Disruptive student behavior is a significant challenge in schools and a predictor of student failure. Effective classroom management is a crucial skill that middle level teachers must acquire to foster student engagement and learning. This qualitative study explored the experiences and perceptions of 35 middle level teachers in both general…

The study described in this paper investigated a unique collaboration among a special education and two general educators that sought to prepare students for success in the general education mathematics curriculum and that consisted of coordinated, reform-based instructional design across classroom and pull-out services provided by the special…

Black male teachers comprise less than two percent of the teachers of color in education nationwide and even fewer than that teach in special education. There exists a paucity of research literature on the "invisible tax" placed upon them via the nuanced responsibilities, lived experiences, identities, and needs of Black male special…

This study describes the development of a special education teacher observation protocol detailing the elements of effective decoding instruction. The psychometric properties of the protocol were investigated through many-facet Rasch measurement (MFRM). Video observations of classroom decoding instruction from 20 special education teachers across…

This article describes rural and remote teacher training in low incidence (LI) disabilities through an alternative teaching pathway (ATP) and the efforts of one university's ATP program to address the ongoing critical special education teacher shortage in rural and remote school districts. The impact of the federal investment in…

A wide variety of legislation impacts the jobs of special education teachers in the United States. In 2002, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was signed into law, mandating that states develop standards and report outcomes for all students in the key areas of math and reading. In 2004, the reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education…

The goal of this study was to examine the professional development experiences of two contrastive participants while they were creating standards-based individualized education plan (IEP) goals using a virtual world called TeacherSim. Two specific focuses of the study were on how special educators engaged with the task of creating standards-based…

The future of virtual environments is evident in many fields but is just emerging in the field of teacher education. In this article, the authors provide a summary of the evolution of simulation in the field of teacher education and three factors that need to be considered as these environments further develop. The authors provide a specific…

The U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) is dedicated to improving results for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities ages birth through 21 by providing leadership and financial support to assist institutions of higher education (IHEs), states, and local districts. During a 5-year period, OSEP…

This study is a comparison of the embedded instruction of behavioral chains with more traditional (one-on-one massed trials in special education setting) instructional procedures for teaching behavioral chains to students with significant cognitive disabilities. Although embedded instruction has emerged as a promising potential instructional…

According to the U.S. Department of Education, shortages of special education and/or related services personnel continue to be a significant challenge for all states. In response to this challenge, state education agencies (SEAs) are implementing various strategies to improve recruitment and retention efforts. The purpose of this document is to…

This study investigated the perceptions of special education teachers about the prevalence and characteristics of sexual harassment among students identified with educational disabilities. Utah special education teachers (250) were randomly selected from the state's database. Fifty-two percent (n = 129) of the surveys were returned. Approximately…

The purpose of this study was to determine the reported level of special education knowledge of Utah charter school principals/directors. In order for charter schools to provide a learning environment that is accommodating, accepting, and promotes the success of children with special needs a systems change may be in order. For the change to be…

The 2009 "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" provided a comprehensive review of states' policies that impact the teaching profession. As a companion to last year's comprehensive state-by-state analysis, the 2010 edition provides each state with an individualized "Blueprint for Change," building off last year's "Yearbook"…

This study investigated (a) variables that predict amount of time students with severe disabilities spend in leisure and physical activity education and (b) teacher beliefs about provision of these services. Participants included 35 secondary special education teachers and 170 students with severe disabilities. Findings suggest that special…