Supporting beginning teachers continues to be problematic for education systems across the nation. Issues concerning recruitment and retention have long plagued the profession. The onset of the global pandemic exacerbated these issues, particularly across rural communities. Researchers continue to advocate for the need to provide beginning…

Students with disabilities are 200% more likely to be restrained by school personnel compared to nondisabled peers (Katsiyannis et al., 2020). The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (NVCI) in de-escalating the risk behavior of children with disabilities from exceptional children (EC) teacher…

This article shares the results from a quasi-experimental mixed-methods study of a promising transition-focused professional development approach. The 12-week team-based intervention resulted in positive outcomes among intervention group participants' knowledge and capacities. The intervention group exhibited statistically significant changes in…

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of special education teachers with general education teachers who are not in a co-teaching model of inclusion in North Carolina high schools. The study examined how inclusion is implemented at the school level and how special education teachers and general…

Nationally, special education teacher turnover is a significant issue for school districts. The problem addressed in this study was the high special education teacher turnover rate in one local school district in North Carolina. Guided by Maslow's hierarchy of needs, this basic qualitative study explored previous special education teachers'…

The current investigation surveyed 83 preservice teacher education candidates enrolled in institutions of higher education (IHEs) to pursue licensure in special education. The purpose of the investigation was to determine why these candidates were pursuing a career as a special education teacher, when they decided, and where they saw themselves…

A web-based survey was disseminated to examine the relationship between high school special education teachers and direct-service transition professionals' understanding of stakeholders' roles in transition, frequency of communication with transition stakeholders, and level of collaboration among stakeholders. Path analyses were also conducted to…

National- and state-level education policies are evolving to address teacher shortages that are pervasive across the United States and are particularly problematic in rural special education. In this article, we describe a policy we call "endorsement by exam" in which teachers certified in one subject area can become certified in other…

Current research on special education teacher burnout focused on the external contextual experiences leading to burnout rather than the innermost dimensions of the cognitive processes by which special education teachers experience burnout. Therefore, the purpose of this transcendental phenomenological research study was to explore how K-12 special…

In this program description, we examined the impact of East Carolina University's educator preparation program on beginning special educators' preparedness and confidence to meet professional standards and fulfill their job responsibilities using Q methodology. For this work, undergraduate interns who were enrolled in a rural-focused teacher…

The dropout rate of minority students, mainly African American male special education students in the public school system, is a grave concern for society for many years. The youth who drop out of high school often ends up unemployed and in legal complications. His higher education chances become non-existence, and the student's situation causes…

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the US public education system under great stress, resulting in quick, emergency changes. This stress has been particularly apparent in providing accommodations needed to Special Education (SPED) and English Learners (ELs). This paper reports on a qualitative narrative study based on interviews with K-12 educators…

Special education teachers must have the skills to design and deliver intensive interventions for students with severe and persistent learning and behavioral needs. To ensure effective instruction for these students, preservice preparation programs must provide their teacher candidates with opportunities to learn, apply, and practice intensive…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive existential-phenomenological study is to explore what it is like for public school special education teachers to experience professional marginalization and how it shapes their work-world, in the Eastern region of the United States. A purposive sampling was utilized for recruiting five special education…

More students with disabilities (SWDs) are being educated in general education classrooms than ever before, resulting in higher expectations for the abilities of general education teachers to meet SWDs' educational needs. Yet few recent, quantitative studies have examined if teaching SWDs influences general education certified or special education…