Teachers of color are critical for improving students' educational experiences and outcomes, especially for students of color. Yet, more than 80% of special education teachers (SETs) in U.S. public schools are white. Thus, we examined how the ethnoracial diversity of the SET workforce changed over time, from 2012-2021, in relation to the…

Special education teachers of color are underrepresented in research about attrition and retention, despite evidence of their role in the academic, social, and emotional success of students of color. We used critical quantitative methods and structural equation modeling to investigate the attrition and retention variability between special…

We examined the association between the percentage of students with disabilities (SWD) in general education teachers' classes and their likelihood of turnover, investigating potential internal and external resources (certification, experience, preparation, classroom management, and working conditions) as moderators and disaggregating types of…

We used data on the student teaching placements, degrees, teaching credentials, and workforce outcomes of more than 1,300 graduates of special education teacher education programs in Washington to provide a descriptive portrait of specific measures of special education teacher preparation and their relationships with workforce entry and…

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…

Schools experience difficulty retaining special educators to serve students with emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD) in self-contained settings, as they have higher rates of burnout and attrition than other educators. Administrators could prevent these outcomes by improving working conditions, but research provides limited insights into which…

The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) supports educators with disabilities including faculty, teacher candidates, and teachers in classrooms, schools, and institutions of higher education. Within the CEC membership, members embody a wide range of disabilities including learning, sensory, physical, and emotional areas. CEC recognizes the…

We compare beginning special and general education teachers' access to school-based colleagues. Our findings demonstrate that colleague relationships are critical for the experiences of beginning teachers, as are the school organizational norms that these beginning teachers experience. For special education teachers in particular, perception of…

In this study, the authors estimated costs of alternative route preparation to provide states a basis for allocating training funds to maximize production. Thirty-one special education alternative route program directors were interviewed and completed cost tables. Two hundred and twenty-four program graduates were also surveyed. The authors…

The purposes of this research were to quantify trends in three components of teacher turnover and to investigate claims of excessive teacher turnover as the predominant source of teacher shortages. Attrition and teaching area transfer rates were comparable in special and general education and increased substantially from 1991-1992 to 2000-2001.…

A study involving 156 first-year special education teachers examined the frequency and perceived effectiveness of the mentoring they received, the characteristics of the mentors, and the teachers' plans to remain in special education. The perceived effectiveness of the mentoring was significantly correlated with plans to remain in special…

A study involving 887 urban special educators investigated factors that lead to attrition and retention and found several critical factors to consider to increase retention and commitment. A leading negative factor was stress due to job design. Perceived support by principals or other teachers helped alleviate this stress. (Contains references.)…

The article compares the burnout process among helping professionals and teachers of exceptional children. Literature relating to burnout among the helping professions is reviewed. Causes and symptoms of burnout are applied to the field of special education. (Author/PHR)

This commentary calls for increased efforts toward recruiting and retaining quality people in the field of special education. The use of sophisticated marketing techniques is encouraged, as well as initiatives by businesses such as providing sabbaticals for business professionals to allow them to spend a year team teaching. (JDD)

This research examined the career paths of 2,700 former special educators hired by Michigan public schools between 1972 and 1985. An estimated 34% of the former educators reentered a Michigan classroom within five years of leaving, and an estimated 58% of these stayed for more than seven years. (Author/JDD)