Assessing Demand for Special Education Faculty in Higher Education: A Pilot Study and a Prototype for a National Registry

Abstract

Supply and demand for special education faculty in institutions of higher education has been an issue of national concern for more than a decade, following efforts to terminate support programs for doctoral study. One organization, the Higher Education Consortium for Special Education (HECSE), and a limited number of investigators have reached reasonable conclusions: there is a critical need to train additional doctoral-level personnel; the existing problem is, in part, a reflection of the greying of the American professoriate, and, a host of other possible factors such as salary, career choice, and instability in American higher education. This study was initiated to accomplish two objectives. First, we tested the feasibility of our approach as the basis for a national study. Knowing that the universe of special education teacher certification programs is small and the universe of programs that train doctoral level personnel is even smaller, it was believed that such a national effort was feasible. Second, an attempt was made to gather basic demographic information on the universe of faculty in Pennsylvania colleges and universities that offer teacher certification in special education. Knowing that a significant number of those special education faculty might be approaching retirement age, we attempted to learn the retirement plans of those who were age 55 and older. The outcomes of the study are described and the magnitude of the problem in one state, Pennsylvania, is emphasized. Strategies for obtaining more information are suggested, including the establishment of a national registry of doctoral-level special education personnel. Broader issues such as the values, economics, and rewards of careers in higher education are discussed. We conclude with a request for serious consideration of novel solutions to the imminent problem of a potential national shortage of special education faculty.