Special Education Program at Princess Nourah University: Evaluation of Program Alignment with the Standards of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)

The research is financed by Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University in Saudi Arabia. Abstract This study evaluated the extent to which the special education program in the College of Education at Princess Nourah University (PNU) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia aligns with the standards of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). The research utilized a mixed-method approach to examine the preparedness of pre-service special educators currently enrolled in their last year of the special education program. Surveys were used to explore the perceptions of five hundred pre-service teachers of their teacher preparation program as related to the seven standards from CEC’s initial special educator preparation standards.


Introduction
The roles and responsibilities of in-service teachers in special education can be overwhelming. They are responsible to work with many individuals with a range of abilities, plan and differentiate instructions in addition to managing students' documentation and paperwork. Therefore, teacher preparation programs must be wellequipped with strong standards to prepare pre-service teachers (those training to be teachers) in special education. Needless to say, strong preparation programs for pre-service teachers can eliminate many difficulties that future teachers in special education may face. Aldabas (2015) stated that in Saudi Arabia, special education is not part of the curriculum required for the teacher education programs for general education pre-service teachers. Aldabas further added that to have a strong special education program in the schools, teachers must have strong knowledge and skills to provide high quality education to students with special needs.
The aim of this study was to evaluate pre-service special education program in preparing pre-service teachers to work with individuals with disabilities. The researchers identified the following questions to evaluate the program at PNU: 1. What are the pre-service special education teachers' perceptions of the teacher preparation program in the college of education at Princess Norah University in Saudi Arabia? 2. What are the strengths, opportunities for growth and recommended changes for the current pre-service special education program at PNU?

Literature Review
Numerous studies discussed the characteristics and elements of successful pre-service special education programs. Brownell et al. (2005) identified seven common practices found in effective education preparation programs. These practices include 1) designing comprehensive coursework for pre-service teachers, 2) teaching special education policies and theories to help pre-service teachers establish a strong background in special education, 3) requiring intensive filed experience to enhance pre-service skills, 4) linking theories to practicum to reduce the gap that preservice teachers face during their filed experience, 5) providing extensive training to faculty members to work with pre-service teachers from different backgrounds,6) training pre-service teachers to better communicate with their mentors and future students, 7) emphasizing the importance of collaboration among faculty members, preservice, and in-service teachers. Mason-William, Frederick, and Mulcahy (2014) stated that one of the most importance factors in designing special education programs is to maximize the ability of pre-service special educators for doing research. They must have a wide-range of knowledge regarding interventions and be able to design a usable intervention based on evidence-based practices. These knowledge and skills must be integrated throughout a well-designed preparation program. The program should provide opportunities for pre-service special educators to become familiar with research findings, link the results with evidence-based practices, and implement these practices into their own teaching practices. All recommendations from Mason-William et al. (2014) are aligned with the CEC standards, ensuring special education programs provide extensive and rich practical field experiences based in best-practice. Brownell et al. (2005) reviewed special education programs in fifty-two institutions in the US to determine critical features of effective programs, to identify the critical factors of special education teacher preparation at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The researchers found there is limited research in the field of pre-service preparation in the US when compared with other fields. They suggested improving the quality of preparation programs for beginning special education teachers by including comprehensive and intensive field experiences linked with the acquisition of content knowledge.

Special education teacher preparation in Saudi Arabia:
Teacher preparation programs are tasked with preparing special educators for a range of education settings, and strong special education program can have a considerable impact on the quality of pre-service special educators. Currently, in Saudi Arabia, the field of special education is developing. A well-planned special education program significantly increased the quality of pre-service special educators (Al-Hiary, Almakanin and Tabbal, 2015). Needless to say, strong preparation programs for pre-service teachers can eliminate many difficulties that future teachers in special education may face.
Aldabas (2015) stated that in Saudi Arabia, special education is not part of the curriculum required for the teacher education programs for general education pre-service teachers. Aldabas further added that to have a strong special education program in the schools, teachers must have strong knowledge and skills to provide high quality education to students with special needs. Murry and Alqahtani (2015) conducted a study that examined the knowledge of 52 pre-service teachers who graduated from major Saudi Arabian universities regarding special education laws and ethics, and how this knowledge maximized their skills in providing high quality services for individuals with disabilities. Results indicated that pre-service teachers did not have adequate knowledge of the laws and practices in special education, however, they strongly believed in the rights of individuals with disabilities, and wished to receive more training in special education. It is imperative to design high quality teacher preparation programs in special education to fill the existing gap in education and prepare competent future educators.

Method
This study utilized a mixed-method sequential design. It is conducted in two phases with the emphasis being on the first quantitative phase, followed by a second qualitative phase. Integration of the quantitative and qualitative findings occurs during a third integration phase. According to Creswell, (2008) mixed methods using quantitative and qualitative data provide in-depth information regarding the problem or topic being studied.

Participants
The sample consisted of 500 pre-service special education teachers in the special education program at PNU in the last semester of the program and enrolled in a practicum course which included a panel discussion focused on autism and behavioral disorders. A follow-up group interview was held with four pre-service teachers and four inservice teachers who graduated from, or were currently enrolled in the special education program at PNU. The inservice teachers graduated within six months of the start of the study.

Data collection and procedures
The first phase used a questionnaire to collect data from pre-service special education teachers which was administered via Qualtrics, an online software tool. A link to the questionnaire was sent to participants following approval from the Institutional Review Board governing research with Human Subjects. The delivery of the survey followed Dillman's recommendations for survey research. A link to the survey was distributed and kept open for six weeks. Weekly email reminders were sent to all non-responders.
In the second phase of the study, group interviews were used to investigate the strengths and opportunities for growth in the autism and behavioral disorder track in the special education program at PNU. Questions also addressed the program's alignment with the seven standards for beginning special education teachers from the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). The first author organized and conducted two group interviews using an interview guide developed from the quantitative findings in this study. Four participants were randomly selected from in-service special education teachers who graduated from the special education program in the College of Education at PNU within the last year, and four pre-service teachers currently enrolled in their last semester in the special education program at PNU. Prior to the start of the group interview, participants were asked to complete a demographic sheet to collect data such as age, job title, experience, work place education and training.

Data Analysis
Quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS. Ordinal data was analyzed using frequencies and interval data was analyzed for means and standard deviations. Confidence intervals were also estimated for means to responses using the formula presented in Table 1. The range is calculated, where it equals 5-1 = 4. The length of the interval was then calculated by dividing the range by the number of categories (options), then 4/ 5 = 0.80· the first category of arithmetical values is: 1 to 1+0.80. Thus, for the rest of the values of the arithmetic mean, the following table shows the method of interpreting the values of the arithmetic mean: Very high The sample response was analyzed through calculating the frequency rate for each response to the total sample.
Using both qualitative and quantitative methods allowed for more in-depth information about perceptions, insights, attitudes, experiences, and beliefs of pre-service and in-service special education teachers regarding their program of study in special education program at PNU in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Results
To answer the first question "What are the pre-service special education teachers' perceptions of the teacher preparation program in the college of education at Princess Norah University in Saudi Arabia?, the arithmetic mean and standard deviation of the pre-service Special Education teachers' responses to each item of the first domain were calculated. Table 2 shows the rankings that were arranged due to the mean of the sample response on each standard and its standard deviation. Specifically, the data represents the effectiveness of Special Education Program of PNU in preparing female teachers to work with students with behavioral disorders and autism spectrum disorders. The mean of pre-service special education teachers' perceptions of their degree to which the program prepared them for each of the seven standards were all high and ranged from 3.48 to 3.94. Pre-service teachers' responses indicated that Standard 1 "Learner Development and Individual Learning Differences" was ranked first, with an arithmetic mean of (3.94), representing a high degree of satisfaction with their preparation. Ranked second was Standard 6 "Professional Learning and Ethical Practice" with an arithmetic mean of (3.91) (high). Next, Standard 7 "Collaboration" was ranked third with an arithmetic mean of (3.65). Standard 2 "Learning Environments" was ranked last with an arithmetic mean of (3.48) (high).

Focus Area One: Learner and Learning
Ratings of effectiveness related to standard one by element. To identify the highest-ranking elements in the special education teacher preparation program at PNU, the arithmetic mean and standard deviation of pre-service special education teachers' responses to each item comprising the seven standards of CEC were calculated.   Table 3 reports a high level of perceived effectiveness (mean rating of 3.94) of the Special Education Program in the College of Education at PNU in preparing the female special education teachers to work with the students with behavioral disorders and autism spectrum disorders on Standard 1. The program was rated as most effective in preparing teachers to "clarify similarities and differences between the students with special needs and the normal" with a mean rating of 4.12 indicating a very high degree of satisfaction. Ratings of effectiveness related to standard two by element. Table 4 represents pre-service teachers' ratings of satisfaction with their preparation related to the elements associated with Standard 2: Learning Environments. Table 4 Pre-service Special Education Teachers' Responses to the Elements of Standard 2: Learning Environments Data in table 4 provides pre-service teachers' ratings of the effectiveness of their preparation at PNU to work with the students with behavioral disorders and autism related to the elements of Standard 2. All were rated with a high degree of satisfaction with the exception of "acquiring the basics of dealing with a group of the different cultural classes". Results indicated a medium degree of satisfaction (mean of 3.31). The element rated most effective was "understanding the methods of designing learning environments that accomplish emotional and psychological security for students with behavioral disorders and autism" which achieved a mean of (3.63).

No. Element
Arithmetic Mean   Table 5 shows the effectiveness of Special Education Program, College of Education, PNU in preparing the female teachers of special education to work with the students with behavioral disorders and autism on "Curricular Knowledge Content" and its items with a high degree. Its most effective sub-standard was "illustrating the systems and ethical principles of implementing behavior management" with a mean of (3.61), while its least effective one was "Identifying the technological means that contribute to planning, management of the educational process, and educational environment" with a mean of (3.44).  Table 6 shows the effectiveness of Special Education Program, College of Education, PNU in preparing the female teachers of special education to work with the students with behavioral disorders and autism on "Assessment" and its items with a high degree, except for "introducing the way of merging emotional, social, and life skills with curricula". It was indicated that it was effective with a mean of (3.23). Its most effective substandard was "Introducing the basic theories and philosophies of developing curricula and educational practices for the students with behavioral disorders and autism".

Focus Area Two: Learner and Learning Content Knowledge and Professional Foundations
Research on Humanities and Social Sciences www.iiste.org ISSN 2224-5766 (Paper) ISSN 2225-0484 (Online) Vol.10, No.14, 2020 Table 7 Pre-service special education teachers' responses to the items of standard 5: Instructional Planning and Strategies Table 7 shows the pre-service special education teachers' perceptions of the teacher preparation program in the college of education at Princess Norah University in Saudi Arabia on "Instructional Planning and Strategies" and its items with a high degree. Its most effective sub-standard was "Acquiring different methods and strategies to modify behavior" that achieved a mean of (3.95), while its least effective one was "adopting appropriate strategies to facilitate inclusion in the different environments" with a mean of (3.41).  Table 8 shows the effectiveness of Special Education Program, College of Education, PNU in preparing the female teachers of special education to work with the students with behavioral disorders and autism on "Professional Learning and Ethical Practice" and its items with a high degree. While "Acquiring the ethical and professional values of the teacher of students with behavioral disorders and autism" was ranked first with a mean of (4.06), the least effective sub-standard was "Introducing the rules and regulations regarding behavioral disorders and autism" with a mean of (3.71).

No. Standard
Arithmetic Mean   Table 9 shows the pre-service special education teachers' perceptions of the teacher preparation program in the college of education at Princess Norah University in Saudi Arabia on "Collaboration" and its items with a high degree. While "Acquiring the skills of collaboration with the family and society to serve students with behavioral disorders and autism" was ranked the most effective with a mean of (3.83), the least effective was "Introducing the organizations and services related to students with behavioral disorders and autism".
What are the strengths and weaknesses for growth and recommended changes for the current pre-service special education program at PNU?

Discussion and Recommendations
Teachers in the field of special education require extensive knowledge and skills in order to successfully work with individuals with disabilities. As such, teacher educators who prepare special education teachers who will be working with individuals with disabilities need to have specific preparation to meet their students' unique needs (Barnhill, Polloway, & Sumutka, 2010). The CEC standards were created based on studies conducted over the past twelve years to determine the essential knowledge and skills required for highly qualified pre-service special educators (CEC, 2014). Research has identified the benefits of quality special education teacher preparation programs. Tillman, Richards, and Frank (2011) examined special educators' preparedness and identified areas of focus for program improvement to address weaknesses. The study used a mixed method approach involving 20 pre-service special educators, 20 cooperating teachers, and four university faculty members. Data collection involved observations and surveys completed by cooperating teachers; observations completed by university supervisors and authors' responses to feedback. Finally, pre-service special educators responded to forms and assessments which were part of the teacher preparation course work. Results indicated that two cooperating teachers reported negative feedback, regarding university supervisor and they reported that faculty supervisor should provide effective feedback and guidance to improve pre-service educators' skills and abilities (Tillman et al., 2011). The findings of this study revealed that the special education program at PNU has significant strengths as well as areas of deficient. The most significant strengths of the Program that were 1) availability of field training, 2) collaboration of the female faculty with pre-service special education teachers, 3) various learning strategies and methods; while the most significant weaknesses that the result highlighted are 1) repeating some topics and content, 2) absence of training on treating children with behavioral disorder, 3) lack of field observation. More studies are needed to examine the quality of teacher preparation programs and focused on the preparation of special education teachers. Such studies are limited due to a lack of interest by researchers. Many of the current studies in special education, focus on teachers' satisfaction, attitudes, and perceptions. However, research should also be focused on the creation of effective special education teacher preparation programming (Saqr & Tennant, 2016).
Recommendations for educational institutions include: (1) examine special education programs periodically based on the CEC standards. (2), require program faculty to submit ongoing assessment data for national and international accreditation. (3) provide training field supervision for pre-service teachers.
Currently, in Saudi Arabia the field of special education is evolving and growing in knowledge and skills. Therefore, more studies are needed to evaluate the alignment of special education programs in higher education