Problem Statement: Since the law related to the inclusion of children with special needs was passed, the number of children with special needs in preschool classrooms has increased each year. Preschool teachers face serious challenges when they teach children with diverse abilities in the same environment. Although most of them support the idea of…

The alignment of the teacher quality provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the transparency of low achievement of students who have disabilities under the testing mandates of NCLB have converged to create substantial renewed interest and activity in collaborative programs…

Local school systems, Local Education Agencies [LEAs], and universities, Institutions of Higher Education [IHEs], work together in a variety of ways in the initial preparation and ongoing professional development of teachers, although it is difficult to ascertain the number of LEA/IHE partnerships. These relationships typically allow for a…

This article identifies five criteria important to the establishment of a least-restrictive environment within an inclusive general education classroom. The criteria are substantive student-teacher interaction, opportunity to respond, academic engaged time, relevant curriculum, and maximization of student success. These criteria are related to the…

This article describes the collaboration, conceptualization, and implementation of a preservice teacher education program in early childhood education and early childhood special education at the University of Florida. Emphasis is on preparing teachers to meet the individual needs of all children in inclusive programs. Program challenges and…

This paper describes a collaborative project of Polk County (Florida) public schools and the University of South Florida, which prepares paraprofessionals to become special education teachers. Successful implementation of the project has required overcoming histories of mistrust, establishing an agenda that addresses mutual needs, clarifying roles…

The objective of the Special Education Department at California University of Pennsylvania is to prepare broadly trained teachers of handicapped children and adults within a noncategorical performance-based model. This paper describes the program's competency clusters in such areas as applied behavior analysis, behavioral assessment,…

The Early Intervention Special Education Program at West Virginia University developed, implemented, and evaluated a distance education model using satellite broadcasts of coursework and supervised practicum experiences to train early interventionists. Program success suggests that emerging telecommunications technologies offer a feasible…

A survey of 51 university and agency-based interprofessional education training programs found that family member involvement in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of interprofessional collaboration and curricular attention to family-professional collaboration were present in a small number of programs. Recommendations for increasing…

This final report describes the activities and accomplishments of the "Inclusion Facilitator Training Program," a 3-year, federally funded project of the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire. The project was designed to train special education teachers (either currently practicing or graduate students) in current…

This article describes the development and implementation of two interdisciplinary preservice programs (at Appalachian State University, North Carolina, and Western Kentucky University) that have combined standards from early childhood and early childhood special education. Both programs cover infants and children (birth to five). Benefits to such…

This article describes the restructuring of the Special Education Teacher Education program at the University of Washington. Analysis indicated a paradigm shift as well as intense collaborative activity and significant programmatic and curricular modifications. Descriptions of the type of personnel needed in the new program are offered, and goals…

Over the past decade there has been a growing movement to deinstitutionalize disabled persons, and educational services should be adapted to fit the needs of these persons. There has also been an enormous growth in the prevalence, scope, and diversity of community services that support them and their families. Increasing proportions of fiscal…

The Multiple Abilities Program (MAP) at the University of Alabama is a five-semester, competency-based preservice program preparing teachers to teach all students regardless of settings or disability labels. This article outlines the program rationale, organizational framework, and the program feature in which undergraduates spend over 50 percent…

This paper on trends in special education and implications for training personnel emphasizes the importance of partnerships between elementary and secondary schools and colleges of education, and specifically recommends the establishment and implementation of clinical models of teacher education and the formation of Professional Development…