This study explored strategies and practices that seek to increase the retention of provisional special education teachers (PSETs). Urban school divisions have challenges with hiring and/or retaining high-quality special education teachers (SETs). The cyclical practice of hiring and losing PSETs creates an equity imbalance as marginalized school…

Teacher recruitment is a continual challenge facing many rural high-needs schools. The researcher designed this quantitative survey study to explore superintendent and teacher perceptions of the effectiveness of teacher recruitment practices used in High Need/Resource Capacity Rural school districts in New York State and the use of Bolman and…

This quantitative study researched teachers' efficacy in inclusive settings to determine if teacher education programs adequately prepared teachers to teach in an inclusive environment. Over one hundred Michigan-certified teachers responded to the validated Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practices (TEIP) survey, exploring teacher efficacy toward…

To strengthen inclusion practices in schools, a mandate was passed requiring special education teachers working at the middle and high school levels to become content certified. The purpose of this research study was to examine the outcome the content/dual certification mandate had on special education teachers' roles in co-taught inclusion…

Special education teachers are essential team members in the provision of services to students with complex communication needs. Professional competencies related to augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) practices have been outlined for special education teachers as part of their professional standards. Yet, it is unclear to what extent…

The purpose of this study was to examine the nature and extent that undergraduate special education programs teach special education law. Extant data from the state department of education websites and a sample of university department webpages (n = 67) were analyzed to identify educational requirements. In addition, a sample of faculty…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how certified 9th-12th grade public school teachers who have one year of teaching and implementing Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) in the classroom describe their perception of PBIS and the influence of teacher perception on the implementation of PBIS with…

Students who exhibit emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) typically have high frequencies of disruptive and noncompliant behavior including physical and verbal aggression (VA). Physical aggression attracts great concern from school professionals yet VA is often overlooked, despite being a highly pervasive and harmful social act. We surveyed…

Researchers have demonstrated the need for teachers to have the training and preparation to meet the needs of a growing diverse student population that can include students who may present with a variety of needs. This research will explore the experience of educators teaching students who are learning English as a second language and present with…

Researchers have documented the longstanding rates of teacher stress, as student populations rise, and size of the teacher workforce decreases. They have also examined the lack of training provided to teachers, specifically as it relates to students with disabilities (SWD) and students with problem behaviors (SWPB). However, research has not…

The purpose of this study was to determine if burnout, perceived support, job satisfaction, and life satisfaction would predict whether a special education teacher received certification through an alternative program or a traditional 4-year University program. It was hypothesized that teachers who received their certification through an…

As the country faces chronic shortages of special education teachers, it is essential that researchers consider factors and practices that could improve the recruitment and retention of teachers. This study examined demographic and contextual factors related to special education teacher longevity in a rural state in the Midwest. This study…

In the current study, special education teachers' perceptions of preparedness to implement recommended practices for students with severe disabilities were examined. A vignette-style survey was sent to special education teachers assigned to teach students with severe disabilities. Overall, respondents reported higher perceptions of preparedness to…

With federal education mandates and new developments highlighting academic failures, additional stress has been placed on teachers and administrators to provide interventions to a student's specific deficit areas. Now, general education teachers are required to use research-based interventions to eliminate the decline in academic success. The…

This study explores how institutional practices within a school district limit general education teachers' ability to comply with special education policies. While numerous special education issues exist within the school district studied here, my research examined institutional practices that negatively impacted inclusion of exceptional students…