In order to improve her practice, a teacher educator explored emotions as catalysts for teaching and learning by asking the research question, "How can I support preservice teachers' emotional intelligence (EI), as well as my own, as we negotiate the impact of strong emotions in the pedagogical environment?" Three levels of reflection…

We read 48 children's books featuring characters with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to determine which books would be appropriate for use during read-alouds in early childhood classrooms. We conducted a search on Amazon for children's books on ASD published after 2010 and identified 50 books that met the following criteria: (a) the book was a…

This report projects California teacher retirements at the state and county levels for 2014/15-2023/24, updating a previously published report that projected California teacher retirements for 2006/07-2015/16. The current study finds that 25 percent of California teachers who were teaching in 2013/14 are projected to retire over 2014/15-2023/24.…

In special education teacher training programs, the teaching practicum's role is both wide and extensive. Since, during this process, providing qualitative and satisfactory consulting services to supervisors is crucial, it is very important that university supervisors be experienced and have obtained proficiency in the field of consultation.…

The article compares the conditions and implementation of special education professionals' consulting task in Sweden and Finland. The article first describes the background of the consulting teacher role and special education in Sweden and in Finland. Two different perspectives in the continuum on consultation are presented, followed by a…

Most schools have crisis plans to support student safety, but few plans address the complex needs of students with disabilities. School supports should include analysis of school plans and student strengths and needs to ensure that students with disabilities have the best opportunity to be safe in school crises. Recommendations include developing…

This paper includes results from a study that examined the relationships between teacher discipline, type of teaching degree, and teacher feelings of preparedness and the self-efficacy beliefs (competence and confidence) of early intervention and preschool teachers with regard to either natural environment or inclusion practices. The participants…

Although qualified special educators are more likely to provide effective teaching for students with disabilities and special education needs, it seems many teachers in special education and support positions are not qualified for this role. The study reported here provided analysis of 219 job advertisements for special education positions in…

Teachers' awareness of each other's teaching styles can only enlighten the circumstances children face in the educational arena. There is a need for educators to be understood and appreciated for what they contribute to the learning environment and process. This study measured the perceptions of general education teachers and special education…

Although recent trends in educational research have addressed the plight of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students, a dearth of literature exists about the subpopulation of LGBT youth with disabilities, namely those with verified emotional-behavior disorders (EBDs). Discussions throughout what literature does exist, and as…

The purpose of this study is to develop a Teaching competency index in special education and to investigate Korean pre-service special educators' (PSSEs') perceptions regarding each item of the index. Based on a review of the literature on exemplary instruction in special education, we developed an index composed of 44 items. The six sub-domains…

Special education teachers leave the field at a rate that outpaces their general education teacher counterparts, with special education teaching positions unfilled at a rate 5.5 times greater than general education positions (Boe, 2006). This study identified perceptions of risk and resilience in nine first year special education teachers in order…

The purpose of this article is to present mixed methodology evaluation data regarding a professional development initiative designed to offer non-certified special education teachers specialized classroom and teacher certification support. The project was grounded in evidence-based strategies that resulted in direct implications for teacher…

Recent inclusive policy directives and advice offered to schools strongly recommend special/support teachers to expand their role and extend their duties. In light of this, we investigated how Greek secondary special/support teachers perceive and experience their role, work profile and the challenges they encounter. Qualitative analysis revealed…

The Effective Behavior Support Self-Assessment Survey (SAS; Sugai, Horner, & Todd, 2003) is designed to measure perceived Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) implementation and identify priorities for improvement. Despite its longevity, little published research exists documenting its reliability or validity for these purposes.…