Perceptual Differences in Quality Standards Among Teachers and Related Service Personnel Who Work with Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders

Among the most potentially significant aspects of recent federal legislation was the introduction of the concept of highly qualities teachers. While the importance attached to highly qualified teacher in Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA, 2004) and No Child Left Behind (NCLB, 2001) is noteworthy, emphasis on quality teacher preparation is nothing new. For the past six decades, researchers have examined critically various facets of teacher preparation in an attempt to find ways to improve classroom instruction (e.g., Bullock & Whelan, 1971; Bullock, Ellis, & Wilson, 1994; Cullinan, Epstein, & Schultz, 1986; Mackie, Kvaraceus, & Williams, 1957; Meisgeier, 1965; Scheuer, 1971; Schwartz, 1967). In fact, current interest in what defines a quality classroom teacher can be Perceptual Differences in Quality Standards Among Teachers and Related Service Personnel Who Work with Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders | AASEP traced back to the turn of the century (Winzer & Mazurkek, 2002). Another milestone was a memo authored by Balow, (personal communication, 1971) and distributed by the United States Department of Education. That memo placed center stage the concept of competency-based special education teacher preparation and had a transformational effect on programs across the country (Shores, Cegelka, & Nelson, 1973).