Special Education Teacher Preparation Research Articles

Alternative Route Programs Within Special Education Teacher Preparation: A Systematic Literature Review

In the United States, there exists a chronic shortage of qualified special education teachers to provide instructional services to students with disabilities. One policy solution developed to increase the number of qualified teachers is “alternative routes,” which are broadly defined as nontraditional and accelerated preparation paths to obtain a teaching license. In this systematic literature review, the authors synthesize empirical studies from 2005 to 2021, examining factors associated with alternative route programs specific to special education. First, an economic framework for the special education workforce is established. This is followed by a descriptive summary of alternative route research nested within the broader teacher labor markets. Then, a systematic literature search on alternative routes for special education teachers is analyzed. The authors found that most studies examined the role of teacher preparation cost (e.g., cost-effectiveness, federal spending), human capital (e.g., recruitment of culturally diverse teachers, location-specific capital), and program design (e.g., collaboration between stakeholders, technology). Furthermore, studies largely investigated alternative route program characteristics affiliated with institutions of higher education. The majority of researchers employed quantitative methods to analyze secondary state or survey data, while two studies used qualitative methods, and two utilized mixed methods. Implications for future research and policy recommendations needed within the recruitment and preparation of special education teachers are discussed.

Field Experiences in Special Education Teacher Preparation: A Review of the Literature

Field experiences are often considered by researchers, leading organizations, and accrediting bodies as a critical component of special education teacher preparation. Yet, much remains unknown about the types or numbers of field experiences that will best prepare special education teacher candidates. Given the ongoing changes in the field of teacher education to move toward practice-based approaches and increasing calls for more rigorous research, we aim to update the review conducted by Nagro and deBettencourt, which looked at special education field experiences from 2000 to 2014. Specifically, we conducted a systematic literature review of the research on field experiences including special education teacher candidates that have been published from 2013 to 2020 to examine what is known about participants, field experience duration and settings, field experience instructional approaches and content, field experience activities, and methodologies employed. We discuss findings for special education teacher preparation, including future research directions.

The Nationwide Trends and Preparation Requirements of Alternative Route Programs in Special Education

In the United States, there exists a chronic shortage of qualified special education teachers to provide instructional services to students with disabilities. One policy solution developed to increase the number of qualified teachers is alternative routes (ARs), which are broadly defined as nontraditional and accelerated preparation paths to obtain a teaching license. In this longitudinal descriptive study, we investigate (a) the national trends of special education teacher enrollment and completion in AR programs from 2012 to 2020 and (b) the special education teacher preparation requirements in state alternative pathways that are disaggregated by their affiliation with institutions of higher education. Findings reveal that AR programs preparing special education teachers are on the rise within the United States, but they vary significantly on their preparation requirements. Implications for future research and policy recommendations needed within the recruitment and preparation of special education teachers will be discussed.

The Future of Artificial Intelligence in Special Education Technology

This manuscript presents a preliminary discussion of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a disruptive technology with the potential to significantly change special education practices. The article begins with a brief description of the development of AI. The authors recognize our assertions are subjective and require further research. Several references are not peer-reviewed because educational research takes years to conduct, analyze, and disseminate outcomes. In this manuscript, we discuss current software used for writing with students in special education and discuss similarities and differences with AI software. This discussion is followed by questions and examples related to implementation, ethical and policy considerations, and preservice special education teacher preparation. The article concludes with future considerations for how AI will impact the special education technology field.

The Experiences of Teacher Candidates With Disabilities: A Systematic Literature Review

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 was to synthesize existing research on the experiences of teacher candidates with disabilities in teacher preparation programs and present implications and future directions for research, policy, and practice in higher education disability resources and special education teacher preparation to advance both access and equity in these settings. Results from five total articles showed that teacher candidates with disabilities experienced several barriers to access in their teacher preparation programs that negatively impacted their personal and professional outcomes. The authors conclude with a discussion of future directions for research, policy, and practice in both special education teacher preparation and higher education disability resources.

Strengthening Existing Pathways in Special Education Teacher Preparation: An Introduction from the Guest Editor

An introduction to this special issue of JOSEP on the special education teacher shortage.

An Undergraduate Program to Address the Teacher Shortage: What We Thought We Knew

After more than 20 years of a critical shortage in special education teachers, this mid-Atlantic state expedited program development for undergraduate-level teacher preparation programs. To meet the accelerated timeline, one programat a large public university used its graduate-level coursework as a model for the undergraduate level program. After initial implementation, it was clear that revisions were necessary. In this article, we provide a description of the program revision activities conducted, including (a) building a representative advisory board, (b) conducting a needs assessment, (c) developing a coherent curriculum map, (d) creating an action plan and implementing reforms, and (e) reviewing ongoing activities for continuous improvement. Implications are described, including how special education teacher preparation programs can use the CEEDAR Center Roadmap to Educator Preparation Reform to guide data-based program revisions, conduct a Q-Sort Activity as a systematic way to identify program priorities, and engage in program review activities, ultimately to better prepare special educators and reduce the teacher shortage.

Multi-Tiered System of Supports for Teacher Preparation: A Framework to Attract, Retain, and Prepare Special Educators

Special education teacher preparation programs (SETPPs) take on the difficult task of preparing high-quality educators ready to meet the diverse needs of students with disabilities. This mission is increasingly vital as we face a widespread and long-standing shortage of special educators and declining enrollment in SETPPs. In this article, we will highlight how integrating a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) model within a teacher preparation program can provide a systematic framework to improve recruitment and retention efforts, stakeholder satisfaction, and pre-service teacher quality. We will provide an illustrative description of how we incorporated an MTSS framework in our undergraduate SETPP, which included a continuum of interventions to meet a wide variety of pre-service teacher needs, data-based decisions and universal screening, and explicit instruction of our core competencies (i.e., knowledge, skills, dispositions). This article opens the conversation on the potential benefits of expanding the MTSS framework into higher education, specifically teacher preparation, as an innovative approach for attracting, retaining, and preparing high-quality special educators.

Forging Partnerships to Address Teacher Shortages in Rural Settings: Engaging Key Players

Discussing the topic of special education teacher shortages across the United States has become commonplace. Although more widespread, special education teacher shortages in rural areas have gained less attention. Teachers in these areas face unique challenges such as overcoming geographic barriers to providing high-quality services, the isolation endemic to rural poverty, and having limited access to resources in schools. Additionally, students with disabilities living in rural areas are more likely to be supported by teachers who are ill-prepared, lack experience, and/or fail to possess the qualifications necessary to meet diverse learning needs. Addressing these challenges requires innovative partnerships between national, state, and university personnel to create systemic change to recruit and retain special educators. The purpose of this article is to describe a partnership between The Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform (CEEDAR) Center, the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE), Education Preparation Programs (EPPs), including Delta State University, and a cross-section of special education directors in the Mississippi Delta and other regions that utilized The Educator Shortages in Special Education Toolkit (Hayes et al., 2019) as a guide, which resulted in the development of the Special Educator Mentoring Framework. This article will explore the Special Educator Mentoring Framework that engaged stakeholders in purposeful activities through the four-step cyclical process to plan, design, implement, and evaluate efforts to address the special educator shortages in rural regions of Mississippi. This unique collaboration highlights promising practices to promote special education teacher preparation and strengthen teaching practice.

The Journey towards Inclusive and Equitable Education for Students with Disabilities in India

This article is a descriptive review of several policy documents initiated by the government of India regarding inclusive and equitable education for students with disabilities to bring them into the mainstream education system. India has one of the most progressive disability policy frameworks for educating students with disabilities among developing countries. Over the last three decades, the government of India is taking various initiatives and policy programme to promote inclusive and equitable education for students with disabilities. The most recent policy in India, the National Education Policy 2020, focuses on inclusive and equitable education for students with disabilities. Some other major initiatives focused on inclusive education for students with disabilities at different levels of education like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Inclusive Education of Children and Youth with Disabilities (IECYD), Rastriya Bal Swaasthya Karyakaram (RBSK), Inclusive Education of the Disabled at Secondary Stage (IEDSS) and Teacher Preparation in Special Education (TEPSE), Higher Education for Persons with Special Needs (HEPSN), etc. Despite all these policies, students with disabilities are facing various challenges in regular school. Therefore, India has to go a long way to achieve the goal of inclusive and equitable education for all, including students with disabilities.

Quality Evaluation of Special Education Teacher Preparation Programs at the Northern Governorates Universities in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, in Light of CAEP Standards

The paper contributes to the existing literature in assessing the quality of the Special Education Teacher Preparation Program in light of the standards of the Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (CAEP).The study sample consisted of (48) faculty members, of whom (28) were males and (20) females, and the questionnaire was used to collect data. the results showed that the degree of evaluating the quality of the special education teacher preparation program in the universities of the northern governorates in Jordan in the light of the standards of the Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (CAEP) was medium, and the results showed that there were statistically significant differences according to the gender variable in favor of females. And the academic rank in favor of the lower ranks, The study recommended the need to review the experiences of other countries in the field of preparing programs for special education teachers according to other international standards and evaluate them according to the latest developments in this field.

Effects of eCoaching on the Occurrence, Equity, and Variety of Behavior Specific Praise During Mursion™ Simulations

Engaging in deliberate practice opportunities during special education teacher preparation may increase the implementation and sustainability of evidence-based practices with fidelity in K-12 classrooms. We used a concurrent multiple baseline design across participants to evaluate the effects of providing immediate feedback through eCoaching with online Bug-In-Ear (BIE) technology on special education teacher candidates’ acquisition and sustained use of behavior specific praise (BSP) during Mursion™ classroom simulations. We also measured equitable praise rates and used the Behavior Specific Praise Observational Tool (BSP-OT) to evaluate teacher candidates’ praise variety. Results showed a functional relation between the intervention and teacher candidates’ use of BSP. Maintenance, equity, and praise variety data indicated promising social validity findings.

“The world is my oyster”: impacts of an international student teaching experience on future early childhood special educators

ABSTRACT A critical component of blended early childhood/early childhood special education teacher preparation programs is preparing future educators who have the knowledge and skills to work with culturally and linguistically diverse children and families. International field experiences that immerse pre-service teachers (PSTs) in another culture can provide a transformational experience that leads to personal and professional growth and the use of culturally responsive practices. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how an 8-week student teaching experience in Ecuador impacted PSTs’ understanding of special education and their perceived ability to work effectively with culturally and linguistically diverse children and their families. We conducted semi-structured interviews with six undergraduate PSTs who student taught in Ecuador in Fall 2019. Participants described an awareness of culturally responsive practices, new perspectives on special education, and a shift in confidence and self-efficacy. This international experience provided different opportunities than traditional domestic field placements. PSTs described their responsibility for planning and implementing interventions with children with special needs as heightening their interest in special education. Given the transformational nature of international field experiences, personnel preparation programs should consider replicating key components of international field placements within cross-cultural domestic field placements.

The Degree Of Applicability Of Quality Standards In Special Education Teacher Preparation Programs In Saudi Universities

The Degree Of Applicability Of Quality Standards In Special Education Teacher Preparation Programs In Saudi Universities

Special Education in the Arab Gulf Countries: An Analysis of Ideals and Realities

This research examines the status of special education in the Arab Gulf nations of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates in the early 2020s using three methods. First, through an integrative examination of laws, policies, and international commitments to disability rights in the area of education, we describe what these countries are trying to achieve in terms of the education of their children and youth with disabilities—their ideals. We then describe the extent to which those ideals are being achieved—the realities— by (a) classifying the countries’ educational provision for their exceptional learners according to an empirical typology that describes national differences in serving such students educationally and (b) investigating recent literature on special education teacher preparation and special education research in the Arab Gulf states to understand why there may be discrepancies between the ideals and the realities. The countries’ commitment to the right to education for individuals with disabilities is solidly and firmly in place. The reality of fully achieving that ideal is still developing, though progress is being made.

Expanding Preservice Teachers’ Conceptions about Disability Through Young Adult Literature

This article provides information and resources to help special education teacher educators improve preservice teachers’ competence for working with disabled1 students and addressing ableism in their classrooms, by incorporating young adult (YA) literature into special education teacher preparation experiences. Embedding YA literature with representations of disability can address ableism in education by helping preservice special education teachers to conceptualize disabled adolescents differently. Current approaches to teacher education may reinforce dysconscious ableism (Broderick & Lalvani, 2017) and undergird educational segregation on the basis of disability. After reviewing current literature on addressing ableism during teacher preparation and using YA literature in teacher education, this article models how special education teacher educators can critically examine YA texts by providing criteria for evaluating representations of disability and a unit plan with three lessons for use in an introductory special education course. A bibliography of young adult books featuring characters with disabilities is also provided.

Science of Reading in Special Education Teacher Preparation

Reading development is a complex cognitive process, and instruction must be guided by the science of what works, for whom, and under which conditions. Students with learning disabilities (LD) in reading require high-quality reading instruction and, often, intensive intervention delivered by knowledgeable teachers. Yet, many teachers enter the field unprepared to teach reading. This special series in Intervention in School and Clinic brings together teacher-educators and reading researchers for a collection of articles that address critical issues related to training future special education teachers. These articles describe the design and delivery of reading methods courses in special education teacher preparation programs, including usable, practical strategies for teacher-educators to implement.

Delivering Instruction During the Pandemic: Insights for Special Education Administrators and Teacher Preparation Programs

This study examined considerations for delivering online instruction and related services to students with disabilities. The purpose of the study was to uncover teachers’ reflections about their experiences with online learning for students with disabilities as a response to COVID-19. We used an online open-ended survey to collect reflections from practicing teachers, who were graduates of a special education program at a university in Florida. Our findings highlighted challenges and unanticipated benefits of online service delivery. We discussed how administrators should streamline instructional-delivery platforms and procedures for teachers, students, and families. We recommended ensuring that Individualized Education Planning (IEP) teams consider priorities for future pandemics and natural disasters. Keywords: Online learning, special education teachers, students with disabilities, COVID-19, administrators.

Special Education Teachers’ Entangled Agencies, Intersectional Identities, and Commitments to Equity and Inclusion

Special education technology and its use has largely focused on student concerns with accessing instruction. Where teachers have received attention, it has focused on classroom practices and their understanding of how to use technologies to support students. While some conversations have recently turned to the importance of student identities regarding technologies in special education, the identities of special education teachers in relation to technology use has received less attention. This study takes a narrative inquiry approach to describe a special education teacher who claimed multiple intersecting cultural/ethnic identities and a disability status. The findings from this 2-year engagement highlight how the teacher grappled with using technologies, not just for student learning, but for broader commitments to justice in special education contexts. Implications of this study elaborate on the need to plan special education teacher preparation and support for technologies that honors commitments to equity.

Over represented – under represented: the juxtaposition of Black males in special education programs

Abstract The disproportionate, over-representation of Black boys in special education continues to be a matter of social injustice and inequity in education. Many Black students are placed in special education due to subjective identification processes. This is especially true when it comes to classifications such as Emotional Behavior Disorders (EBD). Black boys classified with EBD are more likely to be educated in exclusionary settings, and once placed, are less likely to return to integrated environments. This often leads to poor educational and life outcomes. The topic of disproportionality in special education has been studied and discussed over the past several decades, yet the problems persist. The purpose of this article is to discuss reasons for the over representation of Black boys who are identified as having EBD. Moreover, this discussion is extended to include the disproportionate, under-representation of Black men as special education professionals, classroom teachers and full-time faculty members in special education teacher preparation programs. The impact of this juxtaposition continues to exacerbate both sides of disproportionality of Black males in special education.