Supply & Demand

There is a severe and chronic shortage of qualified special education personnel—including teachers, administrators, and related service providers. COPSSE research analyzes current trends and offers suggestions for recruiting and retaining qualified professionals.

Date Type Title/Description Download
04/19/2007 Presentation

Teacher Turnover in Special Education

  • Provides research insights and examines various trends related to special education teacher shortages and teacher turnover trends.

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11/10/2006 Presentation

The Supply of Teachers from Traditional and Alternative Preparation Routes in Special and General Education

  • Discusses the productivity and adequacy of a variety of teacher sources to address the need for developing a highly qualified national teaching force in both special and general education.

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11/09/2006 Presentation

Special Education Teacher Education: An Update

  • Presents overviews of research in the areas of special education teacher supply and demand; attrition and retention; initial preparation and beginning teacher quality; technology applications in teacher education; the current status of alternative route preparation and teacher preparation cost effectiveness.

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11/09/2006 Presentation

Special Education Teacher Attrition: What We Know, What We Can Do

  • Explores the effects of teacher characteristics and preparation, teacher recruitment and induction, work assignment factors, and personal influences on teachers’ career decisions.

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11/08/2006 Presentation

Cost Effectiveness of Teacher Preparation Routes

  • Presents findings from University of Florida and Johns Hopkins University researchers concerning their study of cost and cost effectiveness with a focus on alternative routes and their design.

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02/01/2005 Research Preview

Increasing Supply—Are Some Alternative Route Options More Cost Effective Than Others?

  • Discusses how cost effectiveness varies as a function of cost and attrition.

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02/01/2005 Research Preview

Mid-Career Changers—Here To Stay or Passing Through?

  • Discusses the challenges of keeping mid-career changers from leaving teaching.

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02/01/2005 Workforce Watch

Growing and Improving the Special Education Teacher Workforce—A Focus on Beginning Teachers Can Help

  • Suggests strategies for supporting beginning teachers and describes three promising induction programs.

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02/01/2005 Research Preview

Can We Allocate Funds Across Training Programs to Maximize Special Education Teacher Supply? A Model for Determining Cost Effectiveness

  • Describes a model for determining the cost effectiveness of preparation routes in addressing teacher shortages.

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04/01/2004 Presentation

Special Educator Supply and Teacher Quality: The Critical Role of Teacher Induction

  • Discusses the potential of induction programs to reduce teacher shortages and increase teacher quality.

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02/01/2004 Workforce Watch

Diversifying the Special Education Workforce—District Recruitment and Retention Strategies

  • Overviews supply needs for teachers from diverse backgrounds and suggests recruitment and retention strategies.

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02/01/2004 Workforce Watch

An Insufficient Supply and a Growing Demand for Qualified Special Education Personnel: What State Policymakers Should Know

  • Overviews special education personnel shortage issues facing states.

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02/01/2004 Workforce Watch

A Dwindling Supply of Qualified Personnel of Students with Visual Impairments and Blindness—What States Should Know

  • Overviews shortage issues and suggests state level strategies for increasing supply.

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02/01/2004 Workforce Watch

An Insufficient Supply and a Growing Demand for Qualified Related Service Personnel: Are School Districts Prepared?

  • Overviews shortage issues for physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and audiologists.

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02/01/2004 Workforce Watch

An Insufficient Supply and a Growing Demand for Qualified Special Education Personnel: What School Districts Should Know

  • Overviews special education personnel shortage issues facing school districts.

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02/01/2004 Workforce Watch

An Insufficient Supply and a Growing Demand for Qualified Special Education Teachers: What School Districts Should Know

  • Overviews shortage issues related to special education personnel and suggests district level strategies.

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02/01/2004 Workforce Watch

An Insufficient Supply and a Growing Demand for Qualified Special Education Teachers: What State Policymakers Can Do

  • Describes special education teacher shortages and suggests state level strategies.

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02/01/2004 Workforce Watch

Getting Teachers Where They Are Needed Most—Can License Reciprocity Facilitate Mobility?

  • Discusses the limited potential of license reciprocity agreements to alleviate special education teacher shortages.

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02/01/2004 Workforce Watch

Paraprofessionals: What You Should Know About Ensuring a Highly Qualified Workforce

  • Discusses retention considerations and how to ensure paraprofessionals are qualified.

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02/01/2004 Workforce Watch

Retaining Qualified Special Education Teachers—Understanding Why Teachers Leave and What Principals Can Do About It

  • Describes factors associated with special education teachers who leave teaching and offers retention strategies for principals.

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02/01/2004 Workforce Watch

Retaining Qualified Special Education Teachers—Understanding Why Teachers Leave and What School Districts Can Do About It

  • Describes factors associated with special education teachers who leave teaching and offers retention strategies for school districts.

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02/01/2004 Workforce Watch

Shortages and Demographic Changes Require New Approaches—The Preparation of Qualified Deaf Education Teachers: What States Should Know

  • Considers how demographics of deaf and hard of hearing students affect teacher quality and preparation.

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02/01/2004 Workforce Watch

Special Education Administrators—What Should Districts Know About New Candidates?

  • Overviews shortages, preparation, certification, and licensure for special education administrators.

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11/14/2003 Presentation

Teacher Supply and Teacher Quality: Effective Policies and Strategies

  • Discusses factors contributing to special education teacher shortages.

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10/01/2003 Research Synthesis

The Supply of and Demand for Special Education Teachers: A Review of Research Regarding the Nature of the Chronic Shortage in Special Education

  • Describes teacher shortages, trends in supply and demand, and polices that address shortages.

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07/01/2003 Issue Brief

Audiology Services in the Schools

  • Examines supply and demand, professional preparation, and certification and licensure for audiologists.

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07/01/2003 Issue Brief

Paraprofessionals

  • Examines supply and demand, preparation, and certification and licensure for paraprofessionals.

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06/01/2003 Issue Brief

Issue Brief on Personnel Preparation and Credentialing in Speech-Language Pathology

  • Describes supply and demand, professional preparation, and certification and licensure for speech-language pathologists.

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06/01/2003 Issue Brief

U.S. Deaf Education Teacher Preparation Programs: A Look at the Present and a Vision for the Future

  • Examines shortages and issues related to the preparation of teachers of students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.

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05/01/2003 Research Synthesis

Getting Teachers Where They Are Needed Most: The Case for Licensure Reciprocity

  • Describes reciprocity agreements and analyzes their potential for alleviating teacher shortages.

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05/01/2003 Issue Brief

Personnel Issues in School-Based Occupational Therapy: Supply and Demand, Preparation, and Certification and Licensure

  • Describes supply and demand, professional preparation, and certification and licensure for occupational therapists.

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04/01/2003 Issue Brief

Free and Appropriate Public Education and the Personnel Crisis for Students with Visual Impairments and Blindness

  • Examines shortages, preparation, and certification of personnel who work with students with visual impairments and blindness.

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04/01/2003 Issue Brief

Personnel Issues in School-Based Physical Therapy: Supply and Demand, Professional Preparation, Certification, and Licensure

  • Discusses supply and demand, professional preparation, and certification and licensure for physical therapists.

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04/01/2003 Research Synthesis

Special Education Teacher Retention and Attrition: A Critical Analysis of the Literature

  • Analyzes factors that contribute to special education teacher attrition and retention.

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03/01/2003 Issue Brief

Special Education Administration at a Crossroads: Availability, Licensure, and Preparation of Special Education Administrators

  • Reviews availability, licensure, and preparation of special education administrators.

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10/01/2002 Presentation

Growing and Improving the Special Education Teacher Workforce: Balancing Competing Demands

  • Describes factors that contribute to teacher shortages in special education.

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09/01/2002 Research Synthesis

Diversifying the Special Education Workforce

  • Presents demographics for teachers from diverse backgrounds.

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