Addressing Personnel Needs for Rural Areas

Abstract

A chronic shortage of early interventionists and special educators exists in rural areas. The authors argue that special rural knowledge and skills may be required for early interventionists and special educators to be satisfied and productive in rural areas. Both recruitment and retention of rural special educators can be challenging, leading in many states to gaps in services for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities who live with their families in rural or remote areas. This article began with a review of the literature on personnel preparation for rural services. It summarizes data from 96 recent rural personnel preparation projects funded by U. S. Department of Education (USDE), Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and shares the results of an e-mail survey of the directors of recent OSEP rural projects that have concluded. Based on this triad of sources, the authors discuss (a) rural knowledge and skills to be incorporated into personnel preparation programs, (b) effective recruitment strategies forrural professionals, (c) methods of delivering training to personnel in rural areas, and (d) outcomes of the OSEP rural projects. The authors offer recommendations to university personnel and policy makers to increase stability and reduce the longstanding shortages of qualified personnel for rural services.

Republication of “NCLB and the Demand for Highly Qualified Teachers: Challenges and Solutions for Rural Schools”

“…Rural regions of the country, for example, as well as large urban areas, often have schools that are hard-to-staff and have the greatest need for teachers (Reeves, 2002; Southeast Center for Teaching Quality [SCTQ], 2002; University of Washington, Center for the Study of Teaching Policy, 2004). Although most state and national databases are insufficient for comparing special education shortages in rural schools with national shortages in special education, rural educators, district administrators, and state policymakers assert that rural schools, particularly remote rural schools, struggle to secure and keep qualified special education teachers (National Rural Education Association [NREA], 2004; Rosenkoetter, Irwin, & Saceda, 2004; Ryan, 1999; Schwartzbeck & Prince, 2003). Furthermore, limited data from case studies and statewide surveys of supply and demand support this perception.…”

“…Thus, a substantial pool of potential candidates for alternative route preparation for midcareer changers may not exist in rural areas. Second, the federal perspective does not acknowledge that rural areas have already relied on alternative certification routes to staff their classrooms with qualified special education teachers; yet, district administrators still struggle to find enough qualified special education teachers (Ludlow, 1998; Rosenkoetter et al, 2004). Third, most colleges and universities are not located in rural areas, and consequently, they are not preparing sufficient numbers of teachers to serve those areas (Westling & Whitten, 1996).…”

“…For almost two decades, rural school districts have resorted to using alternative routes to licensing secure adequate numbers of teachers (Rosenkoetter et al, 2004). Typically, these routes are designed to educate potential special education teachers already living in rural areas.…”

Changing Preservice Teachers’ Attitudes for Teaching in Rural Schools.

“…In addition, there is the diversity challenge in rural education that includes social and cultural diversity (Nelson, 2004). Rural schools also have similar issues to address as their non-rural counterparts, such as students who are gifted and talented and/or those with disabilities (Rosenkoetter, Irwin, & Saceda, 2004). Government policy and inaction have been blamed for the rural education crises in various countries, including Australia.…”

No Child Left Behind: A National Study of Its Impact on Special Education in Rural Schools

“…Rural special education faces the combined problems of rural schools and special education services in attempting to meet the challenges of NCLBA. Rural schools may not be able to guarantee that all special education staff meet HQT requirements in the near future because personnel shortages in special education exacerbate the rural recruitment and retention problems (Ludlow, 1998;Rosenkoetter, Irwin, & Saceda, 2004). This problem is likely to grow worse under the HQT mandate, possibly to the extent that rural schools will not be able to find enough special educators to staff available positions (Thompson, Lazarus, & Thurlow, 2004).…”