The "What Works Clearinghouse" guidelines for high-quality professional development were used to develop a Tell, Show, Try, and Apply (TSTA) method of training. This method was used to train teachers to align instruction to grade-level content for students with severe developmental disabilities. A total of 193 teachers of students who…

Three studies are described in this article. Each is focused on a different aspect of the long-standing initiative that supports special education doctoral students. This initiative is one of the discretionary programs of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act that is managed by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of…

This study examines preservice teachers' perspectives on family involvement in special education and effective teaching methods for delivering family-involvement content. Eighty-three preservice teachers provided data on pre- and postadministrations of a questionnaire. The effectiveness of two methods, a video and a guest speaker, in delivering…

Although evidence-based practices (EBPs) for educating children with autism, such as pivotal response training (PRT), exist, teachers often lack adequate training to use these practices. The current investigation examined the efficacy of a 6-hour group workshop plus individual coaching for training 20 teachers to use PRT. Results indicate that the…

Preparing teachers to meet the needs of children with disabilities remains a complex challenge. General education teachers feel unprepared, and attrition and teacher shortages in special education remain high. Despite a trend toward inclusive education, many children continue to be educated in segregated settings. This study explores the potential…

Distance teacher education programs employing videoconferencing technology and other online teaching tools are increasingly being used to prepare teachers of students with disabilities in rural and remote communities. This evaluation study compared the effectiveness of a distance and an on-campus teacher education program for teachers of students…

Teacher education programs are limited in terms of available face-to-face instructional time for preparing general education teacher candidates to work with students with exceptionalities. Given this constraint, developing innovative use of technologies may assist in meeting the demand for highly qualified teachers for such students. In this…

Training received by teachers of students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in one southern state was investigated. Teachers (n = 90) reported training received via an online version of the Autism Treatment Survey. The most common type of training reported was attendance at a full- or half-day workshop; fewer than 15% reported receiving…

Connecting K-6 student outcomes with teacher preparation programs remains a critical need for the field. Even while educators have begun to sort through and document outcomes for teacher interns relative to national standards, the task of connecting performance to K-6 student outcomes has been little documented. In this interview study, the…

In this article, the authors report on an individualized professional learning activity, based on the principles described by Gersten and colleagues, implemented by two academics with three teachers without special education qualifications teaching students with severe and multiple disabilities. The professional learning consisted of consultation…

A service-learning component was embedded as the centerpiece in the Culture of Disability Across the Lifespan course, designed for students' exploration of issues related to the inclusion of persons with disabilities in all aspects of society. Participants included 19 university freshmen, 6 representatives of community agencies, and 3 consumers…

Observational bias can significantly affect results attained through observation. This study focused on 122 preservice teacher educators who conducted a structured observation, using momentary time sampling procedures with 10-second intervals, to measure student on-task and off-task behaviors. The experimental variable altered was the…

In 2006, special education teachers made up 12% of the educational workforce but only 7% of National Board Certified teachers. In contrast, general education teachers made up 88% of the educational workforce and 93% of National Board Certified teachers. This study surveyed a sample of special education teachers who successfully completed…

An investigation on the use of literature as part of the teacher preparation process probed the impact of book talks on teacher candidates' attitudes toward people with disabilities. Candidates in a 4-year undergraduate program participated in book talks reflecting subjects relevant to course work. Books reflected various effects of disability,…

This manuscript examines how teacher candidates enacted their extensive inclusive classroom preparation within simulated interactions. Diffusing a common medical education pedagogy to teacher education, the researchers situated inclusively-trained teacher candidates in front of standardized paraprofessionals. Data from these simulated interactions…