Special Education

Abstract

This study identified factors that contributed toward the decision of 57 special educators from one metropolitan region of a southwestern state to initially pursue special education careers in addition to influences that contributed toward their decision to remain on the special education career path. Participants surveyed also provided recommendations that school districts could take to effectively recruit and retain special educators. Although participants surveyed responded positively that school districts took deliberate efforts to effectively recruit special educators, perceptions regarding special educator retention efforts were less favorable. Measures to be taken by school districts to retain special educators, as recommended by those surveyed, included providing more administrative support, increasing financial incentives, and increasing training opportunities to effectively serve students receiving special education services.

Rethinking Shortages in Special Education: Making Good on the Promise of an Equal Opportunity for Students With Disabilities

“…As a means of recruitment, the teaching profession has appealed to young people’s altruistic motivations and sense of calling (Fish & Stephens, 2010). Declining enrollments in teacher preparation programs suggest that young people today may be looking to other professions to fulfill such altruistic aspirations (Dewey et al, 2017).…”

Critical Skills for Special Educator Effectiveness: Which Ones Matter Most, and to Whom?

“…In contrast, SAs framed this competence relative to SE teachers’ ability to receive and/or absorb “criticism” and in “open minded” rather than “defensive” stances. Although these points of emphasis are not mutually exclusive they warrant further inquiry to ensure shared understandings about skills that facilitate SE teachers’ ongoing professional growth (Billingsley et al, 2004; CEC, 2015; Fish & Stephens, 2010; Shepherd et al, 2016). That is, this finding raised the possibility that stakeholders have different views about the professional development skills that most directly benefit SE teachers as they advance their ongoing professional development (Shepherd et al, 2016; Steinbrecher et al, 2015).…”

“…Differences related to the scope of SE teachers' professional role. Observed participant group differences about the scope of SE teachers' role and related expertise highlighted potential sources of SE teachers' frequently reported role strain (Billingsley et al, 2004;Fish & Stephens, 2010;Gersten et al, 2001;Prather-Jones, 2015). Administrators frequently emphasized team milieu functions (e.g., create "an interdisciplinary environment", "case management", and "community liaison") while SEs had a more narrow lens.…”

“…Like other school professionals, SE teachers must manage numerous quasi administrative nonteaching functions. These include writing students' annual Individualized Educational Plans (IEPs) and related instructional supports as well as transition plans to support students as they age out of school (Fish & Stephens, 2010;Mamlin, 2012). In addition, school districts often expect SE teachers to facilitate parent training and school wide professional development initiatives including team based efforts to address behaviors that interfere with individual CRITICAL SKILLS FOR SPECIAL EDUCATOR EFFECTIVENESS 4 students' academic and/or social success (Billingsley et al, 2004;Ruppar, Roberts, & Olson, 2015;Shepherd et al, 2016).…”

Building the Field: The Case for Community Service Learning

“…Once in their undergraduate collegiate years, students are more seriously considering potential career paths and making decisions regarding their majors of choice. In a study of 57 special education teachers who were asked about the factors that contributed to their pursuit of a special education career path, 45% of respondents had first become interested in teaching special education as undergraduate students (Fish & Stephens, 2009). Beginning recruitment efforts in middle and high school can help draw potential candidates toward the field, and providing additional recruitment strategies in the undergraduate years can provide reinforcement for earlier efforts as well as draw potential new candidates.…”