Preparing special educators through collaborative partnerships.

Abstract

This article describes a collaborative venture between the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and the Clark County School District for preparing special education teacher candidates at the undergraduate level. As part of one of the requirements for degree and licensure, teacher candidates combine coursework in strategies for working with students with learning disabilities, emotional disturbance, and mental retardation with 10 hours of practicum experience at Paradise Professional Development School (PPDS). The experience provides teacher candidates with hands-on experience within an inclusive setting with a mentor teacher, under the auspices of faculty from the Departments of Special Education and Curriculum and Instruction. The participants' capstone activity incorporates technology through a Powerpoint description of their students at PPDS.

Introduction

As teacher educators and practicing professionals collaborate to address the shortage of special educators throughout the country and ensure each student has a highly qualified teacher, collaboration and consultation between institutions of higher education and school districts is critical (Kozleski, Mainzer, & Deshler, 2000; U.S. Department of Education, 2002). Pre-service preparation of general educators through professional development schools (PDS) has been one vehicle for ensuring that teacher candidates in general education are prepared for the challenges posed by changing educational environments for more than a decade (Holmes Group, 1990; Ishler & Edelfelt, 1989). The purpose of this article is to report a collaborative venture between the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and the Clark County School District for preparing special educators at the undergraduate level to meet the needs of students with disabilities within an inclusive setting.

Professional Development Schools: Historical Context

The Holmes Group, a consortium of approximately 100 large universities offering teacher education programs, initially proposed the concept of Professional Development Schools (Holmes, 1990). The Holmes Group initiated the model to ensure that future educators would be prepared to practice the theories they were being taught during their formal teacher preparation classes within an actual school setting. Goodlad (1993) enhanced the concept of PDS, envisioning the PDS as laboratory schools within a school district rather than on a university campus. The Holmes Group articulated the following key principles regarding the organization of Professional Development Schools:

1. Teaching and learning is for understanding;

2. Classrooms and schools are organized as "learning communities;"

3. Teaching and learning are intended for all students;

4. Teachers, teacher educators and administrators are expected to continue learning; and

5. School and university faculty, working as partners, will promote thoughtful, long-term inquiry into teaching and learning to promote reflection and research on practice (Holmes, 1990).

Throughout the past decade, numerous institutions of higher education have partnered with school districts to develop Professional Development Schools as part of their preservice activities for general educators (Case, Norlander,& Reagan, 1993; Gimbert, 2001; Hawley & Valli, 1999; Ishler & Edelfelt, 1989; King & Newman, 2000; Marx, 2001; Perkins, Odell, McKinney, & Miller, 2001). Moreover, Professional Development Schools have been recognized by the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future (1996) as one method for ensuring general education teacher candidates have the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to assume their responsibilities in schools and increase student achievement. However, only a few partnerships, to date, have involved special education teacher candidates in professional development school activities as part of their pre-service training (O'Shea, Hammitte, Mainzer, & Crutchfield, 2000; Rosenberg, Griffin, Kilgore, & Carpenter, 1997).

Paradise Professional Development School

A Partnership between the University and Clark County School District

The partnership between Clark County School District and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), through Paradise Elementary School, provides an opportunity for pre-service teachers to work in classrooms, under the supervision of a mentor teacher, while enrolled in university courses. Paradise Elementary School is located on the UNLV campus and serves approximately 775 students who live within the school zone from the pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. Clark County School District (CCSD) is the sixth largest school district in the United States and one of the fastest growing school districts in the country. The district forecasts hiring approximately 1500 new teachers each year for the foreseeable future, of whom approximately 10 per cent will be special educators. The mission of Paradise Professional Development School (PPDS) is to:

   provide a powerful learning environment which fosters responsible
   decision-making, values diversity, and enables all students to
   master essential skills and concepts through reading, writing, and
   mathematics. Through continual professional renewal, PPDS teachers
   and UNLV partners accept the responsibility to ensure that all
   students reach their highest potential (Clark County School
   District, 2002, p. 1).

Paradise Professional Development School is connected, through the Remote AudioVisual Observation (RAVO) system, to the Bennett Professional Development Center, which is also located on the UNLV campus. The RAVO system provides UNLV faculty and students with the opportunity to view classrooms at Paradise Elementary School through three viewing/recording stations. Two of the stations are intended for "live" viewing as well as recording; the third station is used for recording and/or individual viewing. The RAVO system provides a myriad of instructional opportunities for UNLV students and faculty.

Preparing Special Educators for Inclusive Environments

For the past two years, university faculty, in collaboration with the staff of PPDS, has provided teacher candidates in special education with the opportunity to engage in practicum experiences at PPDS as part of an undergraduate course entitled "Characteristics and Inclusive Strategies for Students with Emotional Disturbance, Learning Disability, and Mental Retardation." The course is required for special education majors and for endorsement from the state of Nevada as a Generalist to Teach in a Resource Room. The course is part of the special education program at UNLV that is approved by the National Council on Accreditation of Teacher Educators (NCATE), and its objectives are based on the knowledge, skills and dispositions articulated in the Program Standards, both Common Core and Disability Specific for students with emotional disturbance, learning disabilities, and mental retardation/ developmental disabilities, of the Council for Exceptional Children. The course is scheduled twice a week for 75 minutes each; the practicum experience fulfills the second scheduled class session beginning during the fifth week of the semester.

We use two texts for the course as well as supplementary readings. The required texts are Learners with mild disabilities: A characteristics approach (Raymond, 2000) and Behavioral intervention planning: Completing a functional behavioral assessment and developing a behavioral intervention plan (Fad, Patton, & Palloway, 2000). We provide coursework and practical experience that addresses the provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the companion Nevada Administrative Code, Chapter 388, Special Instructional Services and Programs. The focus for this section of the course is on eligibility procedures and assessment strategies for students with learning disabilities, emotional disturbance, and mild mental retardation at the elementary level and the provision of special education and related services within an inclusive environment. We emphasize adaptations, accommodations and modifications, including instructional and assistive technology, during instructional activities and on state- and district-wide assessments; strategies for effective collaboration with general educators and other service providers; and the design and implementation of functional behavioral assessments and behavior intervention plans. Finally, aligned with the text, we present strategies for enhancing perceptual, linguistic, social-emotional, cognitive, and academic learning characteristics in elementary-age learners.

We use a variety of class activities, including small and large group discussion groups, videos, role plays, simulations, and case studies to accomplish critical course learnings. Students also have a variety of vehicles through which to demonstrate attainment of course objectives, including class participation, written case studies from the primary text, video summaries, article reviews on supplementary readings, and the capstone project, a case study on the student with whom the teacher candidates have been working during their 10 weeks of the semester.

During the fifth week of classes, teacher candidates participate in an orientation session with the special educators and assistant principal of PPDS and the director of the Bennett Professional Development Center. During this session, the special educators at Paradise assign a student who is receiving special education and related services to each teacher candidate. Paradise PDS provides special education and related services through an inclusive model, with students receiving services within the general education setting (termed collaborative/consultative or CC services in Nevada) or through resource room support. Generally, students at Paradise are categorized as those with specific learning disabilities, emotional disturbance, or mild mental retardation. Speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and counseling are the related services provided within the building. Teacher candidates are also required to sign a confidentiality statement, consistent with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), governing all activities at PPDS and those provided through the RAVO system.

Throughout the semester, teacher candidates participate in a minimum of 10, 1-hour observations at Paradise. The teacher candidates are assigned a special education student to observe, and interact with, as appropriate, during activities in both general and special education settings. The teacher candidates are also encouraged to participate in their student's Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting, with parental consent, if it is held during the semester. The teacher candidates are required to review supporting documentation for special education and related services, including the student's IEP, eligibility determinations, and assessment results. As part of the practicum, they are also required to conduct a structured interview with the student's special and general education teachers, as well as other service providers, including the school nurse, speech and language pathologist, psychologist, counselor, and the school administrator. Teacher candidates are also required to record reflections of their experiences after each visit and submit their log/journal twice during the semester for review by the professor. The primary purpose of this activity is to assist the students with the preparation of their final project.

Teacher candidates are required to complete a capstone project, a case study of their student, synthesizing their experiences, observations, and interviews. The case study must include the following information:

* Demographic information;

* Category of disability;

* Summary of confidential file, including a summary of formal end informal assessments administered to the student;

* Special education and related services provided to the student;

* Placement of student;

* Adaptations, accommodations, modifications used in general end special education classroom(s), including instructional end/or assistive technology;

* Summary of the following characteristics of the student:

1. Perceptual characteristics

2. Language characteristics

3. Social-emotional characteristics

4. Cognitive characteristics

5. Academic learning characteristics; and

* Functional Behavioral Assessment/Behavior Intervention Plan using the district form or the Behavioral Intervention Form from the Fad, Patton, and Polloway text.

The teacher candidates submit their case studies, which average between 15-20 typed pages, during the final class session. Teacher candidates share their case study through a Powerpoint presentation with their peers and professor during the final class session. UNLV provides technical support to students in the preparation of their Powerpoint presentation, which averages between 5-10 slides. We selected this mode of presentation in order to integrate technology into the teacher candidate's professional training and to utilize the resources available through the Bennett Professional Development Center.

We designed the course readings, class activities, observations and interviews to parallel the content required in the case study. Similarly, consistent with the principles of PDS, we designed the practical experience at Paradise to support the theoretical information provided during class sessions. Moreover, we ensure that the teacher candidates practice the research-to-practice model required for attainment of knowledge, skills, and dispositions through the alignment of coursework with their practical experiences, discussion, and reflection of their experiences during class sessions.

During the semester, we support the teacher candidates through their weekly class session, regular observations with verbal and written feedback on their performance, and on-going communication via e-mail and telephonic contacts with the lead special educator at Paradise. We also maintain continuous contact with the Paradise special education team regarding the attendance, performance, and participation of the teacher candidates by attending the weekly meetings of the special education team.

Process Data on the Success of the Partnership and Next Steps

To date, this class has been offered twice in the past two years through the collaborative partnership. For the majority of teacher candidates, this experience was their first in classrooms as well as their first opportunity to interact with students, teachers, administrators, and other service providers. Student feedback, though their journals, capstone project, and informal conversations indicate that they found their experiences interacting with students, special and general educators, administrators, and other service providers extremely valuable. Their feedback indicated that the combination of university coursework and practicum enhanced their knowledge and skills regarding teaching and learning. The teacher candidates also reported that they have an increased understanding of the myriad of responsibilities general and special educators and other service providers have in ensuring that all students, including those with disabilities, are provided with appropriate learning opportunities. Finally, the teacher candidates reported an enhanced recognition of the power of collaboration in providing meaningful educational opportunities for all students.

Based on the feedback from teacher candidates and the faculty and staff of PPDS, we believe this model supports, and extends, the findings of the small body of literature available on preparing pre-service special education teachers through PDS model. We will offer this course during Fall 2003, enhancing the collaborative model by increasing the number of formal observations conducted of the performance of the teacher candidates during the next semester. We will update the course readings, use the revised edition of the Raymond text, and retain the case study as the capstone activity.

We believe this partnership between the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Paradise Professional Development School, and Clark County School District models the collaboration needed between universities and practitioners in school districts to ensure that teachers possess the knowledge, skills, competencies, and dispositions to meet the needs of students within rapidly-changing educational settings. We look forward to working with another cohort of special education teacher candidates to ensure they possess the knowledge, skills, competencies, and dispositions to meet the needs of all students within ever-changing educational contexts.

References

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Clark County School District. (2002). Paradise Professional Development School [Brochure]. Las Vegas, NV: Author.

Fad, K.M., Patton, J.R., & Polloway, E. A. (2000). Behavioral intervention planning: Completing a functional behavioral assessment and developing a behavioral intervention plan. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed, Inc.

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Jane M. Williams, University of Nevada, Las Vegas Jennifer Guyer, University of Nevada, Las Vegas Maria J. Meyerson, University of Nevada, Las Vegas Sue Huff, Clark County School District, Las Vegas, NV Donna McKay, Clark County School District, Las Vegas, NV

Williams, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education. Guyer is a graduate student. Meyerson, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Huff is a Special Education Teacher at Paradise Professional Development School. McKay is Assistant Principal at Paradise Professional Development School.