Using High-Leverage Practices in Teacher Preparation to Reduce the Research-to-Practice Gap in Inclusive Settings

Abstract

Although researchers have developed evidence-based practices and identified other effective practices that show promise for improving outcomes for students with disabilities, these practices are all too frequently not used in inclusive classrooms. Some have posited that this research-to-practice gap may result because teachers lack confidence in these practices and do not find them feasible for use in their classrooms. More recently, researchers have begun to examine whether teacher education may contribute to this research-to-practice gap. We contend that teacher preparation is an important contributor to the research-to-practice gap, and discuss how teacher preparation might be changed to better prepare teachers to use effective practices in inclusive classrooms. Primary changes that are needed include identifying a set of high-leverage practices that serve as the core curriculum of teacher education and using a practice-based approach to systematically prepare future teachers to use these practices.

Faculty Perceptions of Expertise for Inclusive Education for Students With Significant Disabilities

“…Respondents identified four instructional practices as highly important skills of inclusive special educators of students with significant disabilities: individualized supports (Kurth et al, 2015), use of research-based instructional practices (Browder et al, 2014), collaboration (McLeskey et al, 2018) and embedded systematic instruction (Jimenez & Kamei, 2015). These research-supported practices are widely cited in the extant research as effective inclusive practices, and therefore, the consensus reached about the importance of these skills is not surprising.…”

Opportunities to enact practice in campus courses: Taking a student perspective

“…give an overview of practices candidates should, according to the literature, be able to rehearse during their campus courses, e.g., organizing a whole class discussion and planning for teaching. These practices show great overlap with the 'core practices' or 'high leverage practices' to which teacher educators and scholars have turned (e.g., McLeskey, Billingsley, & Ziegler, 2018;McNew-Birren & van den Kieboom, 2017). Grossman, Hammerness, and McDonald (2009) argue that these practices allows novices to develop a deeper understanding of the complexity of teaching and student learning and improves their preparation for their future professional duties.…”

Screencast-Delivered Professional Development Targeting Teachers’ Self-Efficacy and Beginning-of-the-Year Classroom Management Practices

“…Too many teachers in today's schools feel unprepared to address the behaviour challenges presented by their students on a daily basis (Wills, Wehby, Caldarella, Kamps, & Swinburne Romine, 2018). Lack of preparation during pre-service education (McLeskey, Billingsley, & Ziegler, 2018) and an absence of effective in-service PD (Freeman et al, 2014) leaves teachers frustrated with their perceived inability to manage the classroom. For many, these frustrations can ultimately lead them to quitting the profession (Bettini et al, 2017;.…”