Evaluation of Special Education Teacher Candidates through Direct Observations and Self-Report
Evaluation of Special Education Teacher Candidates through Direct Observations and Self-Report
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Karena Cooper-Duffy, David L. Westling, Larry B. Fisher, Alexandra Mathis, Kelly R. Kelley
JAASEP 21(4) (2026) 45-57
Evaluation of the Teacher Rating and Assessment Instrument for Teachers of Students with Significant Disabilities (TRAIT-SD) was used to measure the impact of an educator preparation program for graduate students who were special education teachers of students with significant disabilities who were master’s degree students in a federally funded graduate program participated in this study. Additionally, the correlation of the overall TRAIT-SD scores with the Survey of Practices of Teachers of Students with Significant Disabilities (SPOTS-SD) scores was evaluated. Finally, the interrater agreement between the primary observer and a secondary observer in order to better assure the objectivity of TRAIT-SD observations was evaluated. Results of the ratings on the TRAIT-SD and SPOTS-SD showed significant gains made by the graduate students on teaching skills. Interrater agreement was also examined for 11 of the 44 pre- and post-intervention observations. TRAIT-SD is an instrument that can be used to evaluate the strengths and areas of development for graduate students teaching students with significant disabilities. It can also be used to evaluate the strengths and areas needed for improvement in an educator preparation program for teacher candidates of students with significant disabilities.
Keywords: teacher rating, rating instrument, severe disability.
