Intervention in School and Clinic 2015, Vol. 51(2) 71–72 © Hammill Institute on Disabilities 2015 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/1053451215579270 isc.sagepub.com Introduction to Special Issue As teacher preparation programs respond to the call for their graduates to be prepared on Day 1 of teaching, authors in this special issue examine a variety of practices within teacher preparation that can enhance the development of teacher candidates’ knowledge and skills. Although a com- mon refrain in teacher preparation is that teacher educators are being called upon to do more with less, the articles in this special issue challenge readers to consider how the real- ity may be that preparation programs are being charged to do more with more. Teacher educators have more knowl- edge of evidence-based practice, more understanding of the teaching-learning process, more technology, and more data at their disposal than ever before. In the midst of all of this, the challenge becomes one of identifying optimal utiliza- tion and prioritization of these resources. In the first article, Kennedy, Alves, and Rodgers tackle one aspect of the challenge of more. In their article, “Innovations in the Delivery of Content Knowledge in Special Education Teacher Preparation,” they address the tension between the vast amount of content that should be addressed within preparation programs and the limited time available to support candidates’ mastery of that content. Specifically, they explore three practices—interteaching, video-based reflection, and content acquisition podcasts— that have been demonstrated as effective and efficient approaches to support candidate learning. These practices take advantage of new technologies to increase candidate engagement with the content to support acquisition and long-term retention of foundational concepts. Similar to the challenges identified by Kennedy et al. in terms of supporting content knowledge acquisition, chal- lenges in the delivery of effective reading instruction for teacher candidates exist. Mastery of foundational reading concepts, such as phonology and the alphabetic principle and skills in the delivery of effective reading instruction, can be hindered by time constraints, limitations in instructor knowledge, and inadequate practice opportunities. Sayeski, Budin, and Bennett explore promising practices in the delivery of reading instruction in special education teacher preparation. The authors identify six critical concepts for the delivery of reading instruction and link what teacher candidates should know and be able to do related to each of those concepts. Within the context of these critical con- cepts, five specific practices are explored: (a) multimedia instruction, (b) explicit instruction, (c) course and program planning tools, (d) structured tutoring, and (e) case studies and video analysis. The guidelines provided can be used by teacher preparation programs to align course work content and field-based experiences with an outcomes-oriented focus. Moving from reading to mathematics, in the third article in the issue, Powell identifies several, interconnected ele- ments critical for building candidates’ understanding of and pedagogical skills in mathematics. These elements include an understanding of legislation and standards, etiology of difficulty in mathematics, mathematics content, mathemat- ics and special education pedagogy, assessment, preK–12 evidence-based practices, and mathematics-focused field placements. For each element, Powell provides suggestions as to how preparation programs can incorporate the ele- ments within a cohesive program to support the develop- ment of candidate knowledge and skills in mathematics. Teacher educators have long noted the important role that field-based experiences play in the development of teacher candidates. In the fourth article, “The Role of Mentors in Developing and Implementing High-Quality Field-Based Placements,” Paulsen, DaFonte, and Barton- Arwood provide a detailed overview of how one institu- tion provided comprehensive training for mentor teachers and university supervisors in order to improve the quality of the field experiences. The authors detail the sequence of training and provide examples of materials used with 579270ISC XX X 10.1177/1053451215579270Intervention in School and ClinicSayeski research-article 2015 1 University of Georgia, Athens, USA Corresponding Author: Kristin L. Sayeski, PhD, University of Georgia, 517 Aderhold Hall, Athens, GA 30602, USA. Email: ksyaeski@uga.edu Prepared on Day One: Promising Practices in Teacher Preparation Kristin L. Sayeski, PhD 1 at UNIV OF GEORGIA LIBRARIES on October 27, 2015 isc.sagepub.com Downloaded from