Shortage Of Special Education Teachers Research Articles

What Do Rural Special Education Teachers Say? Examining the Reported Needs and Recommendations for Retention

Chronic special education teacher (SET) shortages are a national concern and particularly problematic in rural school districts. That is, rural districts face challenges when it comes to hiring and retaining qualified SETs. To understand the contributing factors related to retention and attrition, it is essential to gain insight from rural SETs first-hand. The purpose of this study was to listen to and learn from current and former rural SETs and gain insight on their needs and how they believe retention can be improved in geographically isolated areas. Including the voices of current rural SETs and those who chose to leave their position shed light on the benefits of being employed in rural areas while bringing attention to current issues that need to be addressed to improve SET retention. Using a qualitative descriptive research design, we analyzed open-ended survey responses from 185 participants. In all, a total of six themes and 11 subthemes emerged. Findings highlight the needs of rural SETs, and corresponding recommendations for administrators and school leaders in rural communities are offered.

Results of a Competency-Based Approach to Prepare General Educators to Effectively Include Students with Disabilities

Research has shown that general educators may lack the competencies to effectively include students with disabilities, thus widening the gaps in outcomes between students with disabilities and their peers. In this study, we outline the development and implementation of a competency-based continuing education program, designed to equip general educators to effectively include students with disabilities (SWDs) and earn special education certification. This paper presents the results of a program evaluation conducted using both validated measures and author-developed instruments. Participants included general education teachers, instructional coaches, and those in similar roles. Results indicated that participants significantly increased their knowledge of professional standards, demonstrated knowledge in high-leverage practices, and showed high levels of self-efficacy to implement inclusive practices. We discuss these results, emphasizing the timeliness of this nontraditional approach and its implications for teacher preparation, research, and policy amid the troubling national special education teacher shortage. Namely, this approach epitomizes a model that allows leaders to strategically utilize their existing workforce to address vacancies in special education and emphasizes that the responsibility to support SWDs rests squarely upon all educators.

Increasing Teacher Retention and Supporting Students With Low-Incidence Disabilities Through University Partnership

The shortage of teachers is amplified in rural areas where educators work with students with low-incidence disabilities (LID; visual or hearing impairment; significant cognitive impairment; any impairment for which a small number of personnel with highly specialized skills and knowledge are needed for children to receive early intervention services). This scarcity is closely linked to the lack of accessible knowledge for these teachers. Both a high attrition rate and lack of expertise negatively affect the educational outcomes of students with LID. We propose school–university partnerships (SUPs) to alleviate these challenges. This position paper presents the critical elements of a comprehensive SUP by synthesizing programs reported in the literature, including the following elements (a) instructional, assessment, and online resources; (b) mentorship; and (c) professional development. We specifically identify how these elements can improve outcomes of students with LID and alleviate the rural special education teacher shortage. Finally, we discuss the implications of this proposed SUP and implications for practices, policy, and research.

Telos of Special Education for Students with Severe Disabilities

ABSTRACT We overview several key issues of the past, present, and near future of special education for students with severe disabilities. We contextualize the Telos of special education by briefly remarking on its historical roots in the United States, then delve into several issues we believe are critical for advancing toward better outcomes for students with severe disabilities, including the increasingly alarming shortage of special education teachers and short-sighted responses to address it. We also discuss issues related to curricular decisions, and the apparent tension between access to general education (i.e. academic) curriculum and teaching other life altering repertoires for students with severe disabilities. Attention also is given to the evidence-based practices movement in special education, including the apparent rigidity of intervention protocols and slow advances toward clarifying for whom and under what conditions an intervention is effective. Our intention is to generate discussion about and interest in areas where consensus among stakeholders appears feasible such that policy and law can be influenced in ways that advance toward realizing the Telos of special education for students with severe disabilities.

The Challenges that Special Education School Principals Face: The Case of Türkiye

This article addresses the challenges that special education school principals face in Türkiye. The literature indicated that there are a variety of challenges that impact school principals and school management. Most of these challenges were based on school personnel. Shortage and attrition of Special Education (SPED) teachers, lack of teaching and knowledge on teaching students with disabilities, some work-related challenges, and lack of collaboration and advocacy among school staff were the challenges indicated in the literature. There are few Turkish studies that explore the challenges that SPED school administrators face. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore what challenges Turkish SE school principals face and whether these challenges are different from those reported in the literature. A semi-structured interview was conducted with 12 school principals. The results of this study indicated that some challenges that Turkish SPED principals have been facing were consistent with the literature, while others were not indicated in the literature. Implications for practice and directions for future research are presented.

Creating New Pathways into the Special Education Teaching Profession: An Introduction from the Guest Editor

An introduction to the second issue of JOSEP's special issue on special education teacher shortages.

Increasing Enrollment and Diversity in Special Education Preparation Through Grow Your Own Programs

Although the teacher education shortage is at an all-time high across the United States, particularly in the field of Special Education, an innovative, multitiered approach can help colleges and universities address this scarcity. Teacher preparation programs can bolster their recruitment, training, and delivery of high-quality special educators while also focusing on diversifying the special education teacher workforce. This paper will present a step-by-step approach to address the special education teacher shortage through a Grow Your Own Model. Using this approach as a blueprint for success, systems of higher education can help address the current special education teacher shortage crisis.

Leveraging the Paraeducator-to-Teacher Pipeline to Attract and Prepare Special Education Teachers

The well-documented special education teacher shortage in the U.S. has significant negative consequences for students with disabilities who require specially designed instruction from special education teachers. To address this shortage, special education teacher preparation programs should explore innovative approaches to recruiting and training future special education teachers. One such approach is the paraeducator-to-teacher (PTT) pipeline in which paraeducators complete preservice coursework and on-the-job training to earn their special education certification. In this article, we present two PTT pipelines that exist within one special education teacher preparation program. First, we review the literature on PTT pipelines and their efficacy in building the field. Next, we provide an overview of the special education teacher preparation program of interest and its state context, followed by descriptions of the program’s two PTT pipelines. We then discuss the levers that support implementation of each PTT pipeline. Finally, we present considerations for special education teacher preparation programs to ensure PTT pipelines expand the special education teaching workforce with well-prepared, high-quality special education teachers equipped to support students with disabilities.

Alternative Route Programs Within Special Education Teacher Preparation: A Systematic Literature Review

In the United States, there exists a chronic shortage of qualified special education teachers to provide instructional services to students with disabilities. One policy solution developed to increase the number of qualified teachers is “alternative routes,” which are broadly defined as nontraditional and accelerated preparation paths to obtain a teaching license. In this systematic literature review, the authors synthesize empirical studies from 2005 to 2021, examining factors associated with alternative route programs specific to special education. First, an economic framework for the special education workforce is established. This is followed by a descriptive summary of alternative route research nested within the broader teacher labor markets. Then, a systematic literature search on alternative routes for special education teachers is analyzed. The authors found that most studies examined the role of teacher preparation cost (e.g., cost-effectiveness, federal spending), human capital (e.g., recruitment of culturally diverse teachers, location-specific capital), and program design (e.g., collaboration between stakeholders, technology). Furthermore, studies largely investigated alternative route program characteristics affiliated with institutions of higher education. The majority of researchers employed quantitative methods to analyze secondary state or survey data, while two studies used qualitative methods, and two utilized mixed methods. Implications for future research and policy recommendations needed within the recruitment and preparation of special education teachers are discussed.

The Nationwide Trends and Preparation Requirements of Alternative Route Programs in Special Education

In the United States, there exists a chronic shortage of qualified special education teachers to provide instructional services to students with disabilities. One policy solution developed to increase the number of qualified teachers is alternative routes (ARs), which are broadly defined as nontraditional and accelerated preparation paths to obtain a teaching license. In this longitudinal descriptive study, we investigate (a) the national trends of special education teacher enrollment and completion in AR programs from 2012 to 2020 and (b) the special education teacher preparation requirements in state alternative pathways that are disaggregated by their affiliation with institutions of higher education. Findings reveal that AR programs preparing special education teachers are on the rise within the United States, but they vary significantly on their preparation requirements. Implications for future research and policy recommendations needed within the recruitment and preparation of special education teachers will be discussed.

Strengthening Existing Pathways in Special Education Teacher Preparation: An Introduction from the Guest Editor

An introduction to this special issue of JOSEP on the special education teacher shortage.

Forging Partnerships to Address Teacher Shortages in Rural Settings: Engaging Key Players

Discussing the topic of special education teacher shortages across the United States has become commonplace. Although more widespread, special education teacher shortages in rural areas have gained less attention. Teachers in these areas face unique challenges such as overcoming geographic barriers to providing high-quality services, the isolation endemic to rural poverty, and having limited access to resources in schools. Additionally, students with disabilities living in rural areas are more likely to be supported by teachers who are ill-prepared, lack experience, and/or fail to possess the qualifications necessary to meet diverse learning needs. Addressing these challenges requires innovative partnerships between national, state, and university personnel to create systemic change to recruit and retain special educators. The purpose of this article is to describe a partnership between The Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform (CEEDAR) Center, the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE), Education Preparation Programs (EPPs), including Delta State University, and a cross-section of special education directors in the Mississippi Delta and other regions that utilized The Educator Shortages in Special Education Toolkit (Hayes et al., 2019) as a guide, which resulted in the development of the Special Educator Mentoring Framework. This article will explore the Special Educator Mentoring Framework that engaged stakeholders in purposeful activities through the four-step cyclical process to plan, design, implement, and evaluate efforts to address the special educator shortages in rural regions of Mississippi. This unique collaboration highlights promising practices to promote special education teacher preparation and strengthen teaching practice.

Ameliorating the Special Education Teacher Crisis: Systems Thinking and Innovative Approaches

Chronic and pervasive special education teacher (SET) shortages have interfered with state, district, and school efforts to recruit and retain effective teachers for students with disabilities. Unfortunately, these shortages have worsened post-pandemic due to early retirements, low unemployment rates, and career changes. The purpose of this article is to provide a systems thinking (ST) framework to help stakeholders consider the complex and interacting systems in which these shortages occur (i.e., teacher preparation, district and schools, society). We consider specific elements within these systems, their interconnections, with a focus on identifying steps and ideas stakeholders can use to understand contributors to the shortage crisis, while providing strategies and innovative ideas for greater sustainability. We also offer real examples of ST solutions used within teacher education programs, schools, and other professions. To further bolster ST, we conclude with examples of innovations outside of education with ideas to bridge these concepts into potential pathways to address SET shortages.

The Impact of a School-University Partnership Model on Preservice Teacher Outcomes: Developing Future Special Educators

ABSTRACT Solutions for the special education teacher shortage typically focus on the retention of inservice teachers. A different approach starts earlier, focusing on preservice teachers who are developing their skillsets and determining their field of interest. Using Social Cognitive Career Theory as a framework, we examined preservice teachers’ special education career-related outcomes. In this pilot study, we evaluated the effect of a school-university partnership compared to a typical introduction to special education course. Using a quasi-experimental design, 77 participants completed pre- and post-measures on their special education: (a) perceived knowledge and comfort, (b) teaching efficacy, (c) career outcome expectations, (d) interest, and (e) career intentions. Results of paired t-tests showed that participants in both groups improved significantly in their perceived special education knowledge, confidence, and self-efficacy, with larger effect sizes for the partnership group. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) showed higher posttest scores in special education self-efficacy, interest, and intentions for those in the partnership group. Themes from participants’ open-ended responses mirrored quantitative findings. Implications from this pilot study for research, practice, and policy are discussed.

Migration of Special Education Teachers: A Phenomenological Study

The trend of special education in the Philippines is the migration of special education (SpEd) teachers to find better living in the United States. Currently, there is a shortage of special education teachers in the U.S. Personnel shortages are the result of recruitment and retention challenges which includes poor working conditions (excessive paperwork, unmanageable caseloads, inadequate support, professional isolation) leading to professional leaving special education, insufficient funding, fewer qualified faculty and increasing education costs, and limited supply of qualified personnel. The increasing number of Filipino special education teacher is startling. Using qualitative phenomenological approach, the researcher extracted the lived experiences of SpEd teachers to explore their migration narratives.

Trends in the Potential Supply of New Special Educators

ABSTRACT Special education teacher shortages result in unqualified teachers working with students who have disabilities. Past research has focused on national shortages and the number of special education teachers in schools, but fewer studies have examined the number of new special education program completers, an important aspect of the potential special educator pipeline. In this study, we used publicly available data to examine long- and short-term trends in the number of program completers, if these trends were related to the number of students with disabilities over time, and if trends varied by state. Using graphs and multilevel modeling, we found that trends in the special education teacher pipeline varied dramatically by state, that national averages might be substantially influenced by large states, and that trends in recent years suggest a decline in special education program completers. We discuss the implications of these findings for ensuring that all students with disabilities have access to teachers with special education training.

Factors Influential to Teacher Candidates’ Decision to Pursue Special Education Careers

The purpose of this study was to examine undergraduate students’ reasons they would or would not choose to major in special education. Given the chronic shortage of special education teachers, it is essential to understand the variables that may influence an undergraduate student to choose a career in special education so that recruitment strategies can be effectively developed. The results from 121 survey respondents indicated that most students decided to pursue a career in special education in high school, or college, to make a difference in the lives of K-12 students. In addition, those individuals who chose to pursue a career in special education had previous experience with individuals with disabilities.

Developing the Knowledge and Mentoring Skills of Future Special Education Leaders

To curb the negative impact that rural Hawaii’s qualified special education teacher (SET) shortage has on students with disabilities, a professional development (PD) course was developed to examine the effect the program had on mentoring beginning SETs. Course programming was aligned to SET preparation coursework, targeted at the ongoing PD needs of beginning rural SETs, in addition to being grounded in the literature on special education teacher retention and Tichy’s (1983) Technical, Political, and Cultural Dynamics Theory. Seven licensed educators and their mentees participated in the course. Data were collected using surveys, knowledge assessment, culminating reflections, and course evaluations. Participants were satisfied with the course and found mentoring and instructional practices beneficial. The course had a positive impact on the overall knowledge of participants. Nearly all mentees discussed that coaching helped them grow as a teacher and resulted in lessons where students were more successful. Implications for practice are discussed.

Workforce Outcomes of Program Completers in High-Needs Endorsement Areas

Purpose: For decades, federal and state agencies have identified teacher shortages in high-needs endorsement areas (HNEAs), including science, mathematics, and special education, as a critical prob...

Choosing a career in special education

AbstractOver the past three decades, the severe shortage of special education teachers has continued to pose a significant challenge for schools in several countries. This study investigated factors that influence an individual’s decision to choose a career in special education. Understanding more about the experiences of those entering the field of special education provides insight to assist in recruiting individuals to meet this demand. Nineteen graduate students enrolled in a university’s special education program in the United States completed a survey and participated in semi‐structured interviews to examine factors that contributed towards their decision to choose a career in special education. Seven factors were identified: experiences with individuals with disabilities, degree program/career goals, a preference for special education, a desire to be an advocate, influence from others, other educational experiences, and personal reasons. In addition, the participants provided recommendations for teacher preparation programs to effectively recruit special education teachers. The recommendations included providing more information to others about what special education teachers do and the impact they make, and providing more exposure to individuals with disabilities.