Important Notes:
Each forum will be completed in 2 parts: Part One a thread add
Important Notes:
Each forum will be completed in 2 parts: Part One a thread addressing the instructor’s prompt (400–500 words) and
Part Two 2 replies (200–300 words each) to classmates’ threads.
One appropriate citation reference must be made in current APA format in each thread and reply. First person is allowed in your posts.
Part One: Instructors Promt:
How can local school districts work with colleges to help ensure students are prepared to be effective special education teachers within the classroom? What might you do as a future special education administrator to partner with local colleges and universities to offer programs or collaborative professional development for teacher educator students as well as your own faculty that would promote professional development learning? Share 1–2 personal experiences or research supported examples of successful collaborative partnerships between the school district and college/university setting.
Part Two: Student Replies:
Patricia Arnold:
There is no doubt that educational leadership plays an influential part on student educational outcomes. Local school districts can work with colleges to afford future teachers the opportunity exposure to highly qualified special education teacher classrooms through cooperative relationships. However, this can even extend to the high school level to create a deeper pipeline to teaching, which is where I think it should begin. According to a research article by Holcomb-McCoy (2023), American University (AU) is partnering with local high schools to foster interest in teaching in local District of Columbia Schools. High school students can take teaching introduction courses for college credit while still in high school through a dual enrollment situation. These students can then go on to AU as “teaching fellows” with a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential afforded to them through completion of the high school program. Then as a “Teaching Fellow” they can work in early childhood settings, receive scholarships as they work through their college coursework. At the end of this journey is a teaching job in DC schools. Not only does this program create hands-on learning opportunities, it equips them for the classroom and helps ease their financial burdens along the way. AU has created a pipeline for teachers from high school to the classroom.
Likewise, in my district, we have a teacher cadet program (lcps.org).. High schools offer a teacher cadet class that gives high schoolers interested in teaching an opportunity to have some time in Elementary and Middle School classrooms while earning college credit through Shenandoah University. At my school, this class is taught by a special education teacher and students have to apply and interview to be accepted into the class. At the end of the program, the future teachers are presented with a letter of intent to be hired in our country after completion of undergraduate degree and licensure program. They have an actual “signing day,” like college bound athlete style, to celebrate their accomplishment and commitment. This class is taught by a special education teacher in my school and students have to apply and interview to be accepted into the class.
I truly love the thought of colleges and universities extending opportunities to high school students to create a pipeline of future educators. The collaborative investment these programs provide for colleges, schools, teachers, students, and school districts is positive and can lead to a truly invested teacher workforce.
References
Holcomb-McCoy, C. (2023). Creating teacher education programs to solve the teacher shortage. Childhood Education, 99(2),(72-78). Doi:10.1080000094056
Loudoun County High School (28 January, 2024). Teacher Cadet Program, lcps.org.https://www.lcps.org/domain/34089
Amanda Schmdit-Sines:
Currently there is a push for school districts and colleges to work together in general education programs in order to help preservice teachers prepare and gain on job knowledge and training. These teacher programs specifically focus on elementary general education settings. According to other research, there is limited exposure to internships and experience for preservice teachers (Bouck et al., 2021). Increased experiences are needed to impact students and those in particular with disabilities. Preservice teachers need more secondary placements to work with special education and gain the experience of working with students with disabilities. Preservice teachers admit to needing more resources and exposure to working with students with disabilities. When preservice teachers have the experience and resources prior to being on their own, they have more confidence in working with students with disabilities and in their roles and responsibilities (Bouck et al., 2021). The lack of understanding of the roles and responsibilities adds to the higher turnover of special education teachers.
Local districts need to work with colleges to ensure that preservice teachers are able to intern and work with all levels in the public school and also need experience and exposure to all disabilities. The experiences should be worthwhile and in depth in order to benefit the future teachers. The local district should also work with the local colleges to ensure that the current laws, procedures, and policies are being taught and understood by preservice teachers. The understanding of roles and responsibilities is also important for preservice teachers prepare and understand the scope of expectations for special education teachers to help with turnover. It would also be beneficial for preservice teachers to have qualified teachers discuss their roles, responsibilities, day to day tasks, and current issues. When preservice teachers are more prepared, they will be more equipped to navigate the expectations and classroom. To promote professional development, tenured teachers and highly qualified teachers need to work together to ensure that they are following the newest policies and procedures. These groups also need to work in collaboration with the colleges to understand how and why concepts are being taught and help the professors adjust their way of teaching so that future teachers feel prepared with experience and knowledge when they go into their classrooms and work with students with disabilities.
Reference:
Bouck, E. C., Sands, P., Long, H., & Yadav, A. (2021). Preparing Special Education Preservice Teachers to Teach Computational Thinking and Computer Science in Mathematics. Teacher Education and Special Education, 44(3), 221-238. https://doi.org/10.1177/0888406421992376