A restructured postgraduate teacher education programme is described specifically with regard to its commitment to prepare educators to work effectively with deaf and hard-of-hearing children in inclusive settings. The focus of the paper is on the design and development process rather than on the evaluation of the outcomes. Background information…

In order to help teachers understand the importance of intentional design for inclusive education, this article describes the design process an engineer might use when designing a new project. If teachers learn to think like engineers, it is possible for them to design inclusive education. This conceptual design can then be combined with…

While differences in national contexts are associated with variations in how teachers are trained and school systems are organised, the conceptual and philosophical problems of equity and inclusion in schooling are shared concerns. This paper describes how the structure and content of an initial teacher education programme for primary and…

The involvement of high school students with disabilities in after-school and cocurricular activities declined nationwide between 2001 and 2006 (Institute of Education Sciences, n.d.). The Partners Club at East Anchorage High School in Alaska, however, is an example of how such activities can support relationships between nondisabled students and…

Creating and evaluating Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students with disabilities is a major responsibility for teachers and school leaders, yet the process involves legal components not always understood by educators. In "Understanding, Developing, and Writing Effective IEPs," legal and special education experts Roger…

As an echo of the worldwide movement of inclusive education and because of the conviction of inclusive ideas, special education in Taiwan is moving toward a goal of inclusion, though not necessarily full inclusion. While its terminology is as yet undesignated, principles and strategies are significantly reflected in the Special Education Act and…

Institutional politics and diversity of ideological positions create challenges for teaching staff with polarised beliefs about inclusive education. This paper provides a methodological justification for a longitudinal study of the experience of developing an integrated "inclusive education" curriculum in one initial teacher education…

In most western countries, the problems of effective university-controlled and largely university-based initial teacher education (ITE) have been apparent for many decades: whatever is achieved in the university, the teaching practices and attitudes that student-teachers usually learn to adopt are those currently dominant in the schools. So it is…

Peer tutors can facilitate the inclusion of students with disabilities into regular education classrooms, especially in schools where money is not available for aides. The first steps in such a program are determining the best placements for students with disabilities and training the peer tutors. Training should cover expectations of peer tutors,…

This article describes the evolution of the graduate-level teacher preparation program in early childhood education at the University of Colorado. The current program blends early childhood regular and special education to prepare students for roles in inclusive early childhood environments. Process variables in program change are identified.…

This paper describes the development of an inclusive special education program in 12 elementary schools in an urban Colorado school district. Specifically, the study examined the role of leadership in program implementation. Leadership is defined as a reciprocal, multidirectional, noncoercive influence that involves multiple leaders and followers…

This guide looks at implementation of principles of inclusive schools from the perspectives of parents, teachers, district and school administrators, and policymakers and is based on data from interviews, surveys, and focus groups. Each perspective is represented in a different chapter of the report, with implications or recommendations for the…

A teacher and mother of a child with mental retardation examined the history and current status of the inclusion movement. A review of the historical background considers the origins of special education, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, major court cases, and requirements of the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with…

Provides an overview of cooperative teaching, in which a general educator and a special services provider teach together simultaneously in a general education classroom composed of academically heterogeneous students. It identifies problems sometimes experienced and offers practical suggestions for enhancing this method's effectiveness. (Author/DB)

This article describes the development of a preservice program at the University of Florida to prepare teachers for inclusive education. Emphasis is on the team building experience of two elementary teacher educators and two special education teacher educators; the challenges; and the importance of establishing social relationships, persisting…