Despite the federal mandate to identify and provide appropriate educational and related services to children and youth with serious emotional disturbance (SED), the national profile portrays exceptionally low rates of identification; unacceptably low rates of school completion; high rates of placement in segregated environments; evidence that economic and demographic factors substantially affect identification, placement, and school completion; and a mixed, although mostly discouraging picture of outcomes after leaving the educational system. Recent national leadership, comprised of strategic planning, research, and demonstration initiatives has attained considerable momentum and is intended to improve outcomes for children with SED. Significant changes are anticipated as a result of the upcoming reauthorization of the statute governing special education and related services. These changes reflect a 20 year perspective regarding the benefits and shortcomings of current eligibility criteria and discretionary initiatives for improving outcomes for children with disabilities. The manner in which these changes may affect prospects for better serving children with SED is discussed.

The study highlights the knowledge content of the Swedish National Leadership Training Programme based on Basil Bernstein's conceptual apparatus. The aim is to investigate what knowledge is offered to the principal through studies at the state-regulated principal's program. Through a document study, a first step examines which knowledge is made relevant in the target document established by the Swedish National Agency for Education. In a second step, what knowledge is actualized and made relevant in course plans that each university has developed based on the target document established by the Swedish National Agency for Education. In total, 22 documents have been analyzed via a content analysis that has been applied. The results show that the Swedish National Agency for Education's target document has a controlling effect on the universities' self-determination to design their curricula. In addition, the results show that the knowledge content of the Swedish National Leadership Training Programme has some limitation in terms of supporting a school on a scientific basis. This is due to the way the knowledge is organized in the state-regulated principal's program. / Studien belyser kunskapsinnehållet på rektorsprogrammet utifrån Basil Bernsteins begreppsapparat. Syftet är att undersöka vilka kunskaper som erbjuds för rektor genom studier vid det av staten reglerade rektorsprogrammet. Genom en dokumentstudie undersöks i ett första steg vilka kunskaper som görs relevanta i det av Skolverket fastställda måldokumentet. I ett andra steg, vilka kunskaper som aktualiseras och görs relevanta i kursplaner som varje lärosäte tagit fram med utgångspunkt i det av Skolverket fastställda måldokumentet. Sammantaget har 22 dokument analyserats via en innehållsanalys som har tillämpats. Resultaten visar att Skolverkets måldokument har en kontrollerande effekt över lärosätenas självbestämmande att utforma sina kursplaner. Därtill visar resultaten att rektorsprogrammets kunskapsinnehåll har viss begränsning i avseende att stödja en skola på vetenskaplig grund. Detta med anledning av hur kunskaperna är organiserade på det av staten reglerade rektorsprogrammet.