Essential Special and General Education Teacher Competencies for Preparing Teachers for Inclusive Settings

The passage of the 1997 Amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as well as the increased numbers of students with disabilities being educated part or full time in general education classes (U.S. Department of Education, 1997; 2002), create significant challenges for teacher preparation programs for both special and general education teachers. Specifically, the 1997 Amendments to IDEA require that special educators are knowledgeable and skilled in the general education core curriculum standards and the use of accountabil-ity assessment systems in order to educate students with disabilities in general education settings. The IDEA amendments also suggest that Essential Teacher Competencies36 Issues in Teacher Education general educators must develop the knowledge and skills necessary to educate the increasing numbers of students with disabilities in their classes and work in collaboration with special education teachers. I