Texas public schools provide special education services to almost 500,000 students. Despite these services, students with disabilities perform significantly lower on state assessments in reading and mathematics than their same-aged peers. While the numbers of students in special education increased by 5.7% from 2014 to 2017, the number of certified special educators decreased by 1% during the same period. The Texas Education Agency identified teacher preparation as a possible lever to increase student achievement. TEA, along with members of the Texas Comprehensive Center (TXCC) at the American Institutes for Research (AIR), conducted a series of forums with stakeholders in special education to examine the current certification requirements in Texas. The forum participants were charged with reconceptualizing special education certification to better serve students, better prepare teachers, and respond to the teacher shortage in special education. Overall, 31 participants were recruited and represented a diverse group of stakeholders, from superintendents to parents.