Research focusing on retention is vital for addressing the shortage of qualified special educators. In this phenomenological study, therefore, 21 early career special educators in Wisconsin were interviewed to investigate what factors most motivated them to continue in their profession. The study also examined how early career special educators…

A web-based survey was disseminated to examine the relationship between high school special education teachers and direct-service transition professionals' understanding of stakeholders' roles in transition, frequency of communication with transition stakeholders, and level of collaboration among stakeholders. Path analyses were also conducted to…

A survey was conducted with 86 teachers across 10 states regarding their students' ease of use of physical manipulatives incorporated with implementing evidence-based early numeracy instruction. The majority of respondents indicated significant student accessibility barriers. Specifically, 75% of respondents had students with tactile defensiveness…

In 2015, the Data-Informed Accessibility--Making Optimal Needs-based Decisions (DIAMOND) project received funding from an Enhanced Assessment Initiative grant to collect information that would support the development of professional development modules for educators making decisions within new accessibility frameworks. More accessibility features…

The Data-Informed Accessibility--Making Optimal Needs-based Decisions (DIAMOND) project received funding in 2015 from an Enhanced Assessment Initiative grant to collect information that would inform the creation of professional development modules for educators making decisions within new accessibility frameworks. The DIAMOND project conducted…

In the current study, special education teachers' perceptions of preparedness to implement recommended practices for students with severe disabilities were examined. A vignette-style survey was sent to special education teachers assigned to teach students with severe disabilities. Overall, respondents reported higher perceptions of preparedness to…

Given recent increased attention to teacher evaluation, it is imperative to understand the expertise teachers need to educate students with severe disabilities. In this grounded theory study, the authors interviewed nine special education faculty who specialize in severe disabilities about the job-related skills and qualities exhibited by expert…

We first conducted a synthesis of literature to identify essential transition teacher competencies to guide curriculum development for a personnel preparation program. The synthesis yielded a list of 67 competencies needed by transition teachers. Using the 67 competencies, we next created an electronic survey in which respondents were asked to…

Little is known about the implementation of assistive technology (AT) services for students in rural areas. This study investigated the AT service delivery in 10 rural districts across six states. The results indicated that students use AT across functional areas, but considerably fewer number of devices than do those not living in rural areas. AT…

This qualitative study examined the collaboration of general and special education teachers as well as the principals' perceptions of their responsibilities in sustaining effective collaboration in ensuring the services for the students with disabilities. The qualitative data were collected through one-on-one interviews from a team of general…

The field of special education is wrought with ethical dilemmas. The Council for Exceptional Children has outlined its code of ethics and standards for professional practice for individuals working in the field of special education. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which special education administrators and teachers possess…

The purpose of this study was to determine the types of psychiatric disorders and the corresponding medications prescribed to children enrolled in Early Childhood Special Education Programs (ECSE) and to ascertain teacher attitudes related to this topic. Data were collected via surveys disseminated to five hundred-twenty five Early Childhood…

Attrition statistics were analyzed for the entire teaching population in Wisconsin from 1984-1988. Teachers with provisional certification were more likely to leave teaching than were fully certified teachers during the first 2 years of the study, but during the third year of the study, attrition rates were comparable. Attrition rates of special…

A survey of Wisconsin teachers of 230 students with emotional/behavioral disorders found that classroom observations, student interviews, and behavior rating scales were most helpful in instructional planning. Teachers generally found student evaluation data helpful in planning Individualized Education Programs. Teachers chose evaluation…

The purpose of this investigation was to understand the variables that influence parents' perceptions of the Wisconsin Alternate Assessment (WAA). Parents and teachers of elementary and secondary students with severe cognitive disabilities (n = 77) from across Wisconsin participated. Teachers submitted case materials that included a copy of the…