Research Spotlight

Comprehensive reading curriculum accompanied by intensive professional development may prove helpful to beginning special education teachers.

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COPSSE research has identified a link between certain instructional practices and high student engagement during reading instruction.

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Questions & Answers

Q:We will have four new beginning special education teachers in my building this year. In what areas will they need particular support?

A:COPSSE research has found that in general, the practices of qualified beginning special education teachers are good. However, beginning teachers may not be as sophisticated in their reading practices as they are in their general practices. They typically need help applying teaching knowledge to a particular content area.

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Q:We will be conducting interviews for new special education teachers. In addition to their skills and knowledge, are there personal attributes that should be taken into consideration?

A:Accomplished beginning special education teachers tend to have a can-do attitude, are very clear about their role as a teacher, and seem able to solve problems and make things work. COPSSE research has found that struggling beginners typically lack the knowledge or resourcefulness to look beyond the problem. They often lack the commitment or energy to make things happen.

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Teacher Quality

Exemplary special education teachers can and do make a difference in student achievement and growth. COPSSE researchers are studying beginning special education teachers and the impact they have on student learning and behavior.

Date	Type	Title/Description	Download
04/19/2007	Presentation	Linking Teacher Quality and Teacher Preparation Presents findings from two COPSSE studies aimed at understanding the knowledge and classroom practices of 33 beginning special education teachers and a larger pool of 62 special education teachers who varied in classroom practice.	Download Full Document
11/10/2006	Presentation	"You Know What Works and What Doesn't:" How Special Education Teachers Individualize Instruction for Their Students Presents COPSSE study of beginning special education teachers' reading practices with a focus on how teachers individualize instruction in their classrooms.	Download Full Document
11/08/2006	Presentation	What do High Quality Special Education Teachers Know and Do to Improve Reading Achievement? Presents COPSSE research outcomes on effective beginning and experienced special education teacher instructional practices that promote student reading achievement.	Download Full Document
04/07/2006	Presentation	Defining Teacher Quality in Special Education: Understanding the Practices, Knowledge and Beliefs of Effective Special Education Teachers Presents continued COPSSE research on effective beginning special education teacher instructional practices that promote student reading achievement.	Download Full Document
04/02/2006	Presentation	What Do High Quality Special Education Teachers Know and Do to Improve Reading Achievement? Presents COPSSE research outcomes on effective beginning and experienced special education teacher instructional practices that promote student reading achievement.	Download Full Document
10/29/2005	Presentation	An Examination of Beginning Teacher Instruction in Special Education: Instructional Reading Practices that Result in Student Engagement Describes COPSSE research on beginning special education teachers' instructional reading practices that result in varying degrees of student engagement.	Download Full Document
06/21/2005	Report	Teacher Education Research Agenda Overviews COPSSE research agenda that documents the scope and complexity of preparing special education personnel.	Download Full Document
04/06/2005	Presentation	Beginning Teacher Quality Describes elements of teacher quality and the impact of legislation on teacher supply.	Download Full Document
04/01/2005	Presentation	*Meeting No Child Left Behind’s Highly Qualified Requirement Via Alternative Route Training: Opportunities and Pitfalls* Considers evidence showing effectiveness of special education preparation routes.	Download Full Document
02/04/2005	Presentation	Beginning Teacher Quality Study Presents COPSSE research outcomes on effective beginning special education teacher instructional practices that promote student reading achievement.	Download Full Document
02/01/2005	Workforce Watch	Growing and Improving the Special Education Teacher Workforce—A Focus on Beginning Teachers Can Help Suggests strategies for supporting beginning teachers and describes three promising induction programs.	Download Full Document
02/01/2005	Research Preview	Defining Teacher Quality in Special Education—A Look at Classroom Practices, Content Knowledge, and Beliefs of Beginning Teachers Describes effective beginning special education teachers and identifies knowledge of reading practices as an area of need.	Download Full Document
10/01/2004	Presentation	Beginning Teacher Quality in Special Education—Implications for Initial Preparation Describes the practices of beginning special education teachers and relates them to student engagement.	Download Full Document
06/01/2004	Presentation	Teacher Quality, Initial Preparation, and Meeting the No Child Left Behind Highly Qualified Mandate Addresses issues concerning teacher quality and preparation.	Download Full Document
04/17/2004	Presentation	Findings from Studies of Beginning Teacher Quality and Preparation Alternatives Overviews COPSSE research findings.	Download Full Document
04/01/2004	Presentation	Special Educator Supply and Teacher Quality: The Critical Role of Teacher Induction Discusses the potential of induction programs to reduce teacher shortages and increase teacher quality.	Download Full Document
03/01/2004	Report	Beginning Teacher Quality Overviews COPSSE research plan for studying beginning special education teacher quality.	Download Full Document
02/01/2004	Workforce Watch	Measuring Beginning Teacher Quality in Special Education—A Summary of Research Models Overviews five models for measuring beginning special education teacher quality.	Download Full Document
11/14/2003	Presentation	Teacher Supply and Teacher Quality: Effective Policies and Strategies Discusses factors contributing to special education teacher shortages.	Download Full Document
11/13/2003	Presentation	Studies of Beginning Teacher Instruction in Special Education Describes beginning special education teachers' efforts to teach reading, with implications for teacher education.	Download Full Document
07/01/2003	Research Synthesis	Conceptions of Beginning Teacher Quality: Models for Conducting Research Describes models for measuring beginning special education teacher quality.	Download Full Document Download Summary
06/01/2003	Research Synthesis	The Development of Teaching as a Profession: Comparison with Careers That Have Achieved Full Professional Standing Investigates issues surrounding the status of teaching as a profession.	Download Full Document Download Summary
04/01/2003	Presentation	What Does Highly Qualified Mean and How Do We Get There? Describes COPSSE efforts to measure beginning teacher quality.	Download Full Document
10/01/2002	Presentation	Growing and Improving the Special Education Teacher Workforce: Balancing Competing Demands Describes factors that contribute to teacher shortages in special education.	Download Full Document