Abstract: This article contains theoretical and practical material dedicated to one of the most pressing issues of higher special (defectological) education – the quality of preparation of young specialists for working in schools with impaired children, which defines the subject of this research. The author examines the practice-oriented approach towards university education of students majoring in defectology as one of the ways to improve the quality of professional training, which implies the expansion of cooperation of higher education institutions with public education organizations, integration of available resources for the development of professional competencies of future defectologists. Such collaboration increase the level of competence of students majoring in defectology in accordance with the modern practical standards, as well as helps to prepare a motivated young specialist, who is eager to solve the problems of modern education system in the future. The novelty of this research consists in the analysis and summary of the experience of cooperation between the higher education institution and educational organization adapted for students with impairments in the area of preparing future defectologists. The author reveals the potential and forms of such interaction, its impact upon the formation of professional competencies of special pedagogical staff. The following conclusions were made: constructive cooperation between the higher education institution and the school, joint solution of the tasks on preparing future defectologists within the framework of a practice-oriented approach should be carried out in different directions, such as organization of different types of practice, attraction of students and pedagogical staff  to research activity, analysis and summary of scientific-practical and scientific-methodological experience of educational organizations.