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…

Teacher preparation has been under intense scrutiny in recent years. In order for preparation of special education teacher candidates to remain viable, candidate assessment practices must apply practices identified in the extant literature base, while special education teacher education researchers must extend this base with rigorous efforts to…

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)…

Inclusion of students with disabilities has been practiced and advocated for more than two decades in the United States. This practice involves the placement of students with disabilities in a general education classroom for part or all of the day, and the primary instructor is a general education teacher in collaboration with a special education…

Training and technical assistance programs for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have emerged in many states as educators, administrators, and institutions of higher education attempt to address the increasing needs for enhancing the knowledge and skills of educators and disseminating the ever-growing knowledge of educational practices. This report…

Classroom management skills are critical for teachers. Yet teachers receive little training in classroom management, and empirical research on teacher training in classroom management is lacking. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of explicit training and performance feedback on teachers' implementation of three classroom…

In this study, the authors evaluated the empirical properties of the 33-item Teacher Knowledge and Skills Survey (TKSS) 2.0 for positive behavioral support (PBS) in schools. Through an examination of internal consistency and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the theorized construct, the construct validity of the survey was evaluated. Results…

With the proliferation of alternative route (AR) special education teacher preparation programs, many teacher educators are likely to be involved in AR program design and implementation. Unfortunately, few resources have focused on best practices for program developers to prepare the nontraditional participants who typically populate their…

Parent/professional partnerships have been credited with improving outcomes for children and enhancing satisfaction for both parents and professionals. Family involvement in preservice programs is minimal and often limited to parent panels or parent involvement in a class activity such as an interview. Preservice students who have had multiple…

In this article, the authors examine pre-service special education teacher reaction to and experience in a collaboratively taught higher education course. Forty-three full-time postbaccalaureate students participate in a course designed to examine critical issues in special education, taught by two faculty members, one specializing in mild and…

Twenty-five recent graduates of a Master's Program in Early Childhood Special Education participated in focus group interviews designed to explore their perceptions and experiences regarding their first years of practice in urban schools. Findings revealed that participants faced many challenges including collaboration with colleagues, seeking…

To respond to an increasingly diverse student population, educators need to evaluate how well teacher education programs prepare graduates in culturally responsive teaching (CRT). In this study, we used a performance-based assessment to determine whether (a) different levels of preservice preparation in CRT and (b) preparation in special versus…

The present article serves as an introduction to a special issue on recruiting and retaining culturally and linguistically diverse populations into the field of special education. Members of the Diversity Committee of the Teacher Education Division (TED) of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and selected guest were invited authors.…

A survey about inclusion of children with disabilities in early-childhood settings was responded to by 172 parents, practicing professionals in early-childhood programs, university-based trainers, and preservice students. Professional competence and importance of skills were rated for five domains: (1) working with families, (2) performance-based…

Responses of colleges of education to requirements for mainstreaming of P.L. 94-142 (the Education for All Handicapped Children Act) are similar to responses of public school systems. Possible reorganization approaches along functional lines are described for making teacher education as a whole more effective and flexible. (CL)