Introduction: Professionals working with infants and toddlers with visual impairments (that is, those who are blind or have low vision) were surveyed regarding their preservice training and their awareness and use of 29 resources related to young children who are visually impaired. Methods: Early intervention visual impairment professionals (n =…

Richard Simpson is professor of special education at the University of Kansas (KU). Dr. Simpson's duties at KU have included roles of staff psychologist, teaching associate, assistant professor, project director, associate professor, professor, and chairperson for the Department of Special Education. He has directed numerous University of Kansas…

According to current research, attrition of teachers in public schools throughout the United States has become increasingly worrisome, especially since the passage and inception of No Child Left Behind (2001) as well as the reauthorization of Individuals with Disabilities Act (1997). This rate of attrition remains especially problematic in the…

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of the special educator within a response-to-intervention (RTI) framework and to examine what instructional behaviors special educators evidence most frequently in the advanced RTI tiers (i.e., tiers beyond tier 1). Specifically, these two issues were investigated with regard to: (a) proportion of…

According to the U.S. Department of Education, shortages of special education and/or related services personnel continue to be a significant challenge for all states. In response to this challenge, state education agencies (SEAs) are implementing various strategies to improve recruitment and retention efforts. The purpose of this document is to…

The attrition of special education teachers greatly affects the quality of special education services districts can provide for students with disabilities and creates an ongoing challenge for educational leaders. It is essential to understand the factors influencing special education teachers' decisions to leave or remain in the field. If…

To date, research has not sufficiently addressed the impact of personnel preparation programs on secondary special educators in relationship to specialized competencies needed to impact students during transition from school to adult life. This study sought to evaluate transition competencies gained by secondary practitioners involved in a…

The study was intended to determine how many special education personnel in Kansas were not returning each year and their reasons for leaving. Attrition tables were developed for each school district and for the total state via analysis of computer data tapes for the years 1976-1983. Reasons for termination were analyzed from the viewpoints of…

To determine the types of training needed by directors of special education, 74 directors and other school personnel (superintendents, special and regular classroom teachers, and building principals) were sent questionnaires designed to obtain their perceptions of training needs, time requirements for training, and time spent at different job…

Analysis of data from the Kansas State Department of Education indicated an attrition rate of about 15% for special educators in the late 1970's and early 1980's which has decreased since 1986 to about 10%. The detailed data are presented in the form of 13 tables which cover: personnel vacancies at the beginning of school years (1980-1988);…

The paper describes the Rural Special Education Preservice Project which is intended to increase the number of appropriately certified teachers in rural districts and special education cooperatives in Kansas. Problems in the state include a shortage of special education teachers, increased numbers of students qualifying for special education, high…

This report addresses the problem of special education personnel attrition in Kansas, focusing on those personnel employed in Kansas during the 1991-92 year who did not return for the 1992-93 year. Part 1 provides 12 tables which show: attrition rates from 1977 through 1992; special education personnel attrition by category (focus year); total…

This report examines attrition data of Kansas special education personnel employed in the 1993-94 school year who did not return for the 1994-95 year. Fifteen tables display data on: (1) numbers employed, numbers of leavers, and percent of attrition from 1976 to 1994 in each special education category; (2) employment and attrition by level of…

The Kansas State Plan for Special Education is designed to trace specific special education issues through statute, regulation, and policy and to translate each issue into operational terms which can be followed by local education agencies. The informational format divides the plan into three major sections. The introductory section presents…

This manual describes Right From the Start: Partners in Education (RF3), a federally funded project that was designed to train pre-professionals in the fields of special education, nursing, and social work to work in interdisciplinary teams that provide services to students with special needs. Participating schools, community sites, and…