In implementing inclusive education, special educators frequently collaborate with general educators in various settings. How does such collaborative practice complicate the configuration of their professional identities? This paper uses the framework of "figured world" (Holland, Lachiotte, Skinner, & Cain, 1998) to scrutinize the practice of one…

As education continues to progress schools are constantly seeking innovative ways to cultivate and enhance achievement for all students. As a result many public schools are pushing toward the inclusion model. This model includes co-taught instruction to meet the many needs of special education students. This research study was implemented to…

Poverty most likely will always be a concern in the United States, particularly in at-risk populations of the public schools. Many students in poverty enter public schools behind in academic and social skills due to a lack of quality early learning experiences. Regular education teachers work diligently to catch these children up in vital skills;…

This article examines the mutuality of interests between partners in a professional development school (PDS), with an emphasis on promoting inclusive classrooms and integrating special education students into the general education continuum. It highlights how delivery models that hinder inclusive practices stunt the growth of PDS partnerships. It…

As educational leaders continue to struggle with the "Highly Qualified Teacher" mandate of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation, many are turning to co-teaching models that are designed to incorporate regular education and special education teachers into the same classroom to deliver instruction. This model appears to address the…

Ms. Thomas, the general educator, and Ms. Merced, the special education teacher, plan to co-teach mathematics classes during the upcoming school year. Based on previous interactions with students and knowledge of students' abilities from school records, they know that several students, including students with disabilities, struggle with…

It is necessary to provide students both with and without special needs and the classroom teachers with special education support services in order to achieve successful inclusion applications. The determination of teachers' opinions about the applications they carry out is important in the planning and achievement of the future applications. The…

Teachers are expected to possess not only the necessary knowledge and training to support mathematical content but also the pedagogical skills to support the learning needs of all students. Coteaching can provide solutions for general educators in diverse mathematics environments through collaboration with a special educator. This teaming can have…

With respect to co-teaching, there is a lack of empirical research at the high school level. Furthermore, few researchers have considered asking high school co-teachers to share their beliefs and perceptions about what makes co-teaching a successful model. To fulfill both the needs of students who are educated in co-taught classrooms and the lofty…

A comprehensive, integrated, three-tiered model (CI3T) of prevention is a framework for proactively meeting students' academic, behavioral, and social skills. At the tertiary (Tier 3) level of prevention, functional-assessment based interventions (FABIs) may be used to identify, develop, and implement supports based on the function, or purpose, of…

Current educational reform in K-12 schools in this nation is much driven by the No Child Left Behind Act. One central goal of NCLB is to "bring all students (including special education children) up to grade level in reading and math, to close the achievement gap and to hold schools accountable for results"(ed.gov). Varied innovative…

The purpose of this study was to provide information about what characteristics from the variety of inclusive early childhood programs are most valued and least valued by families and professionals. Participants were 10 family members of young children with disabilities being served in inclusive programs and 10 early childhood professionals…

Collaborative teaching has grown in popularity as students with disabilities have been increasingly moved to general education classrooms. Despite the growth of these models, little empirical evidence exists regarding the effectiveness of these practices. In this investigation, general and special education teachers (N = 118) from 20 urban…

Since the passage of PL 94-142, also known as the Education of All Handicapped Children Act, in 1975, special and general educators have been urged to work together to improve the education of children with disabilities through increased access to the general education curriculum. Over the years, the evolution of a collaborative approach to…

Any given year, general and special education teachers may find themselves managing and supervising one or more paraprofessionals within their classrooms. Paraprofessionals represent a growing and important segment of personnel used to provide support for students with severe learning or behavioral needs in self-contained and inclusive settings.…