Students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) present different needs to special education teachers in school today. Without the proper supports and preparation, 75% of special education teachers will leave the field of special education within the first ten years of teaching, with most of the teachers leaving the field within the first three years…

Introduction: Physical activity (PA) and social interaction are essential to the health of individuals with and without disabilities alike. Unfortunately, individuals with disabilities have fewer opportunities to participate in PA. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a 10-week inclusive basketball program for students with…

Redesigning teacher and leader evaluation systems has the potential to transform the teaching profession by ensuring that the highest quality of instruction is occurring in every classroom. However, as states and districts have rolled out new models of educator evaluation, questions have emerged concerning how best to fairly include all school…

The purpose of this study was to examine Australian learning difficulties specialists' knowledge about, and the use of, the term dyslexia. An online survey was constructed based on a current definition of, and evidence about, dyslexia and distributed to members of relevant professional associations. A total of 179 participants responded to the…

An increase in the prevalence rate of autism is not necessarily matched by a concurrent increase in the rate of highly qualified special education teachers, resulting in chronic teacher shortages in this area. Alternative certification (AC) is used as a mechanism to alleviate the demand for highly qualified special education teachers. However, AC…

As states move to teacher evaluation that is intended to capture teacher contributions to students' learning outcomes, some states have adopted "value-added measures" to examine teachers' and teacher preparation programs' effectiveness. In Louisiana, the value-added assessment of teacher preparation programs includes students with…

Teacher education is under increasing scrutiny regarding the preparedness of graduates to work in the profession in the early years of their career. To inform a teacher education program on the issues affecting graduates working in the field of special education, 77 special education teachers and principals were surveyed. Findings highlight the…

As public schools strive to provide all students access to and success with the general curriculum, potentially leading them to postsecondary educational opportunities that prepare them for fulfilling and engaging careers, recent federal legislation clearly reflects the need to ensure that all students are supported in achieving rigorous…

In August 2016, Illinois Senate Bill 100 (SB 100) restricted the use of zero tolerance disciplinary practices within public schools when addressing student behavior. In efforts to make school discipline less exclusionary and more effective, SB 100 mandated educators exhaust all means of interventions prior to suspending or expelling a student.…

Increasing levels of teacher attrition in special education within Bahamian public schools are preventing students with learning disabilities from achieving their learning goals within inclusive classroom settings. Addressing factors that influence attrition is vital to enhance the quality of education and the efficacy of educators while…

Current educational policies that have articulated from IDEA are driving the adoption of inclusionary practices in schools. These policies present challenges to general education, secondary education, and dual-licensed teachers at the secondary level. Secondary general education teachers may lack the pedagogical knowledge necessary to accommodate…

Teachers are the most important influence in schools on student achievement, which makes attracting and retaining excellent teachers a high priority for all school districts. But public schools in large cities like Philadelphia are especially challenged to provide every student with a highly-effective teacher. Teacher mobility--that is,…

Rural education has a legacy of unique challenges, with highest priority needs in the South. Chief among these challenges are the conditions of poverty associated with many rural districts and the education of students with disabilities. Compared with their urban and suburban counterparts, rural teachers experience higher rates of turnover, and…

Involuntary teacher transfer occurs whenever the reassignment of a teacher is initiated by a school or district rather than the teacher. These transitions are more likely to occur among special education teachers than among general education teachers. Although this type of transfer is not a new phenomenon, there has been surprisingly little…

In literature, co-teaching is mostly defined as an instrumental and pedagogical means delivered by collaborating special and regular teachers, from which students with and without special educational needs benefit in regular schools. The importance of a shared vision on the part of members of co-teaching teams as to what they consider as good…