Abstract
Concerns for social justice have called Catholics and others to be compassionate and supportive to children with disabilities by establishing schools and other learning opportunities to nurture this population. Special education as a field has developed over the past 40 years. This study examines the incidence, context, and nature of special education personnel preparation programs in institutions of Catholic higher education (ICHE). Through literature searches and web-based searches on the National Catholic College Admission Association website, a survey, and individual college websites, the study has identified 89 ICHE that offer special education degrees out of a total of 260 Catholic colleges and universities. Within the context of the demographics of ICHE, the results of this exploratory study show regional variation in special education degree programs; patterns of other education degree offerings that often occur with special education degrees and dual certification; along with information about faculty, financial aid, accreditation, practicum sites, and relationships to Catholic schools. Recommendations are offered to strengthen special education personnel preparation in areas of need, including rural areas, and special education teachers who work with culturally and linguistically diverse populations.
Highlights
The essence of special education personnel preparation is to teach future teachers to learn to respond on an individual basis to children who have limitations in their learning capacity or significant variations in the manner in which they process information and retain knowledge and/or act upon the world
Given the belief in the dignity of all life and the social justice mission shared by Catholic colleges and universities, special education is a field that calls institutions of Catholic higher education (ICHE) and others to be compassionate and supportive and to establish schools and other learning opportunities to nurture this population
This paper examines the pattern of special education offerings in ICHE in the context of the continuum of Catholic education as well as the national picture of special education and offers recommendations for future development of related programs
Summary
The essence of special education personnel preparation is to teach future teachers to learn to respond on an individual basis to children who have limitations in their learning capacity or significant variations in the manner in which they process information and retain knowledge and/or act upon the world. How does special education personnel preparation in ICHE respond to needs in Catholic schools and public schools? This survey is not about teacher quality in special education personnel preparation programs in ICHE.
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