The need for special education teachers from culturally and/or linguistically diverse (CLD) backgrounds has become a national concern. The majority of school districts nationwide list the recruitment and retention of teachers from diverse backgrounds as a priority. Many cite difficulties with finding adequate personnel, a problem that is complicated by current special education teacher shortages. The authors of this article synthesize research findings on the current demographics of diverse teachers and the impact on student outcomes. They also summarize qualities of teacher preparation programs that successfully prepare CLD teachers according to the following themes: recruitment, retention, alternative certification, and post—teacher preparation. Recommendations for future research are provided.

The roles and obligations of teacher educators have expanded substantially in recent years. Expectations have increased because of national concerns about the overall achievement results of all students and because of specific federal mandates-expressed in reauthorizations of the No Child Left Behind Act and the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004-about students with disabilities and their access to the general education curriculum and their increased, successful participation in inclusive educational settings. Complicated by the chronic and persistent shortage of special educators and the imperative that general educators have increased skills to address the needs of all struggling learners, demands on special education college and university faculty have magnified. However, the nation continues to face a shortage of faculty who can generate new knowledge about effective practices, translate such research findings into teacher preparation programs' curriculum, and prepare a sufficient supply of new and highly skilled teachers. In this article, the authors discuss the current policy landscape, connections between the shortage of teachers and the shortage of special education faculty, and the role of the federal government in addressing these shortages. They conclude with a call for national dialogue-necessary so that the continuing cycle of faculty shortages and resulting shortages of those who directly serve students with disabilities may finally be resolved.Keywords special education faculty shortage, supply and demand of highly qualified teachers, higher education policy, federal role in leadership (doctoral) preparationThe connection between teacher educators working in colleges and universities and education professionals working in school settings is clear, although often underestimated. Most practitioners receive their training from college faculty, either through traditional undergraduate and graduate degree programs or through university-based nontraditional

As a result of educational reforms, students with disabilities are educated in inclusive settings to a greater degree than ever before. Regrettably, many teachers report that they feel unprepared to work effectively with these students. Because teacher effectiveness is strongly linked to student outcomes, these perceptions of inadequacy are clearly problematic. Improved teacher preparation is a necessity. Yet, teacher educators face their own challenges when trying to keep up with current literature and a rapidly expanding knowledge base. Web-based technology offers solutions to some of these challenges, yet not all Web-based resources are valid or reliable. The IRIS Center for Training Enhancements, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, provides free online resources for those working with struggling learners and students with disabilities. The resources are developed in collaboration with leading educational researchers, are highly rated, and are heavily used in multiple countries to improve the quality of teacher education.

There is a critical shortage of special education teachers in the United States. This shortage is chronic and severe and exists in every geographic region of the nation. This article provides an analysis of factors influencing the supply of and demand for special education teachers. Initially, the magnitude of this shortage is addressed, considering variances that exist by personnel type, locality, and job description. This is followed by an analysis of trends in the supply of and demand for special education teachers, considering factors such as student enrollment, production of teacher education programs, and the reserve pool. Finally, illustrative examples of strategies used by specific states and districts to resolve shortage problems are provided. The article concludes with a list of priorities for future research.

After a systematic national search, we found that 86 special education doctoral programs were active in 1999. Our search found that five programs had closed in recent years, but six new programs were in the planning process. Additional programs were identified, but they are best described as emphasis areas (possibly minor areas of concentration) administered by other departments or programs typically housed in colleges of education (e.g., educational leadership, curriculum and instruction, early childhood). Administrators of identified doctoral programs were surveyed to determine enrollment, graduate rates, program content, and means of student recruitment. Possibly some of the most revealing findings from this component of the larger Faculty Study found that: (a) most special education doctoral programs are underenrolled, (b) doctoral students' enrollment has declined 30% over the last 20 years, and (c) programs are not highly selective. Unless deliberate actions are taken, the supply from special education doctoral programs will not increase and the demand for leadership personnel, particularly for faculty who work in academe, will not be met.