Education Personnel Preparation Research Articles

Turning Around Colleges of Education

The last decade has produced an unprecedented number of stakeholders calling for demonstrated improvement in the preparation of educational personnel. These pressures directly challenge the way teachers are prepared and the unit responsible for that work—Colleges of Education. Failure to identify needed changes and respond can result in the unit facing a crisis. The following study outlines comprehensive changes needed to accommodate to the ‘New Normal' of the teacher education enterprise, illuminates a change strategy to turnaround a unit in crisis, and reports two case studies where a College of Education responded to needed changes. Lessons from these two case studies served as a basis for a turnaround model useful to other institutions.

Inclusive education: strategies and opportunities for preparing teachers through the use of ICT in the Italian compulsory school

The focus of this paper is on the importance of preparing teachers for inclusive education through the acquisition of disciplinary competencies and integrated and strategic use of educational technology. The inclusion is a crucial part of the school at the base of the principle of equal opportunities. The paper analyze the use of ICT in the italian scenario – to support the learning of learners with disabilities and special educational needs in inclusive settings within the compulsory school sector. The Article 40 of the Salamanca Framework for Action indicates “Appropriate preparation of all educational personnel stands out as a key factor in promoting progress towards inclusive schools”. This means that teachers need to learn the strategies to promote diversity and inclusion strategies in a learning environment for all students, including students with special needs to grow.

Early Childhood Special Education and Early Intervention Personnel Preparation Standards of the Division for Early Childhood

Results of the field validation survey of the revised initial and new advanced Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Division for Early Childhood (DEC) early childhood special education (ECSE)/early intervention (EI) personnel standards are presented. Personnel standards are used as part of educational accountability systems and in teacher personnel preparation program accreditation to train highly qualified teachers. DEC and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) members were partners in the validation survey. The method and survey procedures are described along with the knowledge and skill standards selected as essential and retained in the final DEC ECSE/EI approved sets of standards. Purposeful sampling was used to select DEC respondents for their knowledge and expertise in personnel preparation and operation of ECSE/EI and early childhood education (ECE) programs. Results from the DEC and NAEYC respondents are compared and contrasted. Challenges and limitations are discussed.

The Preparation of Educational Personnel in the 1990's

The Preparation of Educational Personnel in the 1990's

National Trends for Certification and Training of Special Education Teachers

Historically the United States has lacked consensus regarding teacher certification and teacher training in special education. A labyrinth of titles, labels, and guidelines causes confusion. A national study to determine individual state policy regarding current special education teacher certification and personnel preparation is described. Recommendations for the direction of future change were also solicited from the questionnaire respondents. Suggestions of the researchers concerning the leadership role to be assumed by individual states are outlined.

The Preparation of Educational Personnel in the 1980's

The Preparation of Educational Personnel in the 1980's