The current prevalence rates for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) coupled with the mandate to provide services to students with disabilities in inclusive classrooms warrants the need to examine the dynamics of inclusion for students with ASD. Focus groups were conducted with special and general educators at the elementary, middle, and high school…

Many students with disabilities (SWD) are not meeting proficiency, and achievement scores disaggregated by disability status show that SWD are often not meeting progress targets established by states. A survey was developed to collect data from 218 general and special educators to analyze trends in teachers' attitudes and practices that may…

Over the last decade, the obligation of general and special educators to utilize evidence-based instructional practices has become more prominent. Research increasingly suggests the failure of didactic teacher training alone to ensure implementation with fidelity of these practices by teachers in their classrooms. Multicomponent training (MCT)…

This study examined critical features of secondary special educator's experiences with transition professional development to predict variables most likely to influence performance of transition planning and services. Results included the extent to which secondary special educators are prepared to perform transition practices, the relationship…

In this study, the authors focus on one highly contested provision of the No Child Left Behind Act, which allows states flexibility in how the quality of teachers is defined and evaluated: the high, objective, uniform state standard of evaluation (HOUSSE) option. They conducted a national survey of representatives from each state to explore how…

The Individuals with Disabilities Improvement Act mandates that every student with an Individualized Education Program be considered for assistive technology (AT). As a result, future special educators need to have the knowledge and skills regarding AT. In this article, the authors report findings from a national study of special education teacher…

The degree to which special educators serve in a meaningful collaborative capacity in inclusive classrooms has come under scrutiny, and hence, the quality of collaboration training afforded requires examination.This article describes the results of a survey conducted with 53 undergraduate pre-service special education training programs…

To date, research has not sufficiently addressed the impact of personnel preparation programs on secondary special educators in relationship to specialized competencies needed to impact students during transition from school to adult life. This study sought to evaluate transition competencies gained by secondary practitioners involved in a…

This study investigated (a) variables that predict amount of time students with severe disabilities spend in leisure and physical activity education and (b) teacher beliefs about provision of these services. Participants included 35 secondary special education teachers and 170 students with severe disabilities. Findings suggest that special…

This study addressed special education teachers? perspectives of secondary special education for students with mild mental impairment and learning disabilities. Secondary special education teachers responded to a survey regarding teacher preparation and teacher satisfaction. Results from the study suggested that changes need to be made to…

This article provides the field with a voice from culturally and linguistically diverse beginning teachers who have entered special education through an alternative certification program. These teachers serve as co-authors for this article to share their thoughts related to why they entered teaching, what they feel has assisted them with the…