Model Standards for Licensing General and Special Education Teachers of Students with Disabilities: A Resource for State Dialogue.

Overview & Synopsis

This document presents a draft of model standards for licensing teachers, both general and special education, of students with disabilities and is intended to elicit discussion and feedback from states, professional organizations, and teacher education programs. The standards are based on 10 core principles for beginning teacher licensing and development published in 1992. The principles address knowledge and skills concerning content, pedagogy, students with disabilities, and contexts. In this document, each core principle is presented followed by a paragraph outlining implications of that principle for students with disabilities and articulation of the key knowledge, skills, and dispositions expected of beginning general and special education teachers. An introductory section considers the differing knowledge and skills of general and special education teachers, the range of roles of special education teachers, and disability categories. An appendix notes some further considerations regarding state licensing policy of special education teachers. A glossary defines 50 key special education terms. Also included are a list of the individuals involved in drafting the standards and a questionnaire to elicit reactions to the standards and principles enunciated in the document. (DB)