Special education teachers' (SETs) working conditions play a crucial role in shaping the size, quality, and effectiveness of the U.S. SET workforce and thereby shape the quality of instruction provided to students with disabilities. Valid measures of SETs' working conditions are essential for conducting robust research on how to improve working…

Special education teacher (SET) burnout is a significant concern, especially for SETs serving students with emotional-behavioral disorders (EBD), as they tend to experience higher burnout than other teachers. Working conditions, especially social support, have the potential to ameliorate burnout, but prior research has not articulated the sources…

Consistent evidence indicates the importance of teachers of color for experiences and outcomes of students of color. Fortunately, extant studies consistently indicate special education teachers (SETs) teaching students with EBD are more likely to be people of color than other SETs. These SETs require supportive working conditions, but, to our…

This article is in direct response to Garwood's call to action about burnout and the special education teacher workforce. While Garwood's call to action is critically needed, we contend that the call is incomplete as it lacks emphasis on factors linking sociocultural identity and burnout. Therefore, in this article, we discuss the significance of…

Special education teachers (SETs) are expected to use effective practices to improve outcomes for students with disabilities, yet even those who are well-prepared may not be effective in teaching these students, as problematic working conditions may limit their opportunities to teach effectively and their longevity in the profession. To complicate…

Working conditions may be an important lever to support special educators' reading instruction for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). Thus, we explored how working conditions relate to the quality of special educators' reading instruction in upper-elementary, self-contained classes for students with EBD. Using mixed methods to…

Working conditions may be an important lever to support special educators' reading instruction for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). Thus, we explored how working conditions relate to the quality of special educators' reading instruction in upper-elementary, self-contained classes for students with EBD. Using mixed methods to…

Retaining teachers in high-poverty schools is essential for ensuring students who live in poverty have equitable educational opportunities. Understanding novices' experiences can help school leaders improve novices' retention in high-poverty schools throughout their careers. This integrative review of studies investigates novices' experiences…

Students with emotional/behavioral disorders (EBD) in self-contained settings depend on special educators to deliver high-quality instruction and behavior management, and special educators depend on administrators to create supportive working environments. Yet, to date, no studies have examined how working conditions relate to special educators'…

Retaining teachers is an important priority for school leaders, especially in special education, a field with chronic shortages. We analyzed a nationally representative survey using conservation of resources theory to examine how job demands and resources interacted with one another and with teachers' assignments (i.e., as special and general…

In this article, the authors describe the complexity of special education teacher (SET) shortage, how shortage undermines equal educational opportunity, and strategies that school districts and state and federal governments have used to combat them. The authors consider the economic consequences of shortage and describe how school budgets are…

Special educators are responsible for providing quality reading instruction to students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), but they often experience difficulties fulfilling this responsibility, especially for students with EBD who are placed in dedicated settings, including self-contained classes. Administrators can help by ensuring…

Special educators are responsible for providing quality reading instruction to students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), but they often experience difficulties fulfilling this responsibility, especially for students with EBD who are placed in dedicated settings, including self-contained classes. Administrators can help by ensuring…

Special education teachers (SETs) who teach students with emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD) in self-contained settings are often less qualified, more stressed and burned out, and more likely to leave teaching than other SETs, resulting in a less effective workforce teaching students with significant behavioral and academic needs. Working…

Induction is designed to support teachers' effectiveness, improve their students' learning, and foster their retention. We consider how high-leverage practices (HLPs) might provide an instructional framework for special education teacher (SET) induction. With sensemaking theory as a conceptual foundation, we posit that, by structuring induction…