Walking the Walk: Building Culturally Responsive Systems to Ensure Equitable Educational Opportunities for Special Populations

• In Event: Toward a More Just Tomorrow? Culturally Sustaining Approaches to Preservice Teacher Education

Abstract

Teacher preparation programs have the potential to be the catalysts of change for serving English learners and students with exceptionalities within inclusive classrooms. By integrating fields in education that have traditionally been siloed, preservice teachers can be properly prepared to teach diverse student populations and avoid inappropriate classification of English learners. In response to the need to better prepare preservice teachers, the researchers identified implications for course curriculum design and implementation and created courses that integrated ESL, bilingual and special education content. The implications of this work include a paradigm shift in mindset from faculty, professional development for university personnel involved in teacher preparation, and the importance of collaboration with other researchers to continuously improve teacher preparation coursework.

Authors

• Delia Carrizales, Texas Tech University

• Denise N. Lara, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

• Linnie Greenlees, Texas Tech University