Online ISSN: 2325-7466
2006
Triannual
National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET)
United States

Articles

Fostering Special Education Certification through Professional Development, Learning Communities and Mentorship

  • Mitzi P. Trahan, Ph.D., LPC (Author) University of Louisiana at Lafayette image/svg+xml
    Mitzi P. Trahan, Ph.D., LPC is employed as an Associate Professor in the Educational Foundation and Leadership department at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL) for the approximately 8 years. She received her doctorate in Educational Leadership and Research from Louisiana State University. Prior to coming to higher education as a professor, Mitzi had 2 distinct careers. First, she has 15 years of experience in the business and finance sector as a CPA and bank comptroller. She also worked as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in mental health arenas and higher education student services. Mitzi has several publications focusing on educational technology, research and evaluation, and a variety of educational topics such as leadership, teacher evaluation, and accountability. Her teaching experience primarily centers on research methodology, statistics, evaluation, and classroom assessment. Additionally, Mitzi has taught courses in a variety of the social sciences, counseling and psychology.
  • Dianne F. Olivier, Ph.D. (Author) University of Louisiana at Lafayette
    Dianne F. Olivier, Ph. D., is an Associate Professor in Educational Foundations and Leadership at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She teaches doctoral educational leadership and research courses, serves as the Facilitator for the Ed. D. program. She currently holds the Joan D. and Alexander S. Haig/BORSF Endowed Professorship in Education. Prior to the university level, Dianne served thirty-four years in public education with twenty-six of those years as a district administrator. Dianne uses her former K-12 administrative experiences to work throughout the U. S. with principals, central office personnel, and teacher leaders in her role as an educational consultant with the Learning-Centered Leadership Program for the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB). Dianne’s research focuses on professional learning communities, educational leadership, change process, school culture, and teacher self- and collective efficacy. She has developed several assessment measures relating to these research interests which are used on both a national and international level. Dianne has authored and coauthored several chapters and articles on professional learning communities and school leadership. Her work in the area of professional learning communities has transitioned from the domestic or national level to participation as a member of a Global PLC Network researching the PLC process from a global perspective.
  • Donna E. Wadsworth, Ph.D. (Author) University of Louisiana at Lafayette
    Donna E. Wadsworth, Ph.D., is a professor and Special Education Coordinator at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Donna teaches graduate courses in both the special education mild/moderate and early intervention programs. She holds the Kathy Authement Prouet/BORSF Endowed Professorship in Special Education. Her primary areas of research are inclusion and collaborative teacher training and professional development practices. These areas of research have been supported by grants for development of special education professional development sites, new inclusive teacher training programs, and state transition projects. Donna has authored and co-authored several book chapters, books, and articles focusing on special education teacher training and inclusive practices for students with disabilities. She was also higher education’s representative to the Louisiana’s Special Education Advisory Council for over 15 years. Donna has also served in numerous leadership positions for the Louisiana Council for Exceptional Children Executive Board and national Council for Exceptional Children committees.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.270
Abstract
The purpose of this article is to present mixed methodology evaluation data regarding a professional development initiative designed to offer non-certified special education teachers specialized classroom and teacher certification support. The project was grounded in evidence-based strategies that resulted in direct implications for teacher preparation, retention, and certification. To maximize benefits of participation in this project, access to instructional resources was provided. Participants benefitted from face-to-face communities of practice and a virtual learning environment designed to establish a shared culture of improvement and collaboration. Teacher participants generally felt factors such as "encouragement, motivation, and support they received from their colleagues contributed to their decision to pursue a special education teaching career." The evaluation findings informed a professional development model incorporating the essential components of professional development, learning communities, and mentorship. The findings further indicated that teacher professional development should specifically address instructional strategies, understanding of special educational issues, and skill attainment.
Keywords
Communities of Practice, Disabilities, Educational Strategies, Elementary Secondary Education, Faculty Development, Likert Scales
References

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There are 15 references in total.
How to Cite
Trahan, M. P., Olivier, D. F., & Wadsworth, D. E. (2015). Fostering Special Education Certification through Professional Development, Learning Communities and Mentorship. Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals, 10(1), 142-157. https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.270

Winter 2015

Article Information

  • Article Type Articles
  • Submitted December 23, 2014
  • Published February 15, 2015
  • Issue Winter 2015
  • Section Articles
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