This publication describes the high teacher attrition rate in special education and the importance of teacher retention, and provides teacher retention strategies and activities for educators and administrators. Information for the guide was obtained through discussion groups, interviews, and a written survey. Three sections identify strategies…

Difficulties in recruiting and retaining rural special educators relate directly to deficiencies in teacher preparation programs, which are not providing their budding professionals with appropriate instruction to insure success and survival as rural special educators. In December 1982, a National Consortium of Universities Preparing Rural Special…

A special education teacher and an administrator in each of 17 small rural public school districts in New Mexico were interviewed to identify problems with and strategies for providing special education services in the districts. According to teachers, the most severe problems involved acquiring appropriate equipment and materials, recruiting…

This self-instructional module, one of 16 on techniques for coordinating work experience programs, provides preservice and inservice educational materials for teacher-coordinators supervising on-the-job training. The four goals for this module are (1) to understand the background and concepts of cooperative vocational education, (2) to understand…

The handbook is intended for elementary and secondary school administrators and teachers providing programs for handicapped students in the province of Alberta, Canada. Functions of administrators include the establishment, development, and/or implementation of goals, support services, and evaluation procedures. The parents' role in assessment,…

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…

Special education is now an established part of public education in the United States--by law and by custom. However, it is still widely misunderstood and continues to be dogged by controversies related to such things as categorization, grouping, assessment, placement, funding, instruction, and a variety of legal issues. The purpose of this…

A 3-year research and development project examined ways to improve the retention of special education teachers in the Memphis (Tennessee) City Schools. Several individual studies identified sources of dissatisfaction with teaching and the conditions that would encourage career longevity among teachers. Responses from 470 special education and…

This guidebook offers practical advice to support special education teachers in their first year of teaching. The first chapter, "Getting Ready To Teach," outlines preparations necessary before school begins, such as organizing the classroom and establishing planning and record-keeping strategies. "Tips for the Classroom" lists what teachers…

This manual, together with the continuing education or inservice teacher workshops for learning the Systematic Integrated Teaching/Learning Approach (SITLA), can help teachers use different approaches to work effectively with a population of adults 18 years and older who are enrolled in special education classes, college-based developmental skills…

This conference was held to enhance communication between the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and State education agency staffs, and to furnish information and technical assistance to State agencies in the areas of data management and improvement of data reliability, validity, and comparability. Abstracts of presentations include the…

A brief description is provided of ways in which vocational programs have been modified for handicapped students at Portsmouth High School (New Hampshire). Examples are: (1) regular vocational programs with support services and modification curriculum; (2) special vocational programs in which pre-vocational entry level skills are developed prior…

This book is intended to provide special educators or teachers-in-training with realistic tools for effective collaborative working relationships. The text integrates practical exercises with discussion of relevant research. When used as part of an undergraduate or graduate course, the text offers self-assessment and environmental assessment…

This study examined 23 classroom teachers' perceptions of collaborative training meetings they engaged in with remedial reading or resource room teachers. Teachers engaged in "pull-in" teaching (in which specialists taught in general classrooms) reported more frequent collaborative meetings and greater learning of specific techniques…

An interagency team approach to planning and implementing successful school-to-work programs for students with disabilities is recommended. Roles of special educators, vocational rehabilitators, vocational educators, parents, and students are identified. Specific ways to counter such local obstacles as lack of transportation, lack of funding, and…