An Apprenticeship Model to Recruit and Prepare Minority Students to Enter Special Education Doctoral Programs

Abstract

Despite the large number of minority students in special education in the public schools, there is a critical shortage of minority faculty in special education teacher training and research. This shortage exists, in part, because many minority students do not perceive themselves as potential college professors, nor do they have a clear concept of the culture of academe or the requirements for acquiring a faculty position and attaining tenure and promotion. Equally important, minority students express a need for mentoring and financial support to enable them to pursue doctorates in special education. We describe a research-based apprenticeship model to prepare minority students to enter doctoral programs with the goal of becoming faculty members in institutions of higher education. Specific recommendations and rationale are presented for recruitment and training.

Doctoral Students in Special Education: Characteristics and Career Aspirations

“…Several studies have shown that expanded career options for those holding special education doctorates influence the career choices of doctoral graduates, often to take positions outside of higher education (Bunsen & Bullock, 1988;Pierce & Smith, 1994;Tyler & Smith, 1999). Concerns exist that special education doctoral students receive inadequate training in applied research (Greenwood, Walker, Kamps, Arreaga-Mayer, & Cart, 1995;Heward, Cooper, Heron, Gardner III, & Sainato, 1995), include few individuals from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds (Cartledge, Gardner, & Tillman, 1995;Rousseau & Tam, 1995;Smith & Tyler, 1994;, tend not to relocate to attend a doctoral program (Tyler & Smith, 1999), and have characteristics (e.g., lack of mobility) that might hinder efforts to address increasing faculty shortages (Pierce & Smith, 1994;Tyler & Smith, 1999). Concerns about the shortages of doctoral graduates were initially raised in the 1980s, and findings indicate that the number of doctoral graduates has declined since then (Pierce, Smith, & Clarke, 1992;Pion, Smith, & Tyler, this issue;Sindelar et al, 1993;Smith, Pion, Tyler & Gilmore, this issue).…”

The Supply

“…Several studies showed that expanded career options for those holding SE doctorates increased the numbers of graduates who chose careers outside of higher education (Bunsen & Bullock, 1988; Smith & Pierce, 1995; Tyler & Smith, 1999). Additional concerns surfaced that students were unlikely to relocate to attend a SE doctoral program (Tyler & Smith, 1999), included few individuals from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds (Cartledge, Gardner, & Tillman, 1995; Rousseau & Tam, 1995; Smith & Tyler, 1994, 1997), and had characteristics (e.g., older, lack of mobility) that hindered their willingness to accept faculty positions (Dil, Geiger, Hoover, & Sindelar, 1993; Pierce & Smith, 1994; Tyler & Smith, 1999).…”

An Alternative Model for Preparing Special Education Teacher Educators

“…Concomitant with the need for more university level personnel is a growing demand for more professors of color (Rousseau & Tam, 1995). Currently, California's diverse school age population is 39% Hispanic, 37% White, 16% Asian/Pacific Islander, 7% African American, and 1% Native American.…”

“…Most candidates are able to complete the 60 units of post-master's study and the dissertation requirement within five years. An apprenticeship model is used throughout the program to support candidates, particularly those from underrepresented groups (Rousseau & Tam, 1995).…”