over the course of several weeks. It compared actual time use with its perceived value by both the teachers and their principals. Congruence between actual time use and its valuation was generally high but not so in select areas. Likewise, special education teachers and their administrators largely agreed in valuation but were far apart in some areas. A better understanding of the administrative duties required of teachers may help administrators appreciate the scope and demands of such nonteaching duties. A new level of communication may lead to more administrative support, as related to prioritizing administrative duties, thereby allowing teachers the time to engage in the tasks they value most.

Responsibilities and Instructional Time: Relationships Identified by Teachers in Self-Contained Classes for Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities

“…Even when special education teachers are taught strategies for improving their instructional time, they find that their time is limited by contextual variables. Administrators allocate teacher time, explicitly and implicitly, through the responsibilities that they assign (Hirsch et al, 2010;Franz et al, 2008;Vannest & Hagan-Burke, 2010;. Vannest and colleagues (2010) concluded that special educators may often be unable to independently control their time use, given that their responsibilities are dictated largely by building administrators.…”

“…Although administrators assign responsibilities, their perceptions of teachers' responsibilities tend to be different from teachers' perceptions and from reality (Franz et al, 2008;Hirsch, Sioberg, & Germuth, 2009). A study of special educators' time use in resource settings revealed that administrators had unrealistic expectations for how much time special educators would spend working, totaling 11.9 hours per day (Franz et al, 2008).…”

“…A study of special educators' time use in resource settings revealed that administrators had unrealistic expectations for how much time special educators would spend working, totaling 11.9 hours per day (Franz et al, 2008). In comparison with special educators' actual time use, administrators significantly overestimated the time special educators spent teaching and significantly under-estimated time spent on administrative and supervisory tasks (Franz et al, 2008). These findings are concerning, because administrators who do not accurately understand how special educators use their time may not be able to support them in using it productively.…”

Cultivating a Community of Effective Special Education Teachers

“…Principals are usually responsible for the actions described above, with the exception of designing district-wide induction programs (Bays & Crockett, 2007; Bellamy et al, 2014; Billingsley et al, 2014; Hoppey & McLeskey, 2013). However, extant research indicates that principals often have limited knowledge of SETs’ jobs and special education practices (Angelle & Bilton, 2009; Bays & Crockett, 2007; Franz et al, 2008; Steinbrecher, Fix, Mahal, Serna, & McKeown, 2015; Wakeman, Browder, Flowers, & Alhgrim-Delzell, 2006). For instance, Bays and Crockett (2007) interviewed principals about their instructional leadership for special education and observed their leadership practices; they found that many principals thought special education practices were indistinguishable from good instruction in general, whereas others thought special education was “best left to special educators” (p. 154).…”

“…Only a few principals articulated visions of special education that were consistent with their responsibility to help SETs provide specialized instruction to students with atypical learning needs (Bays & Crockett, 2007). Franz and colleagues found that principals overestimated the time SETs had for planning and providing instruction and underestimated the time SETs had to allocate for administrative and supervisory responsibilities, raising questions about their understanding of the nature and demands of SETs’ responsibilities (Franz et al, 2008). Other studies have obtained similar results, finding that principals often lack adequate knowledge of special education and SETs’ jobs (Steinbrecher et al, 2015).…”