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The purpose of this study was to demonstrate special education teacher candidates' ability to impact their students' learning. Candidates selected and implemented evidence-based interventions while in their clinical practice placements. A university supervisor provided online support as candidates designed and implemented the instructional project with their students. Single-subject design methodology and calculations of the percentage of non-overlapping data points (PND) for each project were used to evaluate the effectiveness of each intervention. Results indicated that the teacher candidates were able to select appropriate evidence-based interventions and that the interventions had a positive impact on student learning.

This article provides a description of how a beginning special education teacher in an inclusion classroom used pre-assessment, self-assessment, and on-going assessment to implement the principles of differentiated instruction to become more responsive to her students' needs in a systematic way. This article describes a case study of one beginning teacher's use of differentiated instruction. First, a discussion of the usefulness of differentiated instruction in increasing the likelihood of success for children with disabilities is provided. Next, qualitative data supported the implementation of the differentiated instruction process to help the teacher realize how she could positively impact students' learning using Tomlinson's (2000) categories of content, product, process, and learning environments. Finally, recommendations are provided for how to engage teachers to implement differentiated instruction as a data-based iterative process of using evidence-based practices to meet the needs of all children in an inclusion classroom. (Contains 2 tables.)

The typical physical education class period consists of a number of instructional activities linked together by brief transitory phases, or transitions (e.g., lining up, identifying teams, handing out equipment, etc.). Transitions can challenge even the most experienced physical educators, because without good classroom management, transitions can provide opportunities for off-task behaviors and disruptions that result in a loss of instructional time. Vogler, van der Mars, Cusimano, and Darst (1999) examined the effects of transitions on students' learning and off-task behavior with children in inclusive elementary physical education classes. The authors reported an average of 16 transitions per class period, with 26% of the time in a class period allocated for transitions. Results from the study indicated that there was a correlation between the frequency of off-task behavior and the frequency of transitions, with more frequent transitions resulting in higher levels of off-task behavior. (Contains 1 table.)

Student outcome data were examined for 35 teacher education candidates working toward special education certification who used an iterative differentiated instruction process over a 5-week period. Data were analyzed across a range of content areas and ages. Results indicated statistically significant and noteworthy effects across students regardless of whether teachers were working in an elementary, middle, or high school in a number of content areas. Qualitative data support a conceptual shift in how teacher education candidates use outcome data to inform their teaching, providing support for the social validity of this approach to implementing differentiated instruction. (Contains 1 figure and 2 tables.)

As Schools and Colleges of Education work to increase enrollment and retention of teacher candidates, providing courses through distance education has become a practical necessity and a competitive reality. Students [...]

The trend to identify teacher quality in terms of student performance has become increasingly evident in the restructuring of accrediting agencies and in recommendations to revise the No Child Left Behind Act to include language that specifies a highly qualified and effective teacher in every classroom. The challenge for teacher preparation programs is to build teacher candidates' knowledge and skills in identifying evidence-based practices, implementing appropriate strategies for their learners, and analyzing learner outcomes. In this article we present the program components we have developed to prepare our teacher candidates to positively impact student learning using evidence-based practices in P-5 classrooms, including examples of candidates' impact data from a culminating project in the program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]