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TeachingLD News
Welcome to the on-line version of TeachingLD.org News. TeachingLD.org is a public service of the Division for Learning Disabilities (DLD) of the Council for Exceptional Children. Explore TeachingLD.org by following the links at the left or follow the links below to jump to sections of the news. Contents
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Reflections of TeachingLD.org: Please Explain "Highly Qualified." The adjective "highly qualified" is often associated with the noun "teachers" these days. It was, of course, a recurring theme in the oft-discussed "No Child Left Behind" legislation. It's common in discussions of teacher education, too. But, what in the world does it mean when applied to teachers of students with learning disabilities? Of course, no parents want their children taught by poorly or unqualified teachers and, given the importance of instruction in the achievement of students with learning disabilities, the parents of students who have LD should be among those who argue most forcefully for having highly qualified teachers. After all, our students can learn, provided that they get instruction that meets their unique educational needs. So, we do not mean to suggest that having highly qualified teachers for students with disabilities is a bad idea. We simply need to know what this means in practical terms. "Highly qualified teachers" is a term that appears repeatedly in the bills passed this spring by the U.S. Senate and House to reauthorize IDEA, and it is a term that raises some substantial problems. To be sure, U.S. legislators have offered definitions. For example, the House bill stated that when applied to special education teachers, highly qualified "means that the teacher holds at least a bachelor's degree and that-- "(i) the teacher has obtained full State certification as a special education teacher through a State-approved special education teacher preparation program (including certification obtained through alternative routes to certification) or other comparably rigorous methods, or passed the State teacher special education licensing examination, and holds a license to teach in the State as a special education teacher, except that when used with respect to any teacher teaching in a public charter school, the term means that the teacher meets the requirements set forth in the State's public charter school law; "(ii) the teacher has not had certification or licensure requirements waived on an emergency, temporary, or provisional basis; and "(iii) the teacher demonstrates knowledge of special education and the teaching skills necessary to teach children with disabilities." (H.R. 1350, Section 602.10) In subsequent sections, the bill refines these qualifications as they apply to new and veteran teachers at elementary and secondary levels and to teachers providing consultative services. For teachers providing consultative services, those who provide support for instruction in the general education setting, the requirements are as shown in the previous quotation. However, as used in the legislation, "consultative services" refers only to "services that adjust the learning environment, modify instructional methods, adapt curricula, use positive behavior supports and interventions, and select and implement appropriate accommodations." Note that this list of services does not include delivery of instruction, actual teaching. For those who actually deliver instruction to students with disabilities in middle and secondary school settings, the standards are more stringent--and most teachers in middle and secondary grades provide both consultative and direct services. Special educators in middle and secondary schools who provide more than consultative services must not only meet the requirements for special education but they must also meet the requirements for any subject areas--science, mathematics, English, history, etc.--that they teach. What will be the net effect of stiffening the standards for those who teach students with learning disabilities? Surely, the outcome will not be an increase in the number of people seeking special education teaching positions. Perhaps it will mean that many practicing special educators will leave positions that require them to demonstrate subject-matter qualifications. In a time when U.S. Department of Education reports to Congress routinely show that there are substantial shortages of teachers for students with disabilities, does it make sense to propose policies that seem likely to discourage people from seeking careers in special education? One more question: If the requirements for serving as a special education teacher in consultative settings are less than for serving as a special education teacher in self-contained or resources settings, will the net result be that schools will have one more reason to narrow the continuum of services available for students with disabilities? Is that what "highly qualified" means? If so, this policy is poorly qualified to help students with disabilities. JohnL & Peggy
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