Individualized Education Programs, Student Advocacy, and the Law: Special Educators' Professional Development Experiences

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session 39
  In Roundtable Session: Adapting and Differentiating Instruction: Serving Students With Special Needs

Abstract

Extensive research on roles, responsibilities, attrition, and retention reveals that special educators are tasked with an extensive amount of work and report dissatisfaction with professional development (PD) experiences. Additionally, the literature on overrepresentation of students of color in special education highlights potential gaps that may exist in the knowledge base of special educators. Despite the numerous practitioner based articles in Individualized Education Program development, student advocacy, and the law, that form the basis of special educators’ case management work, the aforementioned challenges persist. This paper uses mixed-methods to present preliminary findings to better understand special educator’s perceptions of their current professional development and what they believe are gaps in their professional development.

Author

• Ebony Perouse-Harvey, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor