The fourth edition of "A Principal's Guide to Special Education," is an indispensable resource for educators navigating the complexities of special education in the 21st century, it is crucial to continue evolving the guide to address the ever-changing landscape of educational needs, legal requirements, and best practices. This new…

In an effort to better support the needs of PK-12 students identified as gifted or high-ability, school leaders need to be familiar and comfortable with supporting gifted education educators and developing and evaluating gifted education programs. Gifted education educators should have defined roles and responsibilities, and school leaders need to…

To enhance teacher proficiency, this study explores the possible effects of integrating STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) principles into the early childhood special education (ECSE) curriculum. The present study centers on science literacy's function in enhancing educators' competencies working with young children. A…

Do you have the desire to build relationships with the special education teachers in your school or district but constantly feel weighed down by compliance issues? Special education teachers are leaving the field at alarming rates, and positive change through transformational leadership practices can help administrators build confidence and…

The importance of strong family partnerships has long been considered essential to supporting the success of student with exceptionalities. Research indicates that building school-wide relationships with culturally and linguistically diverse families continues to prove challenges for administrators and other school personnel (Fowler, Coleman,…

This study addresses the problem surrounding low educator self-efficacy for data collection and behavior reduction strategies among elementary special educators. Educators working with students who present behavior challenges do not feel a strong sense of self-efficacy when it comes to data collection and behavior management. Due to this,…

To strengthen inclusion practices in schools, a mandate was passed requiring special education teachers working at the middle and high school levels to become content certified. The purpose of this research study was to examine the outcome the content/dual certification mandate had on special education teachers' roles in co-taught inclusion…

Practical and forward-thinking, "Developing Teacher Leaders in Special Education" is the administrator's essential guide to growing special educator leadership in any school, district, or program. Special educators need to be flexible, proactive, and collaborative -- qualities that make them uniquely suited to roles in school leadership…

Co-teaching is an instructional strategy for pairing special education and general education teachers to provide specially designed instruction to students with disabilities in general education settings. Instructional coaching is a professional development model that can provide co-teachers with additional strategies to effectively educate…

Many states struggle with shortages of special education teachers (SET). To address the shortage problem in the long term, policymakers, preparation providers, and state and district administrators must ensure that any short-term strategies are combined with a comprehensive plan that includes long-term systemic strategies to strengthen the supply,…

This qualitative case study explored educators' perceptions of implementing trauma-informed practices in a Title I school in Mississippi. With a rising number of trauma-affected students in the United States, there is a parallel increase in educators facing empathy-related stress, leading to elevated burnout rates and attrition from the…

This article presents an overview of literature on special education teacher burnout and attrition, which has historically been a significant challenge that culminates in a cycle of teacher shortages and subsequent negative outcomes for students with disabilities. As a proactive measure to combat special education teacher stress, burnout, and…

Identifying a special education teacher's primary role has been complicated by competing legislative demands emphasizing every student's academic achievement in the general education curriculum versus some students' needs for individualized instruction that addresses their noteworthy academic achievement deficits. One result is that school…

The National Center on Accessible Educational Materials for Learning (National AEM Center) at CAST is a technical assistance (TA) center funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). The purpose of the Center is to improve educational and employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities through…

This Special Issues Brief from the Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform (CEEDAR) Center in partnership with the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education summarizes the experiences in leadership of six current and former deans who have been identified as engaging in successful collaborative…