This article was developed from an earlier invitation to discuss what it was like to teach at a comprehensive arts and science college with a large teacher education program while also trying to conduct and publish applied research. Were there any particular tricks to getting things done that could be handed down to younger professionals working…

The alignment of the teacher quality provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the transparency of low achievement of students who have disabilities under the testing mandates of NCLB have converged to create substantial renewed interest and activity in collaborative programs…

With the proliferation of alternative route (AR) special education teacher preparation programs, many teacher educators are likely to be involved in AR program design and implementation. Unfortunately, few resources have focused on best practices for program developers to prepare the nontraditional participants who typically populate their…

A model of interdisciplinary team education is described which is designed to prepare specialists to work with visually disabled/multiply disabled persons. Problems in implementing interdisciplinary courses in higher education are considered, including both institutional and student barriers. (CL)

The author describes the Massachusetts and Northeast Region manpower planning projects, discusses the Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (CSPD) as a dynamic process, and reviews problems in its implementation in special education. (CL)

The paper summarizes the design, content, and implementation of a faculty development program in microcomputers in the Department of Special Education at Ball State University. Three levels of training, from elementary BASIC programing through advanced applications of microcomputers, are described. (Author/CL)

A microcomputer laboratory for research, training, and service and a competency-based multilevel computer literacy training program for preservice special education teacher education students are described. Considerations in program development and implementation are noted. (CL)

The article describes a joint competency based training program to enhance cooperation between parents and teachers of handicapped children. Evaluation with 143 participants is noted to support the model's feasibility. (SB)

The nature of strategy instruction combined with prevailing teaching models necessitated that the University of Kansas Institute for Research in Learning Disabilities create a new inservice teacher education format, based on such "best practices" as having ongoing training, requiring active and continued participation by key…

This manuscript seeks to share the continuous improvement endeavors by the College of Education faculty and administration at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte from initial preparation and planning through their successful national and state accreditation achieved in November 2005. Beginning with the unit's revision of their conceptual…

This article describes an early childhood special education personnel preparation program designed for family specialists. Specialized family coursework and field-based experiences are provided in addition to training experiences in child-related skills and competencies. (Author/PB)

Distance education utilizing online courses has emerged as an area of program development for many teacher education programs. Online course learning management systems, such as Blackboard.com, have made putting a course online a relatively simple task; however, in many cases, the online course is little more than a correspondence course with a…

This narrative relates personal experiences from the establishment of a professional development school. It discusses the conceptual foundation from which professional development schools (PDS) have emerged, the PDS mission, roles of various participants, and support for the professional education of teachers and for the improvement of practice.…

This article explains step-by-step activities that make up a collaborative research effort between university teacher educators and public school special education personnel. A research group, its members, and their activities in applied educational research are described including establishment, objectives, and first- and second-year activities.…

A collaborative, grass-roots partnership focusing on students at risk for educational failure has been developed by the University of Alaska Anchorage and the Anchorage (Alaska) School District. The effort is distinguished by a perception of common ground, a minimal administrative and financial structure, and a high degree of commitment from…