Special Education Teacher Candidates’ Perspectives of an Innovative Summer School Practicum Michael W. Riley, MA Aimee Frier, MA David Hoppey, PhD Stacy Hahn, PhD

Presentation Outline Research Design/Theoretical Framework Program Structure/Sequence Description of Summer Institute Findings Discussion points

Theoretical Framework Features that facilitate pre-service teacher development and expertise Blended coursework Active learning Coursework aligned with high-quality field experiences Opportunities for collaboration Extended opportunities to learn to teach Leko, Brownell, Sindelar, & Murphy (2012)

Research Design This qualitative study seeks to examine how prospective special education teachers come to understand, develop, and socially construct meanings from the daily events and interactions of the summer institute experience. Focus group interviews were conducted after the summer institute over the past two summers. A total of ten 45 minute interviews consisted of 5-7 pre-service were conducted. Data was analyzed used a constant comparative method of reflecting and exploring the data allowed emerging patterns to come into focus (Strauss & Corbin, 1998).

Research Questions The questions guiding this research are: 1) How and what do pre-service teachers learn as a result of participating in the summer institute; and 2) How does the unique design of the summer institute promote teacher learning and knowledge development from a pre-service teacher perspective?

Structure of the Program Competency based program of study that: Focuses on developing teachers as problem solver Integrates content across a logical developmental sequence Scaffolds expectations for learning from an acquisition to generalization framework Emphasizes collaborative teaching structures and situates the program to engage in interdisciplinary partnerships Provides graduates with supported opportunities to gain the necessary knowledge, skills, and dispositions to meet the needs of students with disabilities

Program Sequence Semester 1 7 hour instructional block Linked field experiences Partner schools Semester 2 6 hour instructional block Linked field experience Partner schools Content emphasis Semester 3 3 hour instructional block Linked field experience (Summer Institute) Partner district Content emphasis Semester 4 5 hour instructional block Linked field experience (year long placement) Partner schools Content emphasis Semester 5 3 hour instructional block Final internship Content emphasis Professional seminar PPPs Reading Endorsement ESOL Endorsement Team Teaching Approach Continuous Progress Monitoring: Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions

Purposes of the Summer Institute 1)Work with a partnership school to provide students with learning/cognitive based disabilities extended school learning experiences in reading and mathematics. 2)Provide special education pre-service teacher candidates with opportunities to plan, implement and manage classroom instruction responsibilities and experience the realities of this with high levels of support. 3)Provide special education pre-service teacher candidates with opportunities to teach collaboratively and reflect on and learn from both the benefits and challenges of effective collaboration. 4)Provide special education pre-service teacher candidates opportunities to implement and receive feedback on the use of research supported reading and mathematics instructional practices for students with disabilities. 5)Provide special education pre-service teacher candidates opportunities to experience interacting with school personnel and students’ families in professional ways.

Summer Institute Logistics Third semester of program 2 week seminar (occurs before beginning of practicum) – 3 days per week/4 hours per day 5 week practicum – 3 days per week/4 hours per day Partnership with a Charter School for Students with Disabilities (K-12/Transition) Assigned to classrooms of 4-8 students with a co- teach partner Supervised by program faculty/doctoral students

Findings:

Impact on Pre-Service Teacher Learning Collaboration Problem Solving Content to Practice

Collaboration: Strengths Communication Strengths Preparation Compromise External Recovery Timeliness

Collaboration - Preparation I think that was probably one of the biggest problems we had to was figuring out, pause, we each had our own lesson. And we were like this isn’t working cause if I’m out dealing with the one student, and that was the lesson I was supposed to teach, nothing happened in that class. They were just sitting there. Doing nothing. And it was very…… frustrating, especially for me from coming back and dealing with this and nothing was being taught. And so that was something we had to figure out. How to…. Balance and I think a lot of it helped when we sat down and did the lesson plan together.

Collaboration - Compromise So I didn’t have the best co-teaching experience, but I’m grateful for it…no matter what my co-teach partner did I couldn’t control it…We’ll all be stuck with somebody at some point, or have to work with somebody that’s not going to be someone we get along with or someone that we feel doesn’t do their fair share or works with kids the way we do.

Problem Solving “We” Strategies Organizing Behavior Management Engaging Students Orchestration

Problem Solving - Strategies I would individually assess with repeated readings, but after doing that for three weeks in a row, I sensed that he was not looking forward to doing this assessment, especially when I took him out in the hallway to do the assessing part. At the third week, I noticed that his reading fluency was dropping. I still wanted to assess him with repeated readings, but also assess his fluency with another strategy. When I did the second strategy, I noticed that he was more engaged in reading with his buddy. It seemed to encourage him better because he was able to pick a book that he was comfortable reading.

Problem Solving – Behavior Management We were constantly having to rethink what we were doing in the classroom. We changed our classroom management plan, we changed seating arrangements like three times to try to make it work.

Problem Solving – Student Engagement Some students found the work that we gave them to be too easy. So I had to find new ways to make the work more challenging for the students so they wouldn’t get bored.

Content to Practice Strategies Implementing Bridge Assessment

Content to Practice - Strategies All the information we learned about strategies, student needs, accommodations, etc., was linked to summer practicum. Without the educational background that we have gotten, the summer would have been a difficult experience. So last semester, working on the behavior plan, and actually implementing one that tried to make sure it was effective in the classroom was something that we were able to connect with some of the positive reinforcements that we went over last semester.

Content to Practice - Bridge It was a good bridge to get used to classroom management before we just get thrown into our own classroom. Thinking way back during teacher centered and student centered classrooms. Being able to set up the classroom the way you want it and thinking about how you exactly wanted it and how students were going to react.

Content to Practice - Implementing We were pretty much able to use everything we learned about in the first 2 semesters. It was extremely useful to have the understanding about how to put instructional practices into play, utilize resources, collaborate with others, accommodate all students, incorporate various lesson representations and much more.

Impact on Pre-Service Teacher Learning Career Path Autonomy Responsibility Effect on Students Experience High Demands Self-Realization

Impact – High Demands I think this experience opened eyes to the role of the special educator, and the problems we’ll be facing, and why the burnout rates are so high and why people get so frustrated. I didn’t think I would like co-teaching at all. Like going through this whole program, one of the things I said was that I didn’t want to jump around, I wanted to have my own classroom, my own theme. I didn’t want anybody else in there except for me. Remember that?

Impact – Career Path I didn’t think I would like co-teaching at all. Like going through this whole program, one of the things I said was that I didn’t want to jump around, I wanted to have my own classroom, my own theme. I didn’t want anybody else in there except for me. Remember that?

Impact - Responsibility Being a primary figure in the classroom brought a sense of reality and responsibility to the experience. Instead of just being held accountable to an evaluation or to a project, I was accountable to my students. they were real, meaningful opportunities for independent application and exploration of my knowledge. Also, the feedback (daily and otherwise) was deeply meaningful.

Impact - Autonomy Having the opportunity to actually have my own classroom, my own students, and choosing my own curriculum was invaluable. When in other people's classrooms, it is hard to get a real feel for how a classroom should be run with regards to implementing instruction based on individual student needs. We were allowed to review our students' files, assess them and make instructional decisions based on what we felt were the most effective instructional practices for our students. I feel I am more prepared in the actual nuts and bolts of teaching due to my summer experience.

Interrelatedness Increased confidence Skill development Career orientation Collaborative relationships Impact on Pre-Service Teacher Learning Collaboration Problem Solving Content to Practice

Discussions Points How are Teacher Education Programs Developing Systematic Research Agenda (Leko, Brownell, Sindelar, & Murphy, 2012) – Longitudinal Outcomes – how teacher candidates implement teaching practices once they enter the profession. – Analysis of the impact on PK-12 student learning

Contact Info Michael Riley - David Hoppey – Stacy Hahn – Aimee Frier -