Teacher Education and Special Education

Contrasting Educator and Black Student Perspectives of the Special Education Placement Process: A DisCrit Counter-Narrative Analysis
Collins T
This critical qualitative inquiry employed a Disability Critical Race Studies Counter-Narrative framework (DCCN) to explore the contrast between educator and Black student understandings of the special education placement process and their implications. Interviews with 21 members of school personnel and 20 Black students between the ages of 14 and 18 were cross-referenced to narratively reconstruct the special education placement process in Quebec, Canada. Analysis of the results reveals a striking gap between educator and student understandings of the process, which can be linked to adverse student experiences. Subsequently, implications for enhancing educators' knowledge of diverse learners and professional practices are discussed.
One-to-One Assistant Engagement in Autism Support Classrooms
Azad GF, Locke J, Downey MM, Xie M and Mandell DS
Classroom assistants and one-to-one assistants are an important part of the staffing structure of many autism support classrooms. Limited studies, however, have examined how one-to-one assistants spend their time in the classroom. The purpose of this article was to examine the percentage of time one-to-one assistants were engaged in instruction or support of students with autism and to determine the factors associated with their engagement. Direct observations were conducted in 46 autism support classrooms. Teachers and classroom assistants were engaged in instruction or support 98% and 91% of the time, respectively. One-to-one assistants were engaged in instruction or support 57% of the time. Classroom assistants' and one-to-one assistants' engagement was significantly correlated. The low rate of one-to-one assistants' engagement suggests an inefficient use of an important resource.