This summary report presents an integration of findings on teachers' perceptions of their working conditions, based on survey and interview data from special educators in six large urban school districts. Emphasis is on perceptions of problems related to job design, the highly interrelated set of structures, systems, and processes intended to…

Designed for high school students interested in careers in special education and related services, this guide outlines the role of a secondary school special education teacher. It addresses the nature of the work, the education required for the position, the personal qualities people should have who choose to be secondary special educators, job…

This paper discusses the role of resource center teachers in helping students with attention deficit disorder (ADD) successfully make the transition to secondary school. It addresses: (1) characteristics of ADD, including academic underachievement, cognitive fatigue, fine motor dysfunction, lack of self-monitoring skills, poorly developed…

This position statement explains the life skills instruction approach, considers why life skills instruction is important for students with disabilities, recommends that such instruction be given in the least restrictive environment (preferably the community), and delineates the responsibilities of general educators and special educators. (DB)

This study found that 246 regular and 42 special education high school teachers had dissimilar views of their ability to provide learning-disabled students with competencies considered important for college entry by 82 college faculty. Special educators and college faculty were quite similar in perception of students' needs. (Author/JDD)

A national survey of 502 general education teachers found that teachers perceived communication problems among teachers and parents as a serious impediment to the effective use of homework with mainstreamed students with learning disabilities. Problems included frequency and quality of communication with parents, role of the special education…

Because the issues of time, numbers, curriculum, and evaluation seem to confound effective mainstreaming at the secondary school level, they are the primary areas teachers must reassess in their own classrooms. Suggestions are made in this monograph about ways in which regular classroom teachers may cope effectively with handicapped students. A…

The fourth in a series of studies investigating the educational context and outcomes for high school students with disabilities (SWDs), this study examined types of courses in which SWDs are being enrolled, and the role perception of special education teachers. Twenty-one special education teachers from three high schools in urban areas, three in…

Interviews and observations of an exemplary special education teacher produced a model of effective special education teaching in an inclusive rural elementary school. Using efficacy as a foundation, the special educator begins by promoting teacher collaboration, enabling regular and special educators to mentor and advocate for each other. A…

Assessment of students with disabilities is addressed in the context of career development, vocational education, and transition. Assessment is viewed as humanistic, therapeutic, holistic, and leading to self-determination and self-advocacy. Profiling, a process of linking a database of aptitude, skills, abilities, and instructional methodology,…

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,…

This study examined the teaching practices of Maria, a special education teacher who worked with students who had multiple disabilities, were nonverbal, and used augmentative and alternative communication. The study focused on the complex, interdependent, and dynamic nature of teacher knowledge, beliefs, and practices, illuminating the connection…

Survey and case study data were analyzed to determine differences between the credibility and effectiveness of support teachers teaching mathematics. Results indicated the importance of cooperation between mathematics teachers and support teachers and significant differences between the perceived roles and abilities of the two groups. Includes…

With a view to developing support for university accreditation, this small-scale study assisted 18 special educational needs coordinators (SENCos) to identify significant learning at work and consider possibilities for accredited learning projects. Participants wrote and shared narratives of critical learning incidents, assessed the contribution…

This thesis reports on a study in which 10 Swedish special education teachers were interviewed concerning the following six topics: (1) personal background and choice of a career; (2) professional knowledge; (3) the role of a special education teacher; (4) educational goals and methods; (5) cooperation; and (6) thoughts about the future.…