Certification Requirements for Teachers of Students with Emotional or Behavioral Disorders: A National Survey.

Although the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has been instrumental in assuring that students with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education, service delivery to students with emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD) has been a persistent challenge (Zabel, 1991). Students with EBD are grossly underserved, and there is need for schools to improve practice in identifying and serving these students (Lewis, Chard, & Scott, 1994). This population often may be neglected entirely; as many as half of the students in need do not receive any specialized services. Schools presently identify and serve less than 1 % of the student population under the EBD category, while professional estimates suggest that this figure should at least double, and may be as high as 6 to 10% (Kauffman, 1993a; U.S. Department of Education, 1993, 1994). Therefore, quality of service delivery should remain a priority (Kauffman,1993b). To address service delivery concerns, the 1990 amendments to IDEA included provisions for improving the quality of programming for students with EBD. Particularly encouraged were the expansion of service delivery models and maintenance of an adequate number of qualified personnel. These efforts were to include development and support for enhancing professional knowledge and skills; strategies focusing on collaboration; and adequacy of staff development methods designed to decrease professional burnout and attrition. Steinberg and Knitzer (1992) further urged state departments of education to assess the adequacy of inservice and preservice training for EBD teachers to ensure skill development in cooperative learning, peer tutoring, life-space interviewing, group discussions, and collaboration with mental health professionals. Despite efforts toward standardizing the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively teach students with EBD, we currently know relatively little about the specific skills needed (Kauffman & Wong, 1991), and perhaps even less about the extent to which state certification requirements are consistent with the professional standards established by the field. Very few studies have examined this issue; and most have involved surveys of practitioners, administrators, or teacher trainers. Bullock, Ellis, and Wilson (1994) surveyed 102 teachers on 201 knowledge/skill statements commonly used in teacher preparation programs for teachers in behavioral disorders. Teachers rated the following 11 categories arranged in terms of importance starting with the highest: behavior management; consultation/collaboration; screening/assessment; programming; resources; parents; evaluation, research, and technology; general knowledge; foundation information; theory and knowledge; and field experience/practice. Bullock et al. (1994) concluded that the number of skills and competencies needed by teachers of students with EBD have been gradually increasing over the last 30 years, and that one area of increased emphasis will be on collaboration with other service delivery agencies (e.g., mental health), general educators, and parents. In their review of EBD programs, Grosenick, George, George, and Lewis (1991) iterated the same point, noting that the "lack of communication and collaboration with agencies external to the schools is particularly distressing since many behaviorally disordered students require the services of multiple agencies" (p. 95). Cullinan, Epstein, and Schultz (1986) surveyed directors of residential treatment centers, university teacher preparation directors, and local education agency supervisors of programs for students with EBD, who essentially agreed that behavior management skills and personal/professional characteristics (i.e., fairness, sensitivity, empathy, and persistence) were perhaps the most important areas for teachers of students with EBD. In a similar survey of teachers of students with EBD and teacher trainers, Gable, Hendrickson, Young, and Shokoohi-Yekta (1992) found that skills in behavior management and in conferring or consulting (with students, other teachers, parents, and other agencies) were rated as the most important to effectiveness with students with EBD. …