A lack of empirical information exists regarding the skills and experiences necessary for teachers with specialized expertise in severe disabilities. The purpose of this study was to provide information (a) on the configuration of nationally recognized masters programs designed to prepare teachers with expertise specifically in severe disabilities and (b) on areas of expertise considered essential for teachers to work with teams and meet the needs of students with severe disabilities. The results are discussed according to the population of students, content courses, field experiences, credit hours, and resulting certifications. In addition, we discuss areas of expertise in the area of severe disabilities. We also examine whether participants perceived items within each area of expertise to be required of at least one team member with expertise in severe disabilities and whether these items are addressed in their programs. We present conclusions and recommendations for guiding teacher education programs in the area of severe disabilities as faculty evaluate and/or reform their programs.
BlantonL. P.GriffinC. C.WinnJ. A.PugachM. C. (1997). Teacher education in transition: Collaborative programs to prepare general and special educators. Denver: Love.
2.
BursteinN.CabelloB.HamannJ. (1993). Teacher preparation for culturally diverse urban students: Infusing competencies across the curriculum. Teacher Education and Special Education, 16, 1–13.
3.
CEC Division on Early Childhood. (1993). DEC recommended practices: Indicators of quality in programs for infants and young children with special needs and their families. Reston, VA: Council for Exceptional Children.
4.
CorriganD. (1999, September). New visions to guide the development of family-centered, community-based, special education training programs for the next millennium. Paper presented at the National Conference on Learning in the 21st Century, U.S. Office of Special Education Programs and the U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C.
5.
Council for Exceptional Children. (1998). What every special educator must know: The international standards for the preparation and licensure of special educators (3rd ed.). Reston, VA: Council for Exceptional Children.
6.
EichingerJ.DowningJ. (2000). Restructuring special education certification: What should be done?Journal of The Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 25, 109–112.
7.
FoleyR. M.MundshenkN. A. (1997). Collaboration activities and competencies of secondary special educators: A national survey. Teacher Education and Special Education, 20, 47–60.
8.
FoxL.WilliamsD. G. (1992). Preparing teachers of students with severe disabilities. Teacher Education and Special Education, 15, 97–107.
9.
HuntP.Farron-DavisF.WrenM.Hirose-HatalA.GoetzL. (1997). Promoting interactive partnerships in inclusive educational settings. Journal of The Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 22, 127–137.
10.
HuntP.GoetzL. (1997). Research on inclusive educational programs, practices, and outcomes for students with severe disabilities. Journal of Special Education, 31, 3–29.
11.
Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium. (1992). Model standards for beginning teacher licensing, assessment and development: A resource for state dialogue. Author.
12.
JacksonL.RyndakD. L.BillingsleyF. (2000). Useful practices in inclusive education: A preliminary view of what experts in moderate to severe disabilities are saying. Journal of The Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 25, 129–141.
13.
JanneyR. E.SnellM. E. (1997). How teachers include students with moderate and severe disabilities in elementary classes: The means and meaning of inclusion. Journal of The Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 22, 159–169.
14.
KeefeE. B.RossiP. J.de ValenzuelaJ. S.HowarthS. (2000). Reconceptualizing teacher preparation for inclusive classrooms: A description of the dual license program at the University of New Mexico. Journal of The Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 25, 72–82.
15.
KnightD.WadsworthD. (1999). A national survey of special education teacher preparation programs regarding their inclusion of family focused components of the CEC common core of knowledge and skills. Teacher Education and Special Education, 21, 214–226.
16.
KnottL.AsselinS. B. (1999). Transition competencies: Perception of secondary education teachers. Teacher Education and Special Education, 22, 55–65.
17.
KozleskiE. B.SandsD. J.FrenchN. (1993). Preparing special education teachers for urban settings. Teacher Education and Special Education, 16, 14–22.
18.
LaneG. M.CanosaR. (1995). A mentoring program for beginning and veteran teachers of students with severe disabilities. Teacher Education and Special Education, 18, 230–239.
19.
MaheadyL. (1997). Preparing teachers for instructing multiple ability groups. Teacher Education and Special Education, 20, 322–339.
20.
McGregorG.VogelsbergR. T. (1998). Inclusive schooling practices: Pedagogical and research foundations. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.
21.
McLeskeyJ.HenryD. (1999). Inclusion: What progress is being made across states?Teaching Exceptional Children, 31 (3), 56–62.
22.
McLeskeyJ.HenryD.HodgesD. (1999). Inclusion: What progress is being made across disability categories?Teaching Exceptional Children, 31 (3), 60–64.
23.
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. (1999). What every teacher should know and be able to do. Author.
24.
O'ReillyM.RenzagliaA. (1994). A systematic approach to curriculum selection and supervision strategies: A preservice practicum supervision model. Teacher Education and Special Education, 17, 170–180.
25.
RainforthB. (2000). Preparing teachers to educate students with severe disabilities in inclusive settings: Course design in the absence of local models of inclusive education. Journal of The Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 25, 83–91.
26.
RyndakD. L.MorrisonA.SommersteinL. (1999). Literacy before and after inclusion: A case study. Journal of The Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 24, 5–22.
27.
RyndakD. L.PomerantzD. (1992). Severe handicaps master's level personnel preparation project. Buffalo: State University College at Buffalo.
28.
SchulzE. G.EdwardsM. C. (1997). Stimulant medication management of students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: What educators need to know?Teacher Education and Special Education, 20, 170–178.
29.
SharptonW.MatthewsJ. (1998, December). Restructuring a personnel preparation program: Key steps and lessons learned. Paper presented at the TASH Conference, Seattle, WA.
30.
ShelladyS.StichterJ. P. (1999). Training preservice and inservice educators to conduct functional assessment: Initial issues and implications. Preventing School Failure, 43, 154–159.
31.
SpoonerF. (1996). Personnel preparation: Where we have been and where we may be going in severe disabilities. Teacher Education and Special Education, 19, 213–215.
32.
SpoonerF.AgranM.SpoonerM.Kiefer-O'DonnellR. (2000). Preparing personnel with expertise in severe disabilities in the electronic age: Innovative programs and technologies. Journal of The Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 25, 92–103.
33.
TASH. (2000). Resolution on teacher education. Baltimore: TASH.
34.
Van AckerR. (1993). Dealing with conflict and aggression in the classroom: What skills do teachers need?Teacher Education and Special Education, 16, 23–33.
