Teacher education as a field of study has steadily grown since the press for an identifiable knowledge base first appeared in the 1970s. Almost simultaneously, calls for teacher education reform abounded and have, for more than 40 years, existed alongside the development of research in teacher education. However, these longstanding teacher…

Local school systems, Local Education Agencies [LEAs], and universities, Institutions of Higher Education [IHEs], work together in a variety of ways in the initial preparation and ongoing professional development of teachers, although it is difficult to ascertain the number of LEA/IHE partnerships. These relationships typically allow for a…

Preparing educators to teach in inclusive classrooms is a critical first step in ensuring that all students in P-12 programs receive exemplary educational services. The need to restructure personnel preparation in response to the increasing diversity and inclusiveness of public school classrooms has evolved from discussion and debate more than a…

This article highlights current thinking and practice regarding the use of student portfolios to document performance of authentic teaching tasks in undergraduate special education teacher education programs. It describes ways to use portfolios for student and program assessment and includes suggestions for overcoming the subjectivity associated…

For six years, San Jose State University has offered a training program aimed at the problems of special education teacher recruitment and preparation in rural areas. Program features include Rural Community Advisory Committee which participates in student recruitment and program development, instruction via interactive television, field-site…

A model of service delivery to rural handicapped children trains classroom teachers onsite to be "Cooperative Extension Service Agents" within their schools. University faculty bring graduate coursework to the school site and "Agent" teachers provide special education inservice assistance to fellow teachers, facilitating local…

This paper traces the history of leadership training in the field of special education as a context for a projection of future leadership personnel needs. The current situation in supply and demand for special education leadership personnel is analyzed, and it is found that the number of available personnel is dwindling while the number of job…

The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) surveyed its member small institutions on the status of their programs for preparing teachers for working with handicapped students. Each chapter in this report on the survey is written by different educators from various small colleges in the United States. Chapter 1, "Coping…

Describes graduate teacher education program at University of Northern Colorado emphasizing full and equal training in three competency areas: academic instruction, orientation/mobility, and needs of severely/profoundly handicapped blind children. Finds program serves rural/small schools and districts lacking sufficient population of visually…

A survey of 69 faculty members from 32 universities offering preparation programs for teachers, orientation and mobility specialists, rehabilitation teachers, and doctoral-level leadership personnel serving people with visual impairments raises concerns about the future viability of such programs, in light of state budget cuts, faculty recruitment…

These four newsletters from the South Carolina Department of Education focus on teaching and serving students with disabilities. The first newsletter includes articles addressing ways that special education professionals can be good to themselves so they can meet the needs of exceptional children; strategies for instructing children with attention…