The Special Education Teacher Pipeline: Teacher Preparation, Workforce Entry, and Retention

We used data on the student teaching placements, degrees, teaching credentials, and workforce outcomes of more than 1,300 graduates of special education teacher education programs in Washington to provide a descriptive portrait of specific measures of special education teacher preparation and their relationships with workforce entry and early-career retention. Although rates of workforce entry and retention for these special education candidates were high, we documented considerably lower rates of entry into and retention in special education teaching positions for candidates who hold a dual endorsement in special education and another subject. These patterns have potential implications for the state’s new dual-endorsement requirement and for dual-licensure programs more broadly. Student teaching with a cooperating teacher who is endorsed in special education was also associated with a higher likelihood of becoming a special education teacher, even when controlling for whether the placement was in a special or general education setting.

Supporting Teacher Education Candidates Through the edTPA Process

edTPA is a performance-based, content-specific assessment process designed by educators to determine whether new teachers are ready for the job. This chapter provides a thorough description of how two departments at the University of North Carolina implemented edTPA in teacher licensure programs and how candidates were supported through the process. Elementary, Middle Grades, Secondary, Teaching English as a Second Language, and Foreign Language Education programs are described and implementation details of edTPA are provided. Formative supports for each program are presented. Finally, the chapter discusses future directions and next steps.

A Systematic Analysis of Transition Coursework Required for Special Education Licensure

The field of secondary special education and transition has long advocated for quality training at the preservice level. However, transition-focused coursework is not required for all special education licensure programs. Licensure programs requiring this coursework do not cover all transition-related knowledge and skills needed for teachers to implement effective planning and instruction. This article details results from an analysis of syllabi of transition coursework required for licensure sampled from institutions of higher education (i.e., named in 2015 U.S. News & World Report, 2014 National Council on Teacher Quality report). Results found 35% of universities sampled required a transition course for initial special education licensure. Courses identified covered roughly 85% of the subdomains identified in the Taxonomy for Transition Programming 2.0.

Supporting Teacher Education Candidates through the edTPA Process

edTPA is a performance-based, content-specific assessment process designed by educators to determine whether new teachers are ready for the job. This chapter provides a thorough description of how two departments at the University of North Carolina implemented edTPA in teacher licensure programs and how candidates were supported through the process. Elementary, Middle Grades, Secondary, Teaching English as a Second Language, and Foreign Language Education programs are described and implementation details of edTPA are provided. Formative supports for each program are presented. Finally, the chapter discusses future directions and next steps.

Supporting Teacher Education Candidates through the edTPA Process

edTPA is a performance-based, content-specific assessment process designed by educators to determine whether new teachers are ready for the job. This chapter provides a thorough description of how two departments at the University of North Carolina implemented edTPA in teacher licensure programs and how candidates were supported through the process. Elementary, Middle Grades, Secondary, Teaching English as a Second Language, and Foreign Language Education programs are described and implementation details of edTPA are provided. Formative supports for each program are presented. Finally, the chapter discusses future directions and next steps.

Moving Beyond Four Walls

In this qualitative research study, the authors explore the use of the Remote Observation of Graduate Interns (ROGI) as a tool for expanding online instruction for teacher licensure programs. Data are presented evaluating the differences between remote (synchronous) and face to face observational processes for a social studies lateral entry teacher, a student teaching social studies graduate intern, a social studies methods instructor, and a generalist. Through their rich, thick descriptions of the data, they conclude that remote and face to face observations are not equivalent methods; however, they are comparable and thus interchangeable, providing an innovative alternative for addressing constraints of traditional observation processes and shrinking operational budgets. Finally, the authors describe how ROGI moved learning and assessment beyond four walls and the potential ROGI offers in redefining teacher preparation using a multimedia video conferencing platform.