Educational Equity in Exclusionary School Settings: An Analysis of Teachers' Qualifications, Preparation, and Specialized Training

• In Event: Roundtable Session 5
  In Roundtable Session: (In)Equitable Access to High-Quality Teaching

Abstract

Providing all students with qualified, prepared teachers is a national priority that has implications for ensuring educational equity. Access to a well-prepared, well-qualified teacher with specialized training may be especially significant for students in exclusionary school settings (i.e., special education and alternative schools). The purpose of this analysis was to investigate the qualifications, preparation, and specialized training of teachers across school settings using the 2007-08 administration of the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS:08). Furthermore, it investigates whether students in exclusionary schools are provided an equitable education as defined by the Berne and Steifel framework (1984, 1994). Findings indicate exclusionary schools do not provide students with an education that meets horizontal, vertical, or equal opportunity standards for education equity.

Authors

• Loretta Mason-Williams, Binghamton University - SUNY

• Joseph C. Gagnon, University of Florida