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• Unlike data that show that all states require credentials for special education teachers, national data indicate that only 27 states require licensure/certification/endorsement as an administrator of special education. • The titles used by states to identify the local director of special education include administrator of special education, director of special education, director of pupil personnel services or pupil special education, and director of exceptional needs. • There was variation with regard to those state programs that incorporate the six Council of Exceptional Children (CEC 2009 Administrator of Special Education Standards into their requirements. • The great majority of the states requiring credentialing as administrators of special education also require a master's degree as the minimum degree requirement for special education administrators, and half of those states require specific course work in special education administration. • Less than one-third of the states require a practicum/internship in special education administration, and only one state required that candidates pass a special education administration licensing exam. • Most of the states requiring credentialing of administrators of special education reported having continuing education/professional development requirements for administrators to keep their credentials active. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article,the authors propose an agenda for special education teacher education researchers, with particular attention to policy work and studies of innovations in pre-service preparation, induction and mentoring, and professional development. Because previous research is limited and unfocused, the foundation for future research is weak, but opportunities to study questions of importance and interest are seemingly limitless. The authors discuss strategies to bolster the research foundation, namely, by oversampling special education teachers in the Schools and Staffing Survey and the Teacher Follow-Up Survey and by fostering the development of models of teacher development and related measures of teacher quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent developments in policy and practice have emphasized the importance of promoting self-determination and supporting access to the general curriculum for youth with disabilities. To understand how these trends align, we examined the efforts of 340 general and special educators to promote student self-determination in high school classrooms. Educators attached considerable importance to providing instruction in skills related to self-determination and reported addressing these skills with moderate to high frequency in their classrooms. Although opportunities for students with disabilities to learn skills that promote self-determination were reported to be available across the curriculum, there were some differences across teachers and curricular area. We discuss avenues for promoting student self-determination within the general curriculum, as well as offer recommendations for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing frequency, duration, and intensity of children's challenging behaviors makes general and special education teachers' professional lives hazardous to their health. The focus of this article is on helping teachers leave the classroom each day with a feeling of accomplishment and a belief that they have made a difference in the lives of the children they teach. Using the acronym, I ACCEPT ME, nine strategies are suggested to help teachers accept themselves regarding their competence in teaching children who exhibit behavioral and emotional challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teacher attitude is one of the most important variables in the education of children with disabilities. Attitudes of general educators in the city of Mumbai, India, toward disabilities and inclusion of students with disabilities into regular schools were studied through the usage of two attitude scales. The study investigated whether variable background characteristics such as age, gender, income level, education levels, years of teaching experience, acquaintance with a person with a disability, having a family member with a disability, frequency of contact and closeness to a person with disability affect the attitudes of teachers towards people with disabilities and towards inclusion of students with disabilities into regular schools. The analyses revealed that while some of the variables of interest did affect teachers’ attitudes towards disabilities, the only variable that affected teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion was prior acquaintance with a person with a disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A mailed questionnaire containing 99 demographic and attitudinal variables regarding handicap integration drew responses from 128 regular educators and 133 special educators in 21 school districts. Separate discriminant function analyses using "I would be willing to teach a student with (a handicap)" as the criterion variable were conducted for the two groups of educators. A comparison of the group profiles revealed few similarities. Regular educator willingness depended more heavily upon demographic variables; special educator willingness, upon attitudinal variables. Teacher group membership could be predicted from the profiles with 96% accuracy in each case. The results are discussed in terms of implications for consultants and inservice and preservice programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the challenges faced by the Council for Exceptional Children, a professional association for people involved in the education of exceptional children in the United States. The council's past presidents include Elizabeth E. Farrell, Alice B. Metzner, Charles M. Elliott, Edith L. Groves, and John Louis Horn. The council had succeeded in affiliating with the National Education Association in 1924, and then with the World Federation of Education Associations in 1928. The council's first publication was the "News Letter on the International Council for the Education of Exceptional Children" with Eleanor Gray as its first editor until its demise on October 1932. The council failed to develop the convention during the 1920s and early 1930s into the growing and increasingly attractive educational event that it should have been.

The article reports on research to determine the impact of teacher-administered praise notes on the academic performance of three special education elementary students. Findings indicated that consistent written praises by students can result into a significant and lasting improvement in academic performance. The data also support the utilization of parents as participants in schemes designed to enhance the academic performance of children.

The article presents ten guide questions for special education teachers who wanted to assess their own professional growth. The first questions delves on the academic achievement of the teacher. It is expected that special education teachers have undergone training courses in all areas involving special education. The second question focuses on the congresses attended by the teacher. Next is on the participation of teachers in special education organizations. For the fourth question is directed at the frequency of personal professional library use of the teachers. Further questions are centered on the association of the teacher with his or her job, committee presence, problem solving skills, and community integration.

The article presents job opportunities for special education teachers in the United States. These include: teaching positions at the Pinal County Special Education in Arizona; the position of career/vocational specialist for special education at San Jose State University in San Jose, California; a teaching position for demonstration preschool at the University of Georgia in Athens; and a post-doctoral fellowship in research with minority handicapped children.

The article presents the results of a study conducted on students with masters of education degrees, who were in training to become teachers of emotionally disturbed and/or learning disabled teachers. Data on the students' performance in their course work was collected. The three stages of the goal of the teacher training program are discussed. The three phases of measurement is a requisite of an evolving competency based teacher training program. Accountability refers to actual teacher behavior rather than to teacher effectiveness with children.

The article determines the extent to which special education graduates who received graduate traineeships are employed in position serving handicapped persons in the United States. The results of a survey conducted on every graduate student in the Special Education Department at Western Michigan University who received a traineeship between 1971 and 1979 are presented. The survey revealed that approximately 75 percent of the respondents were employed as special education classroom teachers following graduation with the majority in a resource room rather than in a self-contained classroom. These suggest that the utility of federal funds allocated to train personnel to serve the handicapped.

The article presents a roundup of news pertaining to the Council for Exceptional Children. It highlights the 58th Annual International Convention held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on April 23-24, 1980. The past recipients of the Award for Excellence, which is presented to a chapter, branch, student association, federation, and division that meets or exceeds established performance criteria during the year concerned, include Murray State University Chapter 193 and Greenville County Chapter 877. It presents an obituary for the late members Susan D. Aresco, Patrick Ashlock, and Alfea Belli.

The article reports that the Division for Children With Learning Disabilities (DCLD) of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) has issued a booklet that provides a code of ethics with regards to professional competence, the welfare of the person served, research and publications, and professional relationships. The booklet entitled "Code of Ethics and Competencies for Teachers of Learning Disabled Children and Youth," mainly addresses competencies for teachers of the learning disabled.

The article reports that the U.S. Office of Education through its Cooperative Research Program will conduct an invitational research seminar on mental retardation on August 1961. It will bring together 12 leaders in the field of mental retardation to exchange ideas and to generate new ideas, which can be used by investigators in conducting research in this field. The participants will identify research problems in mental retardation based on their recent research studies and develop tentative designs for research on each of these problems. This is the first of a series of seminars which aims to increase the quantity of high quality research leading to practical solutions of major problems in the field of education.

The article presents the author's message as president of the Council for Exceptional Children. The author enumerated names of people he would like to thank for helping him in performing his duties as president including Frances Connor, Mamie Jo Jones, Leo Cain, and Ivan Garrison. The council's new constitution led to the enlargement of the executive committee, which saw the appointment of Nadine Chidley, June England, and Harrie Selznick. The council granted council division status to five professional associations that have sought to be an integral part of the organization. The author welcome opportunities to work with other organizations on special occasions whether any affiliation.

The article reports that the Foundation for Exceptional Children is offering to rent the film "Exceptional Times: An Historical Perspective of Special Education." The materials emphasize the changes in advocacy technology, legislation, and teaching since the early 1900s. The film was recognized for its excellence at the eighth annual film festival sponsored by the American Association on Mental Deficiency.

The article reports that the Delegate Assembly of the 53rd annual convention of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) has voted on April 22, 1975 to increase dues for regular and student members. It is explained that the cost of producing and sending the two journals of CEC has increased because of inflation. Paper expenses have risen by almost 300 percent since 1968, while mailing costs have risen by approximately 400 percent since 1969. Moreover, higher salaries have to be offered for clerical and support staff personnel in order to attract and retain competent workers.

The article lists the officers of several organizations for special education teachers in the United States. The officers of the Association of Educators of Gifted Children include T. Ernest Newland, president; Ruth A. Martinson, president-elect; Virgil S. Ward, secretary; and Jack W. Birch, treasurer. The officers of the Association of Educators of Homebound and Hospitalized Children include Elizabeth Wetzel, president; Frances P. Connor, president-elect; Clarissa H. Hug, secretary; and Valborg Birkeness, treasurer. The officers of the Council for the Education of the Partially Seeing include Frederika M. Bertram, president; Mildred Moon, president-elect; Doris McArthur, secretary; and Edna Woodward, treasurer.

The article presents a roundup of news pertaining to associations for people of disabilities and for people working with disabled persons in the United States. The American Association of Instructors of the Blind launched a monthly newsletter titled "Fountainhead," The American Psychological Association is preparing for the national conference to be held on August 31 through September 6, 1961 in New York City. The National Society for the Prevention of Blindness is engaged in a volunteer vision screening program.