The Effects of Secondary Special Education Preparation in Reading: Research to Inform State Policy in a New Era

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly M. Knackstedt ◽  
Melinda M. Leko ◽  
Molly Baustien Siuty
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Special Educators ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Special Education Teacher ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Teaching Reading ◽  
New Era ◽  
State Education ◽  
Two Factors

In this study, the authors present findings from a survey of 577 secondary special educators in a large Midwestern state regarding their reading pre-service and in-service teacher preparation and its effect on teachers’ sense of preparedness for teaching reading to adolescents with disabilities. Six models were fitted using multinomial logistic regression analyses. Results demonstrate the importance of two factors in preparing special educators who have a high sense of preparedness for teaching reading to adolescents with disabilities. The first is pre-service coursework that uses practice-based pedagogical approaches as opposed to passive lecture and the second is more extensive in-service professional development. The results are discussed in light of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and its delegation of teacher preparation policy to state education agencies. Implications for future research and policy in special education teacher preparation are provided.

Developing a Theory of Program Vision as Professional Socialization in Special Education Teacher Preparation

2021 ◽  
pp. 088840642110589
Author(s):  
Hannah Morris Mathews
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
General Education ◽  
Special Educators ◽  
Professional Socialization ◽  
Special Education Teacher ◽  
Teacher Preparation Programs ◽  
Preparation Programs ◽  
Education Teacher ◽  
Roles And Responsibilities

In general education, researchers find candidates’ pre-service experiences are a tool for socialization into the knowledge, norms, and values of the profession. An important aspect of this process is program vision—the collective understanding of teaching put forth by a preparation program. Yet, few investigations in special education examine program vision. Using interviews with candidates across six teacher preparation programs, the author generates theory to understand the role of vision in special education teacher candidates’ professional socialization and how experiences of program vision are associated with their conceptions of their future roles and responsibilities. Candidates’ conception of special educators’ roles reflected three characterizations consistent within, but distinct across programs: Direct Instructor, Supportive Differentiator, and General Responder. Each profile was associated with unique roles and responsibilities for special educators. Findings draw attention to the importance of examining vision as a tool for professional socialization in special education teacher preparation.

scholarly journals Critical Skills for Special Educator Effectiveness: Which Ones Matter Most, and to Whom?

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 132-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara B. Woolf
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Teacher Education ◽  
General Education ◽  
Teacher Effectiveness ◽  
Special Educators ◽  
Special Education Teacher ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Education Teacher ◽  
Critical Skills ◽  
Education And Employment

Special education teachers are expected to fulfill diverse teaching and nonteaching tasks in comparison to their general education peers. However, their performance is evaluated with measures that were normed for use with general education teachers. These specialty teachers are also routinely evaluated by professionals who may lack formal special education training or experience. These conditions render special educators vulnerable for inaccurate performance evaluation. Explicit research is needed to clarify the professional skills that are most critical to special educators’ professional effectiveness and ensure continuity of focus on these skills in preservice teacher education and employment contexts. This qualitative study builds on an earlier empirical investigation that demonstrated consensus among three sets of professionals that the standards developed by Council for Exceptional Children’s (CEC) represented skills that are critical for special education teacher effectiveness. The current study describes which skill domains were identified as critical for special education teacher effectiveness across participant groups and those that reflected distinct groups’ perspectives. Implications for future research are presented relative to strategies to more clearly articulate special education teacher expertise and ways to strengthen continuity across preservice special education teacher education and in-service professional development contexts.

scholarly journals Positives, Potential, and Preparation: Pre-service Special Educators’ Knowledge About Teaching Reading to Children with Down Syndrome

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leila A Ricci ◽  
Anna Osipova
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Down Syndrome ◽  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
University Students ◽  
Reading Instruction ◽  
Special Educators ◽  
Teaching Reading ◽  
Children With Down Syndrome ◽  
Credential Programs ◽  
Reading To Children

In this era of reading as a priority, research has indicated that children with Down syndrome (DS) can indeed learn to read, attaining functional levels of literacy and beyond. Families of children with DS are also increasingly advocating for reading instruction for their children. However, few studies have examined what beginning educators know about reading and DS. This study explored the knowledge and perceptions of pre-service special educators about the reading needs and abilities of children with DS. Participants were 225 university students, enrolled in special education teaching credential programs in two southern California universities, who completed a survey designed to assess their knowledge of teaching reading to children with DS, as well as to describe their approach to reading instruction with these students. Results showed promising knowledge on the part of these future teachers, but also highlight the importance of adequate teacher preparation in teaching reading to children with DS.

Toward a Model of Learning and Transfer: A Review of Instructional Methods and Learning Outcomes in Special Education Teacher Preparation

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 292-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Werner Juarez ◽  
Cammy Purper
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Preservice Teachers ◽  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Instructional Methods ◽  
Special Education Teacher ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Educational Models ◽  
Education Teacher ◽  
Quantitative Studies

In the past decade and a half, measurable outcomes of teacher performance and student achievement have moved to the forefront of education policy. Researchers have identified a gap in special education teacher preparation research and have called for the re-envisioning of current educational models, emphasizing a focus on effective methods in special education teacher preparation. Prior studies and literature reviews have demonstrated a need for experimental research on effective methods that move preservice teachers (PSTs) from knowledge to application. In this article, the authors present a model of learning and transfer based on the How People Learn theoretical framework. Guided by this framework, a review of literature resulted in 12 experimental, quantitative studies of instructional methods delivered primarily within university classroom-based settings, measuring PSTs’ outcomes at increasingly deeper levels of learning and transfer. Findings indicate various instructional methods within university coursework lead to strong, positive learning outcomes for PSTs, with most studies measuring knowledge acquisition and conceptual application of knowledge. Yet, more studies are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of coursework on teacher candidates’ application for and within classroom settings, as well as students’ outcomes. Implications and future research are discussed.

Recruiting and Retaining Black Students for Special Education Teacher Preparation Inclusion Programs

Inclusion ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
LaRon A. Scott
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Black Students ◽  
Effective Teachers ◽  
Faculty Of Color ◽  
Special Education Teacher ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Teachers Of Color ◽  
Education Teacher ◽  
Predominately White

AbstractEfforts to recruit and retain effective teachers of color have spread into the field of special education. However, scant research examining the experiences of teachers of color enrolled in special education teacher preparation inclusion programs exists. In the current study, a phenomenological investigation of 10 preservice Black students at predominately White higher education institutes in special education teacher programs designed to train teachers for inclusive classrooms was conducted to understand their experiences and identify effective recruitment and retention strategies. Based on the findings, students reported five themes: (a) feeling alienated in their programs, (b) feeling that they need effective mentoring from faculty of color, (c) better relationships with other peers of color, (d) deliberate mission of the institute and program, and (e) better need for financial support. The implications for recruiting and retaining Black teachers in special education and directions for future research were discussed.

Special Education Teacher Preparation for Family–Professional Partnerships: Results From a National Survey of Teacher Educators

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 320-337
Author(s):  
Kathleen B. Kyzar ◽  
Tracy Gershwin Mueller ◽  
Grace L. Francis ◽  
Shana J. Haines
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Special Education Teacher ◽  
Teacher Preparation Programs ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Preparation Programs ◽  
Education Teacher

Family–professional partnerships (FPPs) are an important, federally mandated part of the American education system that benefit all students, but especially students with disabilities. Although special education teacher preparation programs offer a viable and sustainable way to enhance FPPs, little is known about the degree to which these programs address FPPs within their curricula. The purpose of this study was to examine the ways in which special education teacher preparation programs address FPPs. A total of 113 special education faculty members across 52 institutions responded to a national online survey addressing this topic. Results indicated (a) a disconnect in the value and implementation of FPP-related knowledge and skills at the program and individual faculty levels and (b) patterns of inconsistent FPP-related content coverage across undergraduate and graduate offerings as well as across FPP-specific and non-FPP-specific coursework. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

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