Recommended Readings & Research

Boe, E.E., Cook, L.H., Bobbitt, S.A., Terhanian, G. (1998). The shortage of fully certified teachers in special and general education. Teacher Education and Special Education, 21, 1-21.

Brownell, M., Miller, D., Smith, S. (1999). Factors that Predict Teachers Staying in, Leaving or Transferring from the Special Education Classroom. Exceptional Children, Vol. 65.

Bureau of Labor Statistics http://www.bls.gov/oco. The Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH), 2006-07, is a nationally recognized source of career information, designed to provide valuable assistance to individuals
making decisions about their future work lives. Revised every two years. 202-691-5700

Education Commission of the States http://www.ecs.org.Helping state leaders shape education policy, the commission works at both state and federal levels presenting current and emerging policy trends on critical issues. 700
Broadway, #122, Denver, CO 80203-3460. 303-299-3600.

Exceptional Parent magazine www.eparent.com. For over 35 years, EP magazine provides information, support, ideas, encouragement and outreach for parents and families of children with disabilities, and the professionals who work with them. 877-372-7368.

Hull, Jonathan Watts (2004, Spring). Filling in the Gaps: Understanding the root causes of the "teacher shortage" can lead to solutions that work. Threshold, 8-15.

Hunt Jr., Hon. James B., & Carroll, Thomas G. (2003, January). No Dream Denied: A Pledge to America’s Children. National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future. Washington, DC.

Ingersoll, R. (2002). The Teacher Shortage: A Case of Wrong Diagnosis and Wrong Prescription. NASSP Bulletin, 16-31.

Ingersoll, R. (Fall 2000). Teacher Turnover and Teacher Shortages: An Organizational Analysis. American Educational Research Journal, 38, 499-534.

National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future http://www.nctaf.org
National Education Association http://www.nea.org/specialed/index
Teacher Attrition: A Costly Loss to the Nation and to the States. (2005, August). Alliance for Excellent Education. Washington, DC.

U.S. Department of Education http://www.ed.gov.Powerpoint Presentation. NCLB
and Children with Disabilities. OSEP Director Stephanie Lee; March 20, 2003.

Walker, Fanny Carnankias, Ph.D.; Shapley, Kelly S., Ph.D., Cordeau, Molly, Ed.D., Administrators’ Views of Special Education Personnel Needs in Texas Public Schools, presented February 8, 2006 at the annual meeting of the Southwest Educational Research Association (SERA), Austin, TX.

Trends in Special Education Hiring Practices

The provision of a free and appropriate public
education to students with disabilities is dependent upon the retention of qualified special education teachers in the classroom.

For many years, educators have voiced concerns about higher teacher attrition rates in special education as compared to general education (e.g., National Association of State Directors of Special Education [NASDSE], 1990). Interestingly, at least one research effort using a national sample of teachers reveals no significant difference between special (6 percent) and general education (6 percent) teacher attrition. Yet, if transfer attrition (e.g., special education teachers who transfer to general education) is included in the calculations, then the attrition rate for teachers in special education is four times greater than for general education (Source: Boe, Bobbitt, & Cook, 1997; Boe, Cook, Bobbitt, & Weber, 1996).

A combination of factors—specifically, teacher attrition, increasing student enrollments and the challenges in recruiting for special education positions—can only mean that numbers of well-trained, committed professionals available to provide high quality education to students with disabilities is distressingly insufficient. Consequently, policymakers and state and local education agency administrators must understand the reasons for teacher attrition to design effective retention strategies. And, they must do so quickly, since the public will
continue to pressure public educators with litigation for non-compliance of federal law.

Below are several trends in special education hiring practices that may need to be addressed or implemented in order to improve the rate of educational progress for young Americans with disabilities:

• Offer signing bonuses and other incentives for new hires
• Increase ongoing, comprehensive professional development support

• Utilize professional recruiting and retention firms specializing in the planning and hiring for special education
• Relocate special education teachers to regions in need
• Promote targeted recruitment and retention strategies to create regional banks of promising candidates
• Raise awareness of the need for full funding of the federal mandates to attract and retain qualified teachers and specialists
• Raise community awareness of the cost of litigation and out of classroom learning for not meeting IDEA/NCLB requirements