This paper examines in-service school leaders' perceptions regarding the degree to which their administrator preparation program addressed necessary skills and knowledge to effectively work with educators of children in special education and gifted programs. Principals from a large metropolitan district were surveyed. Findings indicate some dissonance between what educational leadership preparation programs and school districts are providing future school leaders and the on-the-job demands for school administrators. Results are provided along with suggestions for future research.

Educating secondary students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) is often an overwhelming task that places high demands on teachers. Existing research on effective social-emotional/behavioral and academic interventions for students with EBD is limited but expanding. Unfortunately, school and life outcomes for these students are dismal compared to other students. Certainly, there is much to learn about achieving positive outcomes for students with EBD. This article examines the potential role that caring teacher—student relationships have in achieving better outcomes for students with EBD within their current educational contexts. A rationale for why developing caring teacher—student relationships is important to improved outcomes for students with EBD is presented based on the current literature on caring teacher—student relationships. Potential barriers are delineated, followed by a summary of practices that serve as starting points for developing caring relationships between teachers and students with EBD. Last, research implications are suggested.

Code switching includes the use ofcomplete sentences, phrases, and borrowed words .from another language (Brice & Brice, 2000). It is a common linguistic phenomenon noted among bilingualpopulations. In order to code switch effectively, students must possessa high level ofunderstanding ofthe 2 cultures, as well as a deep understanding ofthe underlying structures and purposes of2language systems. Code switching, rather than reflecting the traditional view ofa disadvantaged and semiliterate background, actually reflects an intellectual advantage. However, code switching has not commonly been perceived as a positive trait by schools, teachers, or the majority culture. Assessmentsfor nomination and identification ofgiftedness have traditionally been either single-language oriented or use concepts and behaviors that are reflective ofthe majority culture. This article explores some ofthe aspects ofcode switching and possible resultant behaviors ofbilingual children who are gifted.

Teacher preparation has been under intense scrutiny in recent years. In order for preparation of special education teacher candidates to remain viable, candidate assessment practices must apply practices identified in the extant literature base, while special education teacher education researchers must extend this base with rigorous efforts to link preservice candidate assessment of knowledge, skills, and dispositions, to authentic experiences in the field, in-service professional practice, and student achievement. The authors review prior research on special education candidate assessment from 2000 to the present in three primary domains: skills and knowledge related to academics, behavior, collaboration, and transition; dispositional factors, including attitudes about disability, inclusion, and diversity; and authentic, field-based assessments, including measures of candidates’ impact on students and their induction experiences. Implications for policy and practice are provided.

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