The Relationship Between Professional Development and Job Efficacy of Missouri Section 504 Coordinators

Simms-Robinson, Cathy A.

The Relationship Between Professional Development and Job Efficacy of Missouri Section 504 Coordinators

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This study examines the professional development and job efficacy of Section 504 coordinators in Missouri. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires that public schools make reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities in order to prevent intentional or unintentional discrimination. School districts that receive federal funding must appoint a Section 504 coordinator for their district. This study examines if the amount of professional development hours of Section 504 coordinators relates to job efficacy through the framework of social equity theory. Section 504 coordinators from Missouri were asked about their professional development experience regarding implementation of Section 504 procedures in Missouri’s public schools. The 104 participants answered questions about specific 504 processes as identified in the Review of Literature. A Pearson correlation was conducted, thus generating a correlation coefficient. This was the basis for concluding that no statistically significant relationship was found between Section 504 efficacy and the hours of professional development coordinators received. This study also examined Section 504 coordinator demographics in Missouri. A review of the demographics revealed that over 50% of the coordinators that completed the survey did not have any training in Section 504 policies or procedures before assuming the role of Section 504 coordinator. These findings correlate to similar studies as identified in reviewing the literature. The availability of the data in this study will provide additional research that can be used to improve training for future Section 504 coordinators.

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