Collaboration: A Potential Solution in Teacher Education for Addressing At-Risk and Special Education Students in Today's Schools.

Overview & Synopsis

Consistent with educational reform efforts, regular educators are being asked to meet the challenge of addressing the needs of special education and at-risk students along with "normal" students in the regular classroom. This paper examines how teacher education programs can assist in better preparing educators to meet this challenge and describes the use of collaboration skill training at Bowling Green State University (Ohio). Project RAISE (Rural America Institute for Special Educators) supported a preservice teacher training program in rural special education at the graduate level. The program paired veteran teachers with first-year novice teachers working together in carrying out cooperative planning, teaching, and evaluation. Both mentor and mentee were eligible to receive Masters Degrees upon completion of coursework. The primary emphasis of course content dealt with learning collaboration skills in order to enhance service delivery for rural special education. Brief descriptions of courses are provided. This model, while designed for special education, could easily be adapted for use in any preservice or inservice teacher training program. (Contains 12 references.) (LL)