[HOME] [teacher vistas] [online training] [FAQs] [forums] [resources] [links] [contact us] 06-01-2001 FEATURE ARTICLE Bright Futures for Exceptional Learners: An Action Agenda to Achieve Quality Conditions for Teaching and Learning Reprinted with Permission from CEC Today Online by the Commission on the Conditions for Special Education Teaching and Learning Copyright by Council for Exceptional Children Council for Exceptional Children Web site The Challenge In April 1998, The Council for Exceptional Children appointed a Presidential Commission on the Conditions of Special Education Teaching and Learning. Its charge was twofold: To identify those barriers that obstruct high-quality special education and To develop an action agenda that would galvanize the education community to ensure that every student with an exceptionality has a highly qualified teacher who is able to practice under optimal professional conditions and in suitable settings. Whether in special or general education, there is growing evidence that the single most important school influence in a student's education is a well-prepared, caring, and qualified teacher. The connections among the knowledge, skills, and ethics of teachers; the quality of students' educational experiences; and educational accomplishments are strong and undeniable. Yet, too many special educators work under conditions so adverse that they see little hope of achieving success for the students they teach. The plan of action in this report is based on three compelling realities: Many individuals with exceptionalities do not receive the high-quality education they need to reach successful adult outcomes Many special educators teach under conditions that prevent them from delivering high-quality instruction Many special educators are asked to fulfill roles that are fragmented, ambiguously defined, and obscured by conflicting responsibilities. Individuals' contributions to society and the quality of life that they enjoy are directly related to their educational experiences. If students with exceptionalities do not acquire the necessary knowledge, skills, and strategies during their years in school, a life of underachievement, dependency, and discouragement awaits them. The long-term losses experienced by these individuals, their families, and society are immense. In the best of circumstances, successfully teaching individuals with disabilities is exceedingly tough work. Students with disabilities often cannot achieve unless they are taught by the very best teachers using the very best interventions under the very best conditions. These realities are even more sobering in light of the fact that as we begin a new millennium, there are approximately 30,000 special education positions in the United States alone that are filled by individuals who lack the appropriate special education credentials. By the year 2005, the United States will need over 200,000 new special educators. Four out of every 10 special educators entering the field leave special education before their fifth year of teaching. Not only does the field of special education lack the professional capacity to provide the quantity of services that are required for the millions of identified students with disabilities, but the quality of services being offered, under many of the prevailing conditions, often falls significantly short of what is required to prepare students with exceptionalities to face the demanding complexities of life in the 21st century. Click here to view the rest of the article Archived Feature Articles 01-NOV-02 20 Ways To.... Work Effectively with Paraeducators in Inclusive Settings Cathryn G. Riggs 01-APR-02 Three Steps for Gaining Access to the General Education Curriculum for Learners with Disabilities Margaret E. King-Sears 01-DEC-01 Accessing the Curriculum Creating Instructional Rubrics for Inclusive Classrooms Catharine R. Whittaker ? Spencer J. Salend ? Devon Duhaney 01-OCT-01 Responding to Student Concerns about Fairness Ann B. Welch November/December 2000, Teaching Exceptional Children, 33, (2) 36-40. 01-SEP-01 What?s Good? Suggested Resources for Beginning Special Education Teachers By: Sharon A. Maroney 01-JUN-01 Bright Futures for Exceptional Learners: An Action Agenda to Achieve Quality Conditions for Teaching and Learning Reprinted with Permission from CEC Today Online by the Commission on the Conditions for Special Education Teaching and Learning 01-MAR-01 Vocabulary Development: A Collaborative Effort for Teaching Content Vocabulary SUSAN S. JOHNSTON, BETH L. TULBERT, JOAN P. SEBASTIAN, 01-FEB-01 Tips for Communicating Academic Progress DR. JANE B. PEMBERTON, Assistant Professor of Special Education 01-JAN-01 The Good Student Game: Behavior Management for Diverse Classrooms ALLISON E. BABYAK, GAYLE J. LUZE, AND DEBRA M. KAMPS 01-DEC-00 Cooperative Learning and Social Skills: What Skills to Teach and How to Teach Them By: Marilyn W. Goodwin 01-NOV-00 Strategies and Resources to Evaluate the Impact of Inclusion Programs on Students By: Spencer J. Salend, Associate Professor of Special Education 01-OCT-00 Planning High Quality Assignments in Diverse Classrooms By: Joyce A. Rademacher, Associate Professor of Special Education 01-SEP-00 Boldly Going Where Angels Fear to Tread By: KAREN D. HOWELLS 01-AUG-00 Myths and Misunderstandings about Professional Collaboration By Marilyn Friend  Back to this month's feature article
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