Teacher preparation programs in special education are responding to demands for quality. Sources inside and outside the field of education have called for change. In 1986, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) accreditation redesign was implemented. The Council For Exceptional Children (CEC) adopted Standards for the Preparation of Special Education Personnel in 1983 and these standards for special education programs have become a part of the NCATE redesign. This study proposes to answer the question of whether these professional standards and the NCATE redesign have had a direct impact on masters level special education teacher preparation program quality and development.;Research was conducted on a national level surveying teacher preparation programs for the mildly and moderately handicapped. The sample of 150 included members of NCATE due for program review in 1987-88 and those in 1990-91, as well as a sample of programs that are non-NCATE members. Analysis viewed differences in NCATE/non-NCATE teacher preparation programs, programs being reviewed for continuing accreditation in 1987-88 and 1990-91, and the extent to which the CEC standards for the Preparation of Personnel and Code of Ethics are addressed when comparing the NCATE and non-NCATE accredited institutions.

The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers' planning through an analysis of objectives, strategies, and indicators of student achievement to answer six research questions. The questions were related to the following topics: congruence of content in objectives and congruence of the types of assessment among teachers in school systems using the same textbook; levels of student behavior indicated in the teachers' objectives; the types of strategies and activities used to implement the objectives; the types of indicators of student achievement selected by teachers; and, the levels at which test items were written as related to the levels of behavior noted in the objectives.;The study included volunteers from five school systems which were representative of the Commonwealth of Virginia. All volunteers were teachers of general biology who were using the same textbook within their school system.;Conclusions were: There was lack of content congruence among teachers using the same textbook; teachers objectives are written at the lowest levels as described by a taxonomy of behavioral objectives; the strategies most frequently used by teachers are not those which involve students in practices which encourage thinking; teachers lack skill in writing test items. Furthermore teachers may not use forms of assessment other than paper and pencil tests.;This study has implications for preservice and inservice training of teachers in areas related to writing objectives, selecting strategies, and assessing students.

The purpose of this study was to trace the development of teacher training at the Virginia State Normal School located at Farmville from its inception in 1884 through 1924 when it became a State Teachers College. The study focused upon seven characteristics identified by Charles Harper in 1939 as being typical of the developmental history of normal schools. Following these seven characteristics as a framework, the study analyzed the contributions made toward the professionalization of teaching by (1) presidents, trustees, and faculty; (2) public support; (3) in-service education; (4) curriculum provision; (5) laboratory experiences; (6) extra-curriculum offerings; and (7) pragmatic efforts.;Historical methodology was used in the data collection. Extensive use was made of the Annual Reports of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction and of the catalogs and bulletins of the State Normal School. The archives of Dabney Lancaster Library at Longwood College, Farmville, Virginia proved to be a valuable source of primary data. In addition to the review of the literature and numerous other sources, personal interviews and the Minutes of the trustees and Minutes of the Faculty were invaluable.;The study concluded that the State Normal School at Farmville, Virginia conformed to the seven characteristics identified by Charles Harper. In addition the study provided evidence that Farmville was a pioneer institution of higher education in Virginia and that through its professional teacher training leadership, the success of public education in Virginia was advanced.

The purpose of this study was to understand the effect of literacy coaching as a vehicle for professional development and growth by describing the impact of the Community Coaching Cohort Model on teachers' instructional literacy practices. Using a qualitative case study design, four questions were answered pertaining to participants' feelings and perceptions about the coaching model, how their experience impacted their knowledge and skills about literacy as well as the instruction in their classroom, and the impact their learning had on their students. Four cohorts of teachers in two schools from a large suburban district were used to complete the study. Data were collected at the end of the coaching cycle through the use of panel interviews, individual interviews, a questionnaire, and the collection of artifacts. The analysis of these data found that most participants felt positively about working in a coaching cohort because their learning was applicable and useful, the experience was personalized to their needs, and the model fostered collaboration among their colleagues. Participants also reported numerous ways their knowledge about literacy was expanded and discussed many examples of how their classroom instruction was impacted. These teachers also discussed evidence of student learning in specific aspects of literacy. The results of this study indicate that the Community Coaching Cohort Model was an effective form of professional development for these participants because it was a clearly defined model that was delivered by highly-qualified coaches with a neutral, supportive stance toward teachers.

The purpose of this study was to examine the social and learning performance of school age children of prenatal cocaine exposure. The Behavioral Assessment System for Children (BASC) was used along with interviews, observations and document analysis for each individual case studied. The data collected through these methods was coded and examined for patterns and relationships in each case, and across cases.;Data analysis revealed that each case varied in the effects exhibited on a continuum from subtle to severe, as indicated in the literature. Social and behavioral patterns appeared to be most severely affected, while the language area was found to be within normal parameters for children their age. Additionally, all cases experienced tremendous environmental factors which may have impacted their performance such as trauma, abuse, and passive exposure to cocaine and other drugs.

Thesis (M. Ed.) --University of the North, 1977 / Refer to the document

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This research takes up psychoanalysis as an analytical lens to examine participants' literacy narratives, particularly how critical discourses are engaged and resisted, in order to generate multiple and competing definitions of what it means to be critical in the composition classroom. Using autoethnography as research method, participants narrated their literacy histories by anchoring personal stories in the broader cultural and social contexts of their lives. The researcher lays out competing definitions of criticality as refracted through each participant's narrative arc, ultimately suggesting how teachers of composition might use autoethnography as a way of doing critical work.