An Analysis of the Outcomes of a Unified Teacher Preparation Program

Abstract

This paper presents the findings of a study of learning gains made by students with disabilities and those without disability when taught by teacher candidates completing a unified teacher preparation program. The Student Academic Performance Sample, the culminating performance-based assessment of the program was the primary data source. This assessment permits analysis of student learning on a curriculum unit of instruction that is differentiated to meet the needs of all K-12 learners. Units of 20 teacher candidates were examined to determine: (a) the learning demonstrated by students with disabilities; and, (b) the teaching models and strategies used by the teacher candidates. Evidence of student learning was determined through analysis of disaggregated data from class-wide results. These data reveal that students with disabilities achieved within the range of their typical peers in 14 of the 20 units. The teaching model most frequently associated with learning by these students was cooperative learning. The implications of these results for inclusive teacher preparation are discussed.