Challenges and Choices in Urban Education: The Perceptions of Teachers and Principals

The study described in this paper was designed to investigate the perspectives of principals and teachers in urban schools across the country in regard to challenges in urban teaching. The perceptions of these educators were investigated regarding (1) the extent to which challenges commonly cited in the literature on urban teaching were evident at their schools; (2) the extent to which school personnel have the power to favorably influence challenge areas; and (3) the potential for success of promising practices commonly cited in the literature on urban teaching.     

Collaborative teacher roles in facilitating inclusion: Preservice preparation for general and special educators

Abstract

Collaboration between general and special education teachers has been viewed as important to the successful education of students with disabilities who are served in inclusive classes. The purpose of this study was to analyze and compare the perceptions of a national sample of general and special education teacher educators regarding their perceptions of actual and ideal emphases placed on specific collaborative roles in teacher preparation programs for general and special education teachers. The authors analyzed the data and found significant differences between teacher educator perceptions of the degree of emphasis actually placed on collaborative roles and the degree of emphasis that should be placed on these roles in teacher preparation programs.