From Accreditation Standards to Practice: Improving General and Special Educator Collaboration Through Initial Teacher Preparation (Poster 5)

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Saturday 5:10 p.m.
  In Poster Session: Division K Section 9 Initial Teacher and Teacher Educator Preparation Posters

Abstract

The majority of U.S. students with disabilities are served in general education classrooms, necessitating collaboration between general and special educators. However, educators often feel unprepared for such collaboration. This presentation explores how the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC), and Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) standards address teacher collaboration within initial teacher preparation programs. Through content analysis, findings reveal that programs should design and facilitate learning experiences that engage teacher candidates in collaborative dialogue, decision-making, action, and evaluation, ultimately embedding diverse, reflective, and complex learning experiences that enhance pre-service teachers' collaborative skills. Implications for program faculty, leaders, and accrediting bodies will be discussed to support future educators' effective collaboration.

Author

• Amelie Smucker, Radford University