Abstract
This study examined the abilities required for department managers of special needs schools based on a questionnaire survey of special needs schools in A prefecture. Forty-eight responses (response rate 80%) were analyzed. The mean level of successful management was 6.5 out of 10 points. The most successful one was “collaboration with faculty,” and the most difficult one was “organizational management.” As a result of a factor analysis on the abilities regarded as important for department managers, four factors were identified: ability for organizational management based on school management, ability to promote education, ability to collaborate with parents, and ability to collaborate with faculty . The department managers evaluated the ability to collaborate with faculty as the most important.
However, the acquired ability of organizational management based on school management and the ability to promote education were low. Not having a license and experience in special needs school was related to difficulty in department management and the degree of master in educational ability among department managers. The results suggest that department managers need the ability of organizational management with faculty collaboration to promote education based on the school management of the principal. Department managers who do not have a license and experience need prerequisite educational ability. The importance of developing these abilities was mentioned.
