Special education teachers’ practice is influenced by an understanding of special education policy and knowledge of implementation practice. This study examined the perceptions of nine special education teachers related to their interpretation of assessment, progress monitoring, and transition mandates in a large urban district. Qualitative methods included a constant comparative approach to coding of teachers’ open-ended interview data. The themes that emerged in this study highlight ways in which teachers’ determine student needs, provide student supports and services, and how they navigate the implementation of supports through collaboration and partnerships. Understanding teachers’ perceptions and navigation of policy requirements to meet students’ diverse needs provides insight to contextualize implementation decisions and provide examples for practice. Implications of these findings for practice are addressed.

Purpose: Simulation is increasingly becoming a valuable tool for training and educating students in communication sciences and disorders (CSD). The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of a mixed-reality simulation on CSD students' perceptions of their ability to apply clinical and counseling skills. Additionally, this study sought to investigate the overall efficacy and acceptance of this type of clinical simulation experience for undergraduate CSD students. Method: A total of 29 undergraduate students participated in a clinical simulation experience that used actor-controlled avatars in a mixed-reality simulation environment to practice collecting case history information and delivering diagnostic news to parents of a child client. All students completed pre- and postsimulation questionnaires that rated the impact of the clinical simulation experience on their confidence in demonstrating targeted clinical skills and their general attitudes about their participation. Additionally, five lead participants participated in follow-up interviews to gather data to best describe students' perceptions. Quantitative and qualitative data were recorded and analyzed. Results: The majority of the students exhibited positive attitudes toward the mixed-reality clinical simulation experience and reported an increase in their perceived ability to apply several counseling skills (e.g., listening and selective feedback) following the session. Analysis showed that the perceived confidence levels on seven out of the 17 targeted skill items increased on the postevent questionnaire to a level of statistical significance and that the simulation experience was described as meaningful and supportive for increasing confidence. Conclusions: Mixed-reality clinical simulation may be a useful tool for teaching interpersonal communication and counseling skills for students, including undergraduates, in CSD. Additionally, the use of mixed-reality technology in this study produced similar results seen with other clinical simulation methods such as standardized patients or computer-based simulations.

The shortage of special education teachers is a growing threat to the quality of education received by students with disabilities in the United States. The shortage is exacerbated by high rates of teacher turnover especially among beginning special educators (BSEs) assigned to teach in self-contained classrooms. To promote retention, greater focus is being given to the formal and informal induction experiences of BSEs. This study explored the informal mentoring relationship between one BSE and her mid-career colleague. The study’s findings illustrate how these teachers initiated an informal collaboration that provided the reciprocal professional and personal support needed that was not provided by traditional professional development opportunities.

The personnel preparation of early intervention/early childhood special educator (EI/ECSE) candidates is a pivotal stage in supporting the development of professionals who can effectively work with young children with and at-risk of developmental disabilities, their families, and other service providers. This process encompasses a multifaceted approach to equip candidates with knowledge, skills, and attitudes/dispositions to successfully work within the field. This compilation article includes multiple authors of each section who share strategies, assignments, tools, and experiences to center the Initial Practice-Based Standards for Early Interventionists/Early Childhood Special Educators (Division for Early Childhood [DEC] of the Council for Exceptional Children [CEC], 2020; hereafter referred to as the EI/ECSE Standards) and DEC’s Recommended Practices (RPs). These strategies are shared through a “spiraling curriculum” framework, and progress from an awareness level to reflection of candidates’ own practice. In addition, this article shares related resources to consider in planning for innovative coursework and practicum/student teaching opportunities. Specific examples of spiraling experiences to deepen learning through opportunities to introduce content aligned to RPs and EI/ECSE Standards are included.

Research on exclusionary discipline often focuses on school-aged children (kindergarten to twelfth grade), overlooking carceral logics in early childhood education (ECE). This paper advances a conceptual understanding and policy-oriented analysis that situates exclusion in preschool, child care, and other ECE settings as systemic rather than individual, showing how surveillance, sorting, and regulation disproportionality affect young children. We demonstrate how diagnostic gatekeeping, inequitable access, and formal and informal removals are design choices embedded in systems that reproduce racialized and classed hierarchies. At the same time, ECE holds transformative potential. We highlight abolitionist and decolonizing approaches already in practice, including culturally sustaining and community-rooted models, healing-centered and trauma-responsive care, and reimagining classrooms as “homeplace” spaces of resistance and care. We conclude with recommendations for policy, research, and practice that reject surveillance and exclusion, expand access, and center family and community leadership. If exclusion begins before the pipeline, so must liberation.

Formal preparation and professional development with an explicit focus on the teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) is essential. Thus, teacher preparation programs play a vital role in meeting this pressing need. Practitioner inquiry has the potential to be a powerful anchor in clinical field experiences for teacher candidates working with emergent bilingual/multilingual students (EB). The purpose of this paper is to present practitioner inquiry as a promising pedagogical practice for teacher education, drawing from examples of implementation in an elementary, preservice teacher preparation program that leads to state credentialing in ESOL. Opportunities and challenges related to the use of this practice with teacher candidates, as well as recommendations, are discussed. Keywordspractitioner inquiry, professional development, teacher education, English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), bilingual/multilingual students