To create a true profession of special education, as distinct from a loose confederation of educators of various exceptionalities, has been the dream of leaders in the special education field. While a few colleges and universities endeavor to fashion a preparation program for teachers which cuts across traditional handicapping areas, a method is proposed through the preparation of special education administrators, rather than administrators of any one exceptionality area. Based upon a baccalaureate program outside the special education field and a master's degree stressing teaching experience in one area of exceptionality, the suggested minimum program of preparation for administrators in special education is three years of successful teaching experience and 30 graduate semester hours beyond the master's degree. The doctorate in administration of special education remains the most desirable goal.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.