Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of this project?

The purpose of this project is to provide general education teachers with quick access to the knowledge and skills required to teach students who have disabilities in the regular classroom. A great resource is the INTASC Model Standards for Licensing General and Special Education Teachers of Students with Disabilities: A Resource for State Dialogue, which were released in May 2001. These standards articulate for the first time what all GENERAL EDUCATION teachers, as well as special education teachers, should know and be able to do to effectively teach students who have disabilities. Not only do the standards outline the differing expertise of general and special educators, but they describe the nature of the collaborative relationship between both. The standards were drafted by a committee of 27 practicing teachers and teacher educators from across the country in both general and special education.

What is INTASC and why are they involved with this project?

The Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) is a program of the Council of Chief State School Officers, which represents the chief education officers in the 50 states and seven territories who hold primary authority for education policy and its implementation in this country. INTASC is a consortium state teacher licensing officials and representatives of the key national teaching associations. It serves as a vehicle for states to collaborate on projects of mutual interest, most specifically efforts to improve the preparation, licensing, and ongoing professional development of teachers through standards-based reform. Its work is guided by one basic premise: An effective teacher must be able to integrate content knowledge with the specific strengths and needs of students to assure that all students learn and perform at high levels.

This project is the next step in INTASC's ongoing work to improve the teaching of students who have disabilities. As noted above, INTASC released its Model Standards for Licensing General and Special Education Teachers of Students with Disabilities in the spring of 2001 with funding from the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) at the US Department of Education. In October 2002, INTASC was awarded additional funding from OSEP to create a national center to work with states to move the standards into policy and practice by developing models for improving the preparation, licensing, and professional development of both general and special education teachers of students who have disabilities. The Center for Improving Teacher Quality (CTQ) has been working with 42 states for the past five years to develop policy tools to improve the teaching of students who have disabilities. This SERGE project, funded through a generous grant from the MetLife Foundation, builds on this prior work by providing a tool for practitioners that is based on the INTASC standards and that will be disseminated broadly through CTQ's network.

What if I want to add a resource to the list of suggested resources?

While there are many excellent resources for teaching students who have disabilities that are provided by for-profit companies, the resources listed on this website are restricted to resources that are available through United States' governmental agencies and through non-profit agencies. If you would like to submit an additional resource for consideration, click on the "Suggest a Resource" link and submit information about the resource.

What if I have a question that I think should be included under the essential questions?

If you find that a question you have about educating students who have disabilities in the regular classroom is not addressed on this website, please click on the Got a Question? and submit your question. While we do not have the resources to respond to you individually, we will research and consider adding your question to this website if it applies to a wider audience.