The role of the generalist teacher is now affirmed as being an important component in the success or otherwise of inclusive education practice. Issues about the effectiveness of teacher preparation for working in inclusive classes have arisen. An evaluation of pre-service teachers' perceptions regarding their preparedness for inclusion had some interesting findings. The study found that increasing knowledge about legislation and policy related to inclusion, and improving levels of confidence in becoming inclusive teachers, did not likewise address their concerns, or perceived stress, about having students with disabilities in their classes. As universities re-evaluate their teacher preparation courses, a range of pertinent issues are identified that require consideration.

Teacher Preparation for Inclusive Education: Increasing Knowledge but Raising Concerns.

Project ACCEPT (Achieving Creative & Collaborative Educational Preservice Teams) represents an initiative at Northern Illinois University, where special and general education preservice teachers are joined in a voluntary project featuring an enhanced curriculum and field experiences in inclusive classrooms. Participants receive intensive preparation in use of assistive technologies, functional behavioral assessment, and instructional accommodations as well as experience designing lesson plans that include features of universal design. This article describes the specific features of the Project ACCEPT curriculum and outcomes for the first year of implementation.

A Model for Preparing Special and General Education Preservice Teachers for Inclusive Education

The authors consider the future of special education personnel preparation by responding to an overarching question: What frameworks might teacher educators use as a basis to promote special education teacher effective performance now and in the future? In answering this question, they summarize current trends in the context of schooling and special education (i.e., Common Core State Standards [CCSS], multi-tiered systems of support [MTSS]) and what these contexts demand of special education teachers. The authors propose a practice-based model for fostering effective special education teacher performance. Grounded in the science of learning, the model includes approaches in teacher education that align with this literature. Implications for implementing the model are provided, which recognize current constraints on schools and colleges of education, to better promote this model for fostering effective performance.

Envisioning the Future of Special Education Personnel Preparation in a Standards-Based Era

Does Classroom Management Coursework Influence Pre-service Teachers' Perceived Preparedness or Confidence?.

This article provides an analysis of how collaborative teacher education has developed in terms of practice, discourse, and the relationship between general and special education across three historical stages. It explores how collaborative teacher education between general and special education has been positioned over time in relationship to larger national reform efforts in teacher education. Approaching the history of collaborative teacher education developmentally from these three perspectives sheds light on how today’s emphasis on collaboration and multiple certifications intersects with what it means to teach in a diverse society and what it means to prepare teachers to meet the needs of every student.

A Historical Perspective on the Role of Collaboration in Teacher Education Reform: Making Good on the Promise of Teaching All Students

Preparing educators to teach in inclusive classrooms is a critical first step in ensuring that all students in P-12 programs receive exemplary educational services. The need to restructure personnel preparation in response to the increasing diversity and inclusiveness of public school classrooms has evolved from discussion and debate more than a decade ago to an array of initiatives in teacher education programs across the country today. These initiatives have been influenced by standards-based reform proposals, changes in certification policies, feedback from graduates, or interests of particular faculty. In the Department of Teaching and Learning at Northern Illinois University, Project ACCEPT (Achieving Creative & Collaborative Educational Preservice Teams) was developed in response to implementation of standards-based certification requirements for special and general education teachers in Illinois as well as recognition within the college and department that new teachers would benefit from program enhancements focusing on education of all learners. The primary goals of Project ACCEPT was to prepare educators for inclusive schools and to encourage collaboration across different disciplines. The major features of Project ACCEPT are a shared course and clinical experience for pre-service special and general educators, instructional modules on critical competency areas for teachers in inclusive classrooms, and hands-on experience and assessment with assistive technologies. The Department of Teaching & Learning collaborated with the Regional Access and Mobilization Project (RAMP) to pursue and receive a four-year grant from the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities (ICDD). The purpose of the grant was to develop and evaluate an innovative model for preparing teachers for service and leadership in inclusive schools. As an advocacy organization for individuals with disabilities and their families, RAMP contributed expertise in shaping positive attitudes toward individuals with disabilities, as well as access to families of students with disabilities. University faculty focused on logistics of restructuring the program, development of field-based experiences, and enhancement of critical competencies for all pre-service teachers to meet new state standards. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Toni VanLaarhoven, Department of Teaching and Learning, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois 60115. E-mail: tvanlaar@niu.edu Research described herein was supported by a grant from the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities. Teacher Education and Special Education 2006, Volume 29, No. 4, 209–212

Joanne Rouse

Papers

A Model for Preparing Special and General Education Preservice Teachers for Inclusive Education

Project ACCEPT: Preparing Pre-Service Special and General Educators for Inclusive Education.