To address the national teacher shortage, the federal government has permitted alternative route preparation programs in an attempt to increase the supply of licensed teachers. Alternative route (AR) programs vary by state, but generally aim to train teacher candidates who do not have a traditional education preparation background to fulfill…

In this article, we describe how our general and special education faculty collaborated to infuse the Universal Design for Learning framework into our special education preparation program, a dual-licensure special education and elementary education (K-6) undergraduate degree program. We describe the curriculum reform processes and outcomes of the…

Thirty-seven preservice teachers engaged in a self-regulated learning experience proposed to increase their algebra content knowledge and to examine their use of data to make instructional decisions. Using weekly algebra curriculum-based measures, preservice special education teachers set learning goals and objectives, individually selected and…

This qualitative study is a follow-up to an initial large-scale case study on the implementation of a co-taught curriculum in one California teacher preparation program. In a continuation of the initial case study, this follow-up study examined faculty perceptions of the necessary course attributes, resources, and attitudes for a successful…

In California, the longstanding insufficiency of special educators has compounded since the 2013-2014 academic year. Districts and state legislators have relied on the issuance of substandard permits (i.e., Provisional Intern Permits, Short-Term Staff Permits, and Intern Credentials) to counteract the shortage. However, the effectiveness of this…

We used survey and administrative data from Washington State to assess the degree to which special education teacher preparation, district literacy instructional practices, and the alignment between preparation and practice were associated with the reading test score gains of students with high-incidence disabilities taught by early-career special…

We used survey and administrative data from Washington State to assess the degree to which special education teacher preparation, district literacy instructional practices, and the alignment between preparation and practice were associated with the reading test score gains of students with high-incidence disabilities taught by early-career special…

The need for well-prepared special education teachers makes it important to examine how to best select candidates for special education teacher preparation programs, or at least to determine which, if any, admission variables relate to program outcome measures. This study is a replication and extension of a 2012 study--it used archival data from…

The current study investigated candidate predictors of performance on the Educative Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) special education teacher portfolio at a rural university in the southeastern region of the United States. As educator preparation programs across the United States continue to grapple with common standards for licensure,…

The aim is to describe special education teacher students' learning in the field of tension between informal learning during day-to-day work and formal university education. From the theoretical framework of Wenger-Trayner and Wenger-Trayner, we perceive the students as moving on a learning trajectory through a landscape of practice. The students…

The need for highly effective and qualified special educators continues to be a national concern. One of the primary reasons why teachers leave the profession is a lack of effective behavior management skills. Learning how to assess challenging behavior and its causes through functional analysis is one method to enhance teacher skillset in this…

This survey study examined 164 in-service special education teachers' perceptions of training strategies in their cross categorical teacher preparation program in the United Sates for developing knowledge and skills in systematic instruction, an evidence-based practice for students with extensive support needs. Both classroom-based and field-based…

Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) education is an instructional approach whereby teachers intentionally construct design-based learning opportunities to help students learn and apply content knowledge across disciplines in real-life situations. The present study investigated how twenty preservice teachers in a…

This paper examines special education graduate program retention data in connection with issues identified as affecting retention in higher education. We reviewed archival data for a three-year period to evaluate retention during a time of continual institutional and programmatic change. Descriptive data for four specific graduate strands in the…

An ABAB reversal design was utilized to examine the effects of an electronic daily behavior report card (eDBRC) on non-compliant, off-task, and disruptive classroom behaviors of a 16-year-old with autism spectrum disorder and a 17-year-old with an intellectual disability. The intervention was implemented by two preservice teachers…