The Integrating Scientifically-Based Practices in Reading Education (InSPIRE) Project is designed to provide an opportunity to earn a master's degree in special education with an emphasis on improving literacy skills of students with mild disabilities. This project will serve both to prepare new teachers and to enhance the knowledge and skills of existing teachers. The InSPIRE Project is geared toward practicing special or general education teachers who want to serve their students with mild disabilities more effectively, but the program is flexible enough to accommodate preservice teachers from other fields.

    The program provides comprehensive preparation in the professional standards for special education (CEC, 2001); the essential knowledge of reading teachers (IRA, 2002; Moats, 1999); and inclusion of course content required for certification in the State of Florida. The program will include six semesters of coursework and field experiences, which will be organized and scheduled to meet the needs of full-time professionals in education. The satisfactory completion of the full sequence of courses and field experiences, along with any necessary prerequisites, will lead to a master's or specialist’s degree in special education.

    The primary goal of the project is to produce exemplary special educators who can effectively address the needs of a diverse population of students with mild disabilities. The focus of the program is the development of teacher specialists who can serve either as direct service providers or as consulting teachers. All graduates of the program are expected to become instructional leaders and advocates for students with disabilities in their schools or districts. The program of courses and experiences provides students with both the depth and breadth of knowledge and skills necessary for success in these roles.

    The InSPIRE Project has three fundamental, interrelated themes: Literacy Development, Collaboration and Inclusion, and Evidence-based Instructional Methodology. Throughout the program, students will gain expertise in each of these program themes through extensive coursework and field experiences with students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds.

    Literacy intervention. Intervention in language and literacy is the central theme of Project InSPIRE. Reading problems are the most common area of academic difficulty in schools (Snow, Griffin, & Burns, 1998), and among the population of students with learning disabilities, it is estimated that at least 80-90% experience significant difficulty in reading (Foorman, Fletcher, & Francis, 1999). Most teachers lack the knowledge and skill required to help struggling readers and that most teacher education programs have neglected to prepare teachers to teach reading well (Moats & Lyon, 1996; Moats, 1999). Special expertise is needed to teach literacy skills to students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds (Nieto, 2001). Throughout the program, particular emphasis will be placed on the development of research-based practices in literacy instruction, the improvement of instruction to diverse groups of students, and on bridging the gap between research and practice.

    Collaboration and inclusion. The difficulties in reading that students with mild disabilities experience are both a frequent cause of difficulties in other academic areas and a common reason for students to be pulled out of the general education classroom. Developing expertise in literacy instruction will prepare program participants to help other teachers address reading problems within the regular classroom, promoting collaboration and teaming. Collaboration is an essential component of effective inclusion (Mastropieri & Scruggs, 2000) and is particularly important in rural areas, where many teachers may be isolated from new developments in special education.

    Systematic development of skills in effective collaboration will increase the likelihood that project participants will engage in collaborative activities upon program completion and become advocates for school improvement, particularly within rural communities (Walther-Thomas, Korinek, McLaughlin, & Williams, 2000). Learning how to be a productive and collaborative team member promotes the effectiveness of the team (Thomas, Correa, & Morsink, 1995). The development of teaming skills will be emphasized through all field experiences and through several courses.

    Evidence-based instructional methodology. The recent national emphasis on accountability in education has led to a focus in teacher education program development on evidence-based instructional practices (National Reading Panel, 2000; No Child Left Behind, 2002). To promote the likelihood that program participants will adopt and implement evidence-based instructional practices in their classrooms, we must systematically address the barriers to implementation. Teacher beliefs have a profound impact on instructional practice (Richardson, 1996; Schumm, Vaughn, Gordon, & Rothlein, 1994). Meaningful and lasting changes in classroom practices can only occur through careful consideration of teachers’ pre-existing beliefs. The program’s emphasis on the application of research-based practices will challenge participants to examine their own beliefs and practices in light of sound research. Teachers’ understanding about what sound research looks like is essential for bridging the gap between research and practice (Carnine, 1997). Courses will include consideration of what constitutes good research, critical examination of research related to instructional methods and materials, opportunities to conduct classroom-based action research with students in high-poverty or diverse settings, and opportunities to participate with faculty on intervention research projects. These experiences are designed to enhance the practitioner’s respect for and reliance on sound educational research and to develop expertise in classroom inquiry and action research.