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Abstract

Professional standards that define expectations of the knowledge and skills of individuals who are certified as special educators have had a significant impact on teacher education curriculum in special education. In the last decade, however, greater emphasis has been placed on accountability for beginning teachers' ability to translate these knowledge and skills into practice. For the past three years, the teacher education program in special education at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has developed and integrated program standards into the teacher education curriculum. Additionally, developmental benchmarks and indicators have been developed to assess students' performance as they move through the program. This process has led to greater accountability for the performance of teacher graduates as well as the teacher education program curriculum. This article reviews the process and the impact, including the challenges, of work toward becoming a standards-based teacher education program.

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The Process and Impact of Standards-based Teacher Education Reform

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