Despite the availability of disability resource centers and reasonable accommodations to facilitate access among teacher candidates with disabilities, research has shown that access alone may not be conducive to equitable educational experiences that promote program retention and completion. The purpose of this systematic review of the literature…

The authors consider the future of special education personnel preparation by responding to an overarching question: "What frameworks might teacher educators use as a basis to promote special education teacher effective performance now and in the future?" In answering this question, they summarize current trends in the context of…

During the final semester of a student teaching program, 87 pre-service teachers in a dual certification (special education and elementary education) program completed a research based 22-item Perceptions of Inclusion Survey. In addition, five Special Education Directors for the six districts in which students were placed participated in…

The proficiency with which teachers of students with emotional and behavioural disorders (EBD) plan for, provide instructional activities, and address the challenging behaviour of their students is influenced by the nature of their preservice teacher preparation. The purpose of this study was to examine educators' perceptions of the…

Nationwide, personnel preparation programs are responding to the changing population demographics and its impact on Pre K-12 classrooms. Needs surveys conducted by the Monarch Center over the past ten years have consistently yielded a need for support in redesigning program course and fieldwork components to better prepare their teachers and other…

Many general education and special education teachers report being unprepared for the challenges of serving students with disabilities in the general education classroom (Kloo & Zigmond, 2008; Rea & Connell, 2005) and lacking skills necessary for co-teaching and collaborating within the school community (Grant & Gillette, 2006; Little…

The benefits of family involvement in the education of children with disabilities are well documented. Few teacher education programs, however, implement specific strategies for encouraging interactions between families and those preparing to be teachers. The University of South Florida St. Petersburg and the local membership of a professional…

Teacher preparation programs provide preservice teachers with evidence-based teaching strategies, skills of behavior management, and various field experiences. The greatest learning however, is acquired the very first year of instruction in the teacher's own classroom. Teaching students with emotional and/or behavioral disorders (EBD) may prove to…

In 2005-2006, students with disabilities comprised 9 percent of the student population in the United States, and English language learners comprised about 10 percent. Many of these students spend a majority of their time in the general classroom setting in elementary and secondary schools. Most teachers are initially trained through teacher…

This article describes a program at the University of Hawaii that recruits individuals with training in general education for a special education certification program. Program features include strategies for aligning course and field requirements and the infusion of cultural and linguistic considerations of the school population. (Contains…

Service-learning continues to be utilized in teacher education programs. A salient feature of this form of pedagogy is the use of reflection. Many instructors and students struggle with the reflection process. Particularly, instructors are challenged to assess students' reflection entries. This article describes a guided reflection rubric that was…

This commentary discusses some of the challenges teacher education programs face in preparing teachers for working with students with disabilities. Trends toward making teacher education more authentic, increasing opportunities for practicum experiences, and focusing on the abilities of teacher candidates to achieve student learning are…