Master's Level Teacher Preparation for Educating Immigrant Students with Special Needs in US Schools.

This article provides results from a research project investigating how Master's level teacher training programs address the education of immigrant students at-risk and those with special needs. We surveyed Master's programs in nine states with significant populations of immigrant students. Results suggest that graduate level programs in special education emphasize selected immigrant special education training and competency areas to a limited-moderate degree. Our findings reveal that teacher training was similar among schools that differed in size and type of degree granting institution (Master's vs. Master's and Doctoral). Within-school analyses found the training area of Assessment was emphasized the most while training in Collaboration was the least emphasized. We share results from this study and also provide suggestions for future research. Master's Level Teacher Preparation for Educating Immigrant Students with Special Needs in US Schools Many educational classrooms nationwide have significant percentages of immigrant students, including both urban and rural school systems. The continuous and sometimes dramatic increases in the number of immigrant students place tremendous pressures on educators as they attempt to effectively work with this growing population (Suarez-Orozco & Suarez-Orozco, 2001). Although there are variations in the definition that describes who qualifies as an immigrant student, the most accepted include the following: 1) Born outside of the United States; 2) Enrolled in US schools for less than three years; and, 3) Between the ages of 3 and 19 (Emergency Immigrant Education Program, OELA). Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals 20 Master's Level Teacher Preparation for Educating Immigrant Students with Special Needs in US Schools | AASEP An Urban Institute study based on Current Population Surveys data (CPS), estimated in 2000 that there were over 10.5 million school-age children of immigrants enrolled in grades K-12, representing 20% of the total K-12 student population (Fix & Passel, 2003). Of these students, Fix and Passel (2003) approximated that 2.7 million, or 5% of the total student population, are foreign born. This presents unique challenges to educators and school systems as they attempt to meet educational needs of many immigrant students in their early stages (i.e., within the first three years of formal schooling) of acculturating to United States' schools and environments. For example, Garcia and Cuéllar (2006) building on the work of Lucas (1997) wrote that: "Most U.S. students undergo a set of important and critical transitions: from home to school and from childhood to adolescence. Immigrant children move through these same critical transitions and those associated with transitioning to a new culture and language" (p. 2240). Therefore, in addition to dealing with transitions experienced by all children, immigrant students must adjust to new cultural experiences and may also confront stress due to a modified family structure, migration and refugee experiences, poverty, cultural isolation, limited English Proficiency, differences in the institution of schooling, minority status, or inconsistent academic preparation (Coehlo, 1994). As a result, the educational needs of these students are significant, and if not addressed appropriately, place many immigrant learners at risk.