Naomi Chowdhuri Tyler

The Changing Education Landscape: How Special Education Leadership Preparation Can Make a Difference for Teachers and Their Students with Disabilities.

The roles and obligations of teacher educators have expanded substantially in recent years. Expectations have increased because of national concerns about the overall achievement results of all students and because of specific federal mandates—expressed in reauthorizations of the No Child Left Behind Act and the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004—about students with disabilities and their access to the general education curriculum and their increased, successful participation in inclusive educational settings. Complicated by the chronic and persistent shortage of special educators and the imperative that general educators have increased skills to address the needs of all struggling learners, demands on special education college and university faculty have magnified. However, the nation continues to face a shortage of faculty who can generate new knowledge about effective practices, translate such research findings into teacher preparation programs’ curriculum, and prepare a sufficient supply of new and highly skilled teachers. In this article, the authors discuss the current policy landscape, connections between the shortage of teachers and the shortage of special education faculty, and the role of the federal government in addressing these shortages. They conclude with a call for national dialogue—necessary so that the continuing cycle of faculty shortages and resulting shortages of those who directly serve students with disabilities may finally be resolved.

Doctoral Students in Special Education: Characteristics and Career Aspirations.

This study was part of a comprehensive investigation on the supply and demand of special education faculty (see also Sindelar & Rosenberg; Pion, Smith & Tyler; and Smith, Pion, Tyler, & Gilmore, this issue). Students enrolled in doctoral programs during the Spring of 1999 were surveyed about their doctoral programs, educational background, experiences in applying to doctoral programs in special education, current doctoral study, post-graduation plans, and background information. The survey had an 82% response rate (1,267 students). The study found that doctoral students were older and their primary consideration in selecting a doctoral program was not having to relocate. Overall, students were fairly satisfied with the training they received in research skills, less so in areas of college teaching, administration/supervision, and cultural and linguistic diversity. Additionally, less than half (44%) were interested in faculty positions after graduation.

Career Choices of Recent Doctorates in Special Education: Their Implications for Addressing Faculty Shortages.

The insufficient supply of special education doctorate recipients to meet the demand for higher education faculty has been a chronic problem. One reason for the continued shortfall has been the low proportion of new graduates who pursue academic careers. In order to explore the factors underlying the career choices of recently trained leadership personnel, a survey of individuals who earned their doctorates between 1994 and 1998 was conducted in fall 1999. The results revealed that there has been no sign of growth in the proportion that moved into faculty positions. In sharp contrast to the estimated 85% of individuals who earned their degrees in the 1960s and took faculty appointments, approximately 36% of 1994–98 doctorate recipients were employed full-time in tenure-line positions. Although several reasons contribute to this situation, the most influential involved the age at beginning doctoral study, the career aspirations of beginning doctoral students, the extent to which they received institutional support to finance their training, and their ability to relocate after graduation. These factors point to the need for doctoral programs to vigorously recruit new doctoral students at a younger age, provide them with adequate financial support during their training, and streamline the educational process so as to reduce the time between receipt of the baccalaureate and awarding of the doctorate.

Recruitment and Retention and Special Education Teacher Preparation in Rural Areas: Diversity, Federal Funding, and Technical Assistance Considerations

Eight faculty members at rural colleges and universities who received funding from the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to support personnel preparation efforts in their special education programs were surveyed regarding the impact of those funds. The faculty taught at minority institutions of higher education and the students supported with the grant funding were from historically underrepresented groups. A total of 117 African American, Hispanic/Latino, and American Indian students had graduated from these programs at the time of the survey, and were currently employed in 42 rural school districts. Strategies on recruiting and retaining diverse students in rural areas are provided, as well as a summary of the impact of technical assistance efforts with minority institutions nationwide.

Career Decisions of Doctoral Graduates in Special Education.

The number of special education faculty vacancies in institutions of higher education (IHEs) has risen across the last decade (Dil, Geiger, Hoover, & Sindelar, 1993; Sindelar & Taylor, 1988; Smith & Lovett, 1987; Smith, Pierce & Keyes, 1988). In contrast, the number of doctoral graduates in special education decreased during the same period of time (Sindelar, Buck, Carpenter & Watanabe, 1993; Sindelar & Taylor, 1988). This supply/demand imbalance has plagued the field for years and warrants continued investigation. The present study surveyed 146 recent graduates from special education doctoral programs on issues including motivating factors for obtaining a doctoral degree, considerations when selecting initial careers, and the effects of marriage and family on those decisions. Factors which encouraged and discouraged employment in higher education were investigated, and recommendations for future research and practice are provided.The number of special education faculty vacancies in institutions of higher education (IHEs) has risen across the last decade (Dil, Geiger, Hoover, & Sindelar, 1993; Sindelar & Taylor, 1988; Smith & Lovett, 1987; Smith, Pierce & Keyes, 1988). In contrast, the number of doctoral graduates in special education decreased during the same period of time (Sindelar, Buck, Carpenter & Watanabe, 1993; Sindelar & Taylor, 1988). This supply/demand imbalance has plagued the field for years and warrants continued investigation. The present study surveyed 146 recent graduates from special education doctoral programs on issues including motivating factors for obtaining a doctoral degree, considerations when selecting initial careers, and the effects of marriage and family on those decisions. Factors which encouraged and discouraged employment in higher education were investigated, and recommendations for future research and practice are provided.

The Supply Profile of Current Students and Recent Graduates in Special Education

As the field of special education (SE) examines issues related to supply and demand of SE teachers and faculty, an investigation of students currently enrolled in doctoral programs and doctoral graduates is an important perspective to consider. The results of two components of the Special Education Faculty Needs Assessment (SEFNA), focused on the aforementioned two populations, are described. Students enrolled in SE doctoral programs during the spring of 2009 (n = 1,263) and graduates of SE doctoral programs between 1999 and 2008 (n = 626) were surveyed about their educational backgrounds, experiences in applying to doctoral programs, doctoral programs and studies, postgraduation plans, postgraduation career choices, and background information. Results indicated that key predictors of doctoral students who become college and university faculty include the following: intent to pursue a faculty career, financial support (e.g., teaching assistantship, research assistantship, traineeship, fellowship), age when enrolling in a doctoral program, reduced time to complete the doctoral degree, and willingness to relocate after graduation for employment. Comparisons are made to results from the 2001 Faculty Shortage Study, a predecessor to SEFNA.

Technical Assistance Makes a Difference: The Alliance 2000 Story

This country is evidencing a shortage of special educators from diverse backgrounds. The current, scant supply of certified teachers in special education, coupled with the lack of teachers from diverse backgrounds in this country, along with the growing numbers of culturally and linguistically diverse children, has created a national awareness about special education teacher training issues. This article provides a brief summary of the need for diversity in the teaching force and Congresss efforts to address this issue. The Alliance 2000 Project* was a federal project created to provide technical assistance to the nations minority colleges and universities to increase their access to personnel preparation funds available through the U.S. Department of Educations Office of Special Education Programs. Outcomes of the Project are provided.

Extending the Power in Diversity-Related Personnel Preparation: Alliance 2000 Mentoring as a Professional Development Process in Higher Education

This article describes mentor/mentee relationships arranged through the Alliance 2000 Project. Faculty members of minority institutions of higher education worked with mentors (successful proposal writers, grant holders, and content experts) from other academic institutions during proposal development for submission to the Office of Special Education Programs personnel preparation competitions. Individuals involved in four mentorships were interviewed regarding their views and perceptions of the mentorship process.