Roles and Responsibilities of Secondary Special Education Teachers in an Age of Reform

Abstract

Special education teachers in today's workplace must show “competence at teaching everything” (Mastropieri, 2001). They work in different settings, teaching and adapting content across all levels. Added to this complexity are reform efforts that are driving major changes in the entire special education system, including service delivery models and teacher roles. However, without an understanding of teachers' current roles and responsibilities, we cannot know if such recommendations are feasible or how they would change the world of practice. This study surveyed high school special education teachers to investigate their daily work lives. In general, participants taught courses in several different content areas, primarily in self-contained settings. They also held numerous nonteaching roles. All roles and responsibilities were independent of the number of years taught and of teachers' educational backgrounds. Implications for transforming teachers' work lives in an effort to increase student outcomes are discussed.