COMPETENCIES OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION MANAGEMENT A CASE STUDY OF PROMOTING ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
Keywords:
Executive Competencies, Academic Excellence, School Administration, Special EducationAbstract
Providing special education that aims to promote academic excellence presents a significant challenge to the competency development of modern school administrators. This article aims to analyze the competencies of school administrators by comparing core competencies which are anchored in fundamental concepts such as achievement orientation, excellent service, and expertise accumulation with administrative competencies including leadership, vision and strategy to promote with specific competencies. Drawing upon and analysis of domestic and international challenges and best practices to synthesize the appropriate competency components for school administrators responsible for special education service management. Based on the synthesis of essential competency components this article proposes a pyramid of competencies specifically designed for school administrators providing special education to foster academic excellence. This comprehensive framework consists of five crucial clusters: 1) Academic and Curriculum Competencies; 2) Management Competencies; 3) Personnel and Organizational Development Competencies; 4) Relationship and Networking Competencies; and 5) Vision and Corporate Innovation Management. The successful application of these integrated competencies will enable administrators to steer their schools toward sustainable excellence. Ultimately, this study aims to develop a specific competency framework that enhances the quality of special education in Thailand, thereby producing outstanding human resources critical for advancing the nation toward Thailand 4.0
References
Cripe, E. (2012, October 17). The first competency model. Workitect. https://workitect.com/the-first-competency-model/
Cross, T. L., Coleman, L. J., & Terhaar-Yonkers, M. (2014). The social cognition of gifted adolescents in schools: Managing the stigma of giftedness. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 37(1), 30–39. https://doi.org/10.1177/0162353214521492
Dalton School Japan. (n.d.). Dalton plan education. https://www.dalton-school.ed.jp/english/about/daltonplan.html
Davidson Academy. (2025). The value of a Davidson Academy education. https://www.davidsononline.org/academics/the-value-of-a-davidson-academy-education/
Debsirin School. (2025). Debsirin School announcement regarding the admission of Mathayom 1 students for the academic year 2023. http://www.debsirin.ac.th
European School The Hague. (2020). Gifted and talented. https://www.europeanschoolthehague.nl/about
Fullan, M. (2014). The principal: Maximizing impact. Jossey-Bass; Ontario Principals’ Council. https://michaelfullan.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/14_The-Principal-Handout_Spring-Summer.compressed.pdf
Kueawarakun, P., Wangthanomsak, M., & Intarak, P. (2019). The administrator's competency and quality education of school in Samutsakhon Primary Educational Service Area Office. Journal of Educational Administration, Silpakorn University, 10(1), 86–102.
Maihong, A. (2022). An analysis of the competencies of educational administrators under the Office of Secondary Education Area in the disruptive era (Master’s thesis, Srinakharinwirot University).
Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. (2008, August 28). Policies in place to promote gifted education. https://shorturl.asia/nk6gx
Ministry of Interior. (2024, September 25). Ministry of Interior announces the adjustment of curriculum levels of educational institutions under local administrative organizations, 48 locations, to be “educational institutions with special education management,” aiming to drive the mission of promoting and supporting educational management. https://www.thaigov.go.th/news/contents/details/88383
Naowarat, T. (2023). Handbook for using the school administration model to achieve excellence in Ban Pahla School, Sisaket Primary Educational Service Area Office 2.
Office of the Civil Service Commission. (2009). Standards and guidelines for determining essential knowledge, abilities, skills, and competencies for ordinary civil servant positions. https://www.dop.go.th/download/news/hr/th1719196414-467_0.pdf
Office of the Education Council. (2017). National education plan B.E. 2560–2579 (2017–2036). https://backoffice.onec.go.th/uploaded/Outstand/2017-EdPlan60-79.pdf
Office of the Education Council. (2019). Core competencies framework of basic education learners and primary education level (Grades 1–3). 21Century.
Purdue University, College of Education. (2024, January 1). What is special education? https://education.purdue.edu/2024/01/what-is-special-education/
Renzulli, J. S. (1978). What makes giftedness? Reexamining a definition. Phi Delta Kappan, 60(3), 180–184.
Rukcotr, P., Hanrin, C., & Puangyod, P. (2024). School administrators' academic leadership affecting teachers' learning management under Bueng Kan Primary Educational Service Area Office. Journal of Administration and Supervision, 15(3), 14–26.
Subotnik, R. F., Olszewski-Kubilius, P., & Worrell, F. C. (2011). Rethinking giftedness and gifted education: A proposed direction forward based on psychological science. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 12(1), 3–54.
Sutthamdee, C., & Sutthamdee, J. (2017). Application of competencies for human resources development. Journal of Roi Et Rajabhat University, 11(1), 262–269.
Team SpEd@school. (2025, July 11). How schools in Finland lead the way in inclusive education. https://spedatschool.com/blog/how-schools-in-finland-lead-the-way-in-inclusive-education
Thanachan, P., Wannawed, N., & Pauwongsakul, S. (2023). The relationship between school administrators' competency and the academic administration in schools under Secondary Educational Service Area Office Kanchanaburi. Journal of Educational Management Innovation and Research, 4(2), 205–217. https://so02.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/jemri/article/download/258304/173714/982406
Thassopon, T., & Wiyaporn, S. (2024). Competency of school administrators in the 21st century and happiness at work of teachers under the municipality in Samut Sakhon province. Journal of MCU Nakhon Dhat, 11(1), 271–278. https://research.bkkthon.ac.th/abstac/ab_08092567100323.pdf
Vaisopha, K., Sonchan, C., & Sod-ium, P. (2024). School administrator competencies in the 21st century: A case study of the upper northeastern region of Thailand. Chintasilp Journal of Academic Studies, 2(1), 13–27. https://so19.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/Chintasit/article/view/924/537q1
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Categories
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Journal of Academic Multidisciplinary Education

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
This article is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which allows others to share the article with proper attribution to the authors and prohibits commercial use or modification. For any other reuse or republication, permission from the journal and the authors is required.

