米国の特殊教育におけるプロフェッショナル・スタンダードの成立過程

―1960年代の特殊児童協会を中心に―

抄録

  This paper, focusing on the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) in the 1960s, reveals that educators of exceptional children in the U.S. established their own professional standards in search for professional autonomy. This shows that in the U.S. the establishment of the professional standards in special education went through a different process from that in regular education.

  In examining the development process of the Professional Standards for Personnel in the Education of Exceptional Children：Professional Standards Project Report (PS-1966), this study discusses three research questions. 1) How did the situation of special education in the 1960s affect the development of the PS-1966? 2) On what was the PS-1966 based? 3) How did the CEC establish their professional autonomy?

  First, in the 1960s, the CEC had the awareness that if professional standards for educators of exceptional children were adapted to those for all teachers, the professional autonomy of the former would not have been developed. In addition, from the point of view of accreditation, guaranteeing the quality of preparation for special education teachers was in a difficult situation. Dealing with these issues prompted the CEC to develop their professional standards. Second, the PS-1966 was developed on the basis of “competencies”, which were supposed to be formed from knowledge, and on the concept that professionals were responsible for their own professional growth. Third, the CEC established its professional autonomy by developing their professional standards for educators on its own, which meant that professionals were to set their high standards, discipline themselves, and criticize itself.

  In conclusion, it is significant to recognize the following. First, the PS-1966 had a structure that allowed the professional community, including students, teachers, administrators, supervisors, teacher educators, and researchers, to ensure the growth of educators of exceptional children. Next, the CEC showed that it was an autonomous organization continuing to seek the professional improvement of educators of exceptional children. Finally, the establishment of professional standards in special education in the 1960s is early in terms of the education history.