Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-24T03:44:46.316Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Professional Standards for Australian Special Education Teachers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 March 2014

Ian Dempsey  and
Kerry Dally
Ian Dempsey*
Affiliation:
University of Newcastle, Australia
Kerry Dally
Affiliation:
University of Newcastle, Australia
*
Correspondence: Ian Dempsey, Special Education Centre, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Although professional standards for Australian teachers were developed several years ago, this country is yet to develop such standards for special education teachers. The lack of standards for the special education profession is associated with the absence of a consistent process of accreditation in Australia and a lack of clarity in the pathways that teachers may pursue to achieve accreditation. In this paper, we review professional standards for special education teachers in the UK and the US, and the related yet limited work completed in Australia. Substantial commonalities across these jurisdictions demonstrate that much of the groundwork has been completed in the important task of developing special education standards in this country.

Keywords

professional standardsspecial education teachersteacher training
Type
Articles
Information
Australasian Journal of Special Education , Volume 38 , Issue 1 , July 2014 , pp. 1 - 13
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Arthur-Kelly, M., Paterson, D., Strnadová, I., Leigh, G., Dempsey, I., Carter, M., . . . Pagliano, P. (2012). SERA submission for great teaching: Inspired learning. Retrieved from http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/media/downloads/news/greatteaching/submissions/sera.pdfGoogle Scholar
Australian Association of Special Education (AASE). (2013). Position papers. Retrieved from http://www.aase.edu.au/documents/category/19-position-papersGoogle Scholar
Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (2013). Labour market research – School teachers 2012–13. Retrieved from http://docs.employment.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/schoolteachersclusteraus.pdfGoogle Scholar
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL). (2012). Australian professional standards for teachers. Retrieved from http://www.teacherstandards.aitsl.edu.au/Google Scholar
Beamish, W., & Bryer, F. (2012). Co-researching best practice in an Australian special school: The process of participatory action research. Special Education Perspectives, 21 (1), 21–33.Google Scholar
Boscardin, M.L. (2011). Using professional standards to inform leadership in special education. In Kauffman, J.M. & Hallahan, D.P. (Eds.), Handbook of special education (pp. 378–390). New York, NY: Routledge.Google Scholar
Carter, M., Chalmers, S.E., Clayton, M., & Hook, J. (1998). Teachers’ perceptions of possible best practices, reported implementation and training needs for students with high support needs: Comparisons across qualification status and teacher location. Australasian Journal of Special Education, 22, 50–70. doi:10.1080/1030011980220107Google Scholar
Chalmers, S.E., Carter, M., Clayton, M., & Hook, J. (1998). Education of students with high support needs: Teachers’ perceptions of possible best practices, reported implementation and training needs. Australasian Journal of Special Education, 22, 76–94. doi:10.1080/1030011980220203Google Scholar
Commonwealth of Australia. (1992). Disability Discrimination Act 1992. Retrieved from http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/dda1992264/Google Scholar
Commonwealth of Australia. (2006). Disability Standards for Education 2005. Retrieved from http://education.gov.au/disability-standards-educationGoogle Scholar
Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). (2010). Validation study resource manual. Retrieved from https://www.cec.sped.org/~/media/Files/Standards/Professional%20Preparation%20Standards/Specialty%20sets/Validation%20Studies%20Resource%20Manual.pdfGoogle Scholar
Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). (2012). CEC's revised special education teacher preparation standards available [Press release]. Retrieved from http://www.cec.sped.org/~/media/Files/News/20121204newsreleaseStandards.pdfGoogle Scholar
Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). (2013). CEC professional standards. Retrieved from https://www.cec.sped.org/Standards?sc_lang=enGoogle Scholar
Dempsey, I. (2011). Trends in the proportion of students with a disability in Australian schools, 2000–2009. Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability, 36, 144–145. doi:10.1080/13668250.2011.573777Google Scholar
Dempsey, I., & Davies, M. (2013). National test performance of young Australian children with additional needs. Australian Journal of Education, 57, 5–18. doi:10.1177/0004944112468700CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fielding-Barnsley, R. (2005). The attributes of a successful learning support teacher in Australian inclusive classrooms. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 5, 68–76. doi:10.1111/J.1471-3802.2005.00044.xGoogle Scholar
Forbes, F. (2007). Towards inclusion: An Australian perspective. Support for Learning, 22, 66–71. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9604.2007.00449.xGoogle Scholar
Hsien, M., Brown, P.M., & Bortoli, A. (2009). Teacher qualifications and attitudes toward inclusion. Australasian Journal of Special Education, 33, 26–41. doi:10.1375/ajse.33.1.26Google Scholar
Ingvarson, L. (2010). Recognising accomplished teachers in Australia: Where have we been? Where are we heading? Australian Journal of Education, 54, 46–71. doi:10.1177/000494411005400105Google Scholar
Keefe, M., & De George-Walker, L. (2010). On the pulse of change: The new beat of special education in higher education. Australasian Journal of Special Education, 34, 99–108. doi:10.1375/ajse.34.2.99Google Scholar
Mackenzie, S. (2007). A review of recent developments in the role of the SENCo in the UK. British Journal of Special Education, 34, 212–218. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8578.2007.00481.xGoogle Scholar
The National Archives, UK. (2013a). Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001. Retrieved from http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2001/10/contentsGoogle Scholar
The National Archives, UK. (2013b). The Education (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators) (England) Regulations 2008. Retrieved from http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2008/2945/contents/madeGoogle Scholar
The National Archives, UK. (2013c). The Education (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2009. Retrieved from http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2009/1387/contents/madeGoogle Scholar
NSW Department of Education and Communities. (2013a). Learning and support. Retrieved from http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/studentsupport/programs/lrngdifficulty.phpGoogle Scholar
NSW Department of Education and Communities. (2013b). Special education. Retrieved from http://www.dec.nsw.gov.au/about-us/careers-centre/school-careers/teaching/our-programs-and-initiatives/retraining/special-educationGoogle Scholar
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. (2005). Attracting, developing and retaining effective teachers - final report: Teachers matter. Retrieved from http://www.oecd.org/edu/school/attractingdevelopingandretainingeffectiveteachers-finalreportteachersmatter.htmGoogle Scholar
Palmer, C. (2007, November). Teacher professional standards: The views of highly accomplished special education teachers. Paper presented at AARE 2006 International Education Research Conference, Adelaide, Australia. Retrieved from http://www.aare.edu.au/publications-database.php/4330/teacher-professional-standards-the-views-of-highly-accomplished-special-education-teachersGoogle Scholar
Queensland Government Department of Education, Training and Employment. (2013a). Education Adjustment Program (EAP) handbook. Retrieved from http://education.qld.gov.au/students/disabilities/adjustment/Google Scholar
Queensland Government Department of Education, Training and Employment. (2013b). Advisory Visiting Teachers. Retrieved from http://education.qld.gov.au/studentservices/learning/disability/specialists/avt/index.htmlGoogle Scholar
Stephenson, J., & Carter, M. (2005). Student teachers’ perceptions of best practice in practicum with learners who have high support needs. Australasian Journal of Special Education, 29, 60–83. doi:10.1080/1030011050290105Google Scholar
Thomas, T. (2009). The age and qualifications of special education staff in Australia. Australasian Journal of Special Education, 33, 109–116. doi:10.1375/ajse.33.2.109Google Scholar
UK Department for Education. (2011). Special educational needs in England: January 2011. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/special-educational-needs-in-england-january-2011Google Scholar
UK Department for Education. (2013). Admission appeals. Retrieved from http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/adminandfinance/schooladmissions/a00204768/appealsGoogle Scholar
UK Department for Education and Skills. (2001). Special Education Needs: Code of Practice. Retrieved from http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/statutory/g00213170/special-educational-needs-code-of-practiceGoogle Scholar
U.S. Department of Education. (2009). Building the legacy: IDEA 2004. Retrieved from http://idea.ed.gov/Google Scholar
U.S. Department of Education. (2013). No Child Left Behind. Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/nclb/landing.jhtmlGoogle Scholar
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. (2013). OSEP legislation and policy. Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/policy.htmlGoogle Scholar
Victorian Institute of Teaching. (2013). Special education programs. Retrieved from http://www.vit.vic.edu.au/finditfast/Teacher-education-programs/Pages/SpecialEducationprograms.aspxGoogle Scholar