A Field at Risk: The Teacher Shortage in Special Education

Abstract

OR DECADES, the supply of qualified special educators has been critically low. In 1983, the shortage of special educators was highlighted in A Nation at Risk. It is still with us 25 years later and shows no signs of disappearing, and in the coming decades it could well worsen. Although the production of teachers in special education increased during the 1990s, the most recently available data indicate that just .86 teachers were prepared for each available position in special education, while more than twice as many teachers were produced for each available position in elementary educa-A Field at Risk: THE TEACHER SHORTAGE IN SPECIAL EDUCATION A shortage of special education teachers existed in 1983, and the problem persists today. The authors emphasize that there is a pressing need not only to recruit and retain qualified special education teachers but also to diversify the special education teaching force.

Preliminary Investigation of the Sources of Self-Efficacy Among Teachers of Students with Autism

“…The responsibility for teaching students with autism may increase teachers’ vulnerability to stress and burnout, factors associated with teacher attrition (Billingsley, Carlson, & Klein, 2004; Boyer & Gillespie, 2000). Because attrition rates are highest for special educators compared to other groups of educators (McLeskey, Tyler, & Flippen, 2004) and there is a critical shortage and need for retaining special educators (Cook & Boe, 2007; McLeskey & Billingsley, 2008; Nichols, Bicard, Bicard, & Casey, 2008), identifying protective and risk factors associated with teacher retention is necessary (Billingsley et al, 2004; Singh & Billingsley, 1996). Teachers who are confident in their capabilities not only report lower stress but also remain in the teaching profession longer and report greater commitment than do teachers who doubt their capabilities (Schwarzer & Hallum, 2008; Ware & Kitsantas, 2007).…”

“…A closer examination of the experiences of teachers of students with autism is essential because the numbers of students with autism served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has exploded, with a more than a 500% increase in the last decade (Government Accountability Office, 2005), while the number of special education teachers has decreased (Cook & Boe, 2007; Nichols et al, 2008). For special education directors and principals, maintaining highly qualified special educators is a critical challenge (Thornton, Peltier, & Medina, 2007).…”

Book Review: Paul's World

“…A closer examination of the experiences of teachers of students with autism is essential because the numbers of students with autism served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has exploded, with a more than a 500% increase in the last decade (Government Accountability Office, 2005), while the number of special education teachers has decreased (Cook & Boe, 2007;Nichols et al, 2008). A closer examination of the experiences of teachers of students with autism is essential because the numbers of students with autism served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has exploded, with a more than a 500% increase in the last decade (Government Accountability Office, 2005), while the number of special education teachers has decreased (Cook & Boe, 2007;Nichols et al, 2008).…”

Phenomenological study of special education teachers using an emergency license

“…Special education teacher shortages are reported in 98% of the nation's school districts, special education is the area with the greatest shortage of teachers in the 200 largest cities in the United States, and during the 2000-2001 school year, approximately 11.4%, or 47,532 special education teachers lacked certification (McLeskey et al, 2004). More recent data indicate that only 86% of the teachers are prepared for their special education teaching positions and some students in special education programs have never been taught by a fully certified teacher (Nichols, Bicard, Bicard & Casey, 2008). Each year, the United States Department of Education spends an estimated $90 million to increase the number of available special education teachers to serve our children with disabilities (Brownell, Hirsch, & Seo 2004).…”

“…"Whereas typically achieving students can make up for lost time, learn well independently, and make up for mistakes made by educators, special education students cannot" (Vaughn & Dammann, 2001, p. 27 as cited in Jones, 2009). Hiring teachers not fully certified for special education teaching is one means of addressing the teacher shortage, but providing quality instruction increases in difficulty when unqualified teachers are in charge of special education classrooms (Nichols, Bicard, Bicard & Casey, 2008). Teachers are key to student achievement (Sanders & Rivers, 1996).…”