A survey of 381 special and regular educators assessed perceptions and opinions surrounding the regular education initiative. Confirmatory factor analysis supported an a priori hypothesized structure of teachers' responses. Items factored into 14 categories. These factors describe issues related to preferred placement of students with mild disabilities, teachers' responsibility and ownership, teacher preparedness for meeting the needs of these students, achievement outcomes for all children, and the changes that would result from adopting the proposed consultant model rather than a pullout program. Results favored current special education practices (pullout programs) in elementary schools.
The purpose of this study was to provide state-of-the-art descriptive information regarding preparation needs, concerns, and perceived barriers to the use of assistive technology for young children with disabilities. Surveys were completed by 62 early childhood special education professionals in 2 southeastern states. The findings indicated that respondents had frequent and significant concerns about their knowledge and utilization of assistive technology. Furthermore, training areas were identified that address the concerns and barriers regarding assistive technology. Implications for preservice and inservice preparation, service delivery systems, and research are discussed.
Current efforts to reform special education are contingent upon preparing general education teachers at the preservice level for inclusive classroom settings. In this article, we describe the development, implementation, and evaluation of innovative preservice teacher education program in elementary education in the Inclusive Early Childhood Education Unit at The University of Tennessee. This program possesses several distinctive features: a three-phase training model; alternative approaches to instructional delivery, curricula, and assessment; local school mentoring; and extensive field-based experiences. Program outcomes from mentoring teachers, school administrators, and students were collected to assess the impact of the program.
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