The Idaho edition of the National Council on Teacher Quality's (NCTQ's) 2009 "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" is the third annual look at state policies impacting the teaching profession. It is hoped that this report will help focus attention on areas where state policymakers can make changes that will have a positive impact on teacher…

Recruitment and retention of special education teachers and related services staff have been persistent problems of rural school districts nationwide. High teacher attrition rates have serious ramifications for personnel development and program stability. Effective recruitment strategies for rural areas have four main components: (1) emphasis on…

Therapists and educators in early childhood special education programs have several potential sources of conflict ensuing from differing professional backgrounds, quality control, coordination problems, material equity, and lack of policy. A model for intensive and extensive training to improve the integration of therapy and therapists into the…

The study identified the similarities and differences among the self-reported perceptions of 312 parents and professionals regarding roles, criteria, and authority used for making decisions on the provision of occupational, physical, and speech/language therapy as related services for students with severe disabilities. (JDD)

Project NETWORC (Nevada Educational Television Working Out in Rural Communities) is presented as a model for ensuring effective preparation of rural special education teachers by delivering university courses to individuals already working in rural communities. Four courses are offered, each having a video segment, audioteleconferencing segment,…

This paper discusses the background and context of the national assessment movement as it relates to special education teacher preparation programs; the relationship between assessment and accreditation, with attention to the federal regulations for education effectiveness; recommendations for assessment planning; and suggested content areas for…

This paper examines the pressures placed on northern Manitoba (Canada) communities to meet provincial legislative requirements for certification of special education teachers, the special needs of native northerners, and principles guiding an appropriate education program. Special emphasis is given to the need for distance education and…

The "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" examines what is arguably the single most powerful authority over the teaching profession: state government. This California edition of the National Council on Teacher Quality's (NCTQ's) "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" is the first of what will be an annual look at the status of state…

The "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" examines what is arguably the single most powerful authority over the teaching profession: state government. This Arkansas edition of the National Council on Teacher Quality's (NCTQ's) "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" is the first of what will be an annual look at the status of state policies…

The "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" examines what is arguably the single most powerful authority over the teaching profession: state government. This Arizona edition of the National Council on Teacher Quality's (NCTQ's) "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" is the first of what will be an annual look at the status of state policies…

In 2004-2005, North Carolina's average teacher turnover rate was nearly 13 percent, ranging from a high of 29 percent to a low of 4 percent. Turnover among teachers in low-performing schools was substantially higher, with a low of 12 percent and a high of 57 percent. North Carolina has put strategies in place to address teacher retention but how…

This paper presents a model for projecting the need for special education teachers which incorporates key elements of a market-based supply/demand model. The model provides equations to predict the supply of both certified and uncertified special education teachers. It involves the following supply factors: current certified employed teacher…

The Kansas State Plan for Special Education is designed to trace specific special education issues through statute, regulation, and policy and to translate each issue into operational terms which can be followed by local education agencies. The informational format divides the plan into three major sections. The introductory section presents…

The paper examines problems in the utilization of the Resource Specialist Teacher (RST) mandated by California law to serve handicapped students. The study evaluated whether the RST certificate mandate effectively altered the implementation of the least restrictive environment policy for disabled students in a rural area of northeastern…

The "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" examines what is arguably the single most powerful authority over the teaching profession: state government. This Illinois edition of the National Council on Teacher Quality's (NCTQ's) "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" is the first of what will be an annual look at the status of state policies…