Designing and Designing and Delivering Preparation Delivering Preparation

in Response to in Response to Local Need:Local Need:

Challenges in Preparing and Challenges in Preparing and Retaining HQ Special Education Retaining HQ Special Education

Personnel Personnel presented by:presented by:

Phoebe Gillespie, Ph.D.Phoebe Gillespie, Ph.D.DirectorDirector

National Center to Improve Recruitment and Retention of National Center to Improve Recruitment and Retention of Qualified Personnel for Children with DisabilitiesQualified Personnel for Children with Disabilities

(Personnel Improvement Center)(Personnel Improvement Center)

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Pre-Service Preparation State Licensure Professional Development For Re-Licensure

State Program Approval Standards

© INTASC/CCSSO

State Teacher Quality State Teacher Quality SystemSystem

State P-12 Student Standards

State Teacher Licensure Standards

State Licensure Assessment State Prof. Dev. Requirements

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Systems-level Related Systems-level Related Issues of Licensure and Issues of Licensure and

Prep Program AlignmentPrep Program Alignment Teacher licensure policyTeacher licensure policy

Requires special educators have a content degree or pass a Requires special educators have a content degree or pass a content testcontent test

Requires general ed license before special ed licenseRequires general ed license before special ed license Requires licensure in both general and special education be Requires licensure in both general and special education be

aligned with scientifically-based researchaligned with scientifically-based research Program approval policyProgram approval policy

Requires more collaboration between general and special Requires more collaboration between general and special education during prep process (dual, merged, integrated education during prep process (dual, merged, integrated programs)programs)

Requires program approval standards be aligned with Requires program approval standards be aligned with scientifically-based researchscientifically-based research

Licensure renewal policyLicensure renewal policy Requires all teachers have more collaborative/co-teaching Requires all teachers have more collaborative/co-teaching

skills around serving students with disabilities in general skills around serving students with disabilities in general education classroomeducation classroom

Requires professional development and licensure renewal Requires professional development and licensure renewal coursework be aligned with scientifically-based researchcoursework be aligned with scientifically-based research

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Four Challenges to Special Four Challenges to Special Education Personnel Education Personnel

DevelopmentDevelopment Data systems managementData systems management

for personnel that meet the HQT challenge and informs for personnel that meet the HQT challenge and informs policy and practice at the state, higher education and policy and practice at the state, higher education and local district/community level.local district/community level.

Capacity of higher ed preparation programs to Capacity of higher ed preparation programs to align with restructured state licensure system align with restructured state licensure system in relation to HQ requirements in NCLB and in relation to HQ requirements in NCLB and

IDEA, 2004.IDEA, 2004. Increased need for supplyIncreased need for supply

that responds to demand of local schools and that responds to demand of local schools and communities.communities.

Building-level staffing patterns and supports Building-level staffing patterns and supports that work to appropriately train and retain personnel that work to appropriately train and retain personnel

for increased options in service delivery, including for increased options in service delivery, including those utilized in inclusive environments.those utilized in inclusive environments.

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System-level Related System-level Related Issues of Personnel DataIssues of Personnel Data

Vision for data systems alignment and its Vision for data systems alignment and its impact on policy and practice.impact on policy and practice.

Capacity to collect data and build Capacity to collect data and build necessary infrastructure to support necessary infrastructure to support systems-level analysis.systems-level analysis.

Documentation of academic content Documentation of academic content competency for individual personnel to competency for individual personnel to determine HQT requirement.determine HQT requirement.

Time, resources and personnel for Time, resources and personnel for implementation and ongoing management.implementation and ongoing management.

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Alignment of Preparation Alignment of Preparation Programs and State Programs and State

Licensure Restructuring Licensure Restructuring Collaborative planning for new preparation program Collaborative planning for new preparation program

development among state, higher ed and local development among state, higher ed and local districts to deliver Highly Qualified personnel for districts to deliver Highly Qualified personnel for local classrooms.local classrooms. Movement away from K-12 special ed licensure.Movement away from K-12 special ed licensure. Inclusion of core academic subject areas in licensure and Inclusion of core academic subject areas in licensure and

program approval standards.program approval standards. Practicum experiences in collaborative teaching Practicum experiences in collaborative teaching

environments.environments. Higher ed and LEA partnerships that help define Higher ed and LEA partnerships that help define

what novice teachers need to know and be able to what novice teachers need to know and be able to dodo.. Coursework that reflects critical pedagogy for initial Coursework that reflects critical pedagogy for initial

practice.practice. Coursework that reflects research based principles and Coursework that reflects research based principles and

strategies for instructionstrategies for instruction

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Alignment of Preparation Alignment of Preparation Programs with State/Local Programs with State/Local

District NeedsDistrict Needs Articulation agreements Articulation agreements

Between 2 and 4 year programsBetween 2 and 4 year programs Course schedulingCourse scheduling

Night and weekend undergraduate offeringsNight and weekend undergraduate offerings Distance learning opportunitiesDistance learning opportunities

Shared coursework among IHEsShared coursework among IHEs Earlier and more meaningful field Earlier and more meaningful field

experiencesexperiences Focus on retention through ongoing Focus on retention through ongoing

professional development professional development

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Prep Program and Prep Program and Building-level Practice Building-level Practice

IssuesIssues Prep Program leadership in providing building-Prep Program leadership in providing building-

level administrative preparation and training;level administrative preparation and training; Prep program and LEA partnership in teacher Prep program and LEA partnership in teacher

preparation and ongoing professional preparation and ongoing professional development for new staffing patterns in development for new staffing patterns in inclusive classrooms;inclusive classrooms;

Prep program coursework that emphasizes Prep program coursework that emphasizes academic content and developmental levels; academic content and developmental levels; and and

Assessment and improvement of working Assessment and improvement of working conditions at the building level.conditions at the building level.

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Critical Issues that Need Critical Issues that Need AddressingAddressing

Personnel data systems alignment to Personnel data systems alignment to inform strategic development of inform strategic development of IHE/LEA partnership prepIHE/LEA partnership prep

State capacity to leverage change in State capacity to leverage change in IHE prep program offerings to IHE prep program offerings to respond to regional S & D issuesrespond to regional S & D issues

Aligning of state licensure Aligning of state licensure requirements to LEA need for requirements to LEA need for content/field experiences that mirror content/field experiences that mirror classroom practice.classroom practice.