An update of a previous study produced information on the status of special education professional personnel in Michigan. Computer tape copies of the state's Professional Personnel Register and Certification Master File were analyzed. Detailed data are reported for eight basic tasks, including employment of beginning professional personnel in special education assignments in 1980 (a 4% increase over 1979-80, but less than the 7% or 8% growth rate of the preceding 2 years); new employment of personnel with 1 or more years teaching experience; return rate of special education teachers (an increasing number each year); attrition rate of special education professional personnel (a decreasing attrition rate with a larger proportion of staff returning subsequent years); number of new endorsements of certificate (an overall decrease in the number of total initial provisional certificate endorsements for all categories of special education); attrition rates of special education administrators (similar to those of special education teachers); and the need for special education teachers (continued growth in the number of new positions in categories of mentally impaired, speech impaired, social worker, emotionally impaired, school psychologist, hearing impaired, learning disabled, and occupational/physical therapy). Two main recommendations are offered: establishing a common coding system by Special Education Services and Teacher Preparation and Certification Services; and conducting a statewide study on the extent of absence among special education teachers, the qualifications of substitutes, and an annual census of substitutes used in the state's special education classes. Detailed tables are appended. (CL)