Collaboration With Families of Students With Disabilities: Are Teacher Candidates Ready?

• In Event: 18.030 - Examining Field Experiences From New Perspectives

Abstract

Building partnerships with parents and families is essential for teachers to support students with disabilities, yet such school/family partnerships fall short in practice, and teachers may not be adequately prepared to work with families. In this study, a Family Collaboration Project was developed to provide an opportunity for special education teacher candidates to establish a collaborative relationship with parents of students with disabilities during clinical practice. Learning outcomes were compared with a control group. Results demonstrate teacher candidates taking part in the project score higher on a teacher/parent relationship inventory and provide richer reflections and better understanding of their student and family’s needs than those in the control. Integrating family collaboration into coursework will be shared and further innovation explored.

Authors

• Amy Accardo, Rowan University

• Joy F Xin, Rowan University

• Margaret Shuff, Rowan University - Glassboro, NJ