The Context of the Demand for Special Education Faculty: A Study of Special Education Teacher Preparation Programs
Source: Teacher Education and Special Education, 35(2), May, 2012, p. 128-139
This article describes the results of a survey completed in fall of 2009 by special education and teacher education coordinators.
The survey requested information about past, present, and future concentrations or programmatic offerings.
It also asked questions about projected need for new faculty resulting from attrition, program expansion, and expanded faculty roles.
In addition, the survey gathered information about current staffing patterns at these college and university preparation programs.
Programs in small and large states were sampled, and the survey obtained a 78.1% response rate.
Results indicate that the roles of special education faculty and the programs they offer will expand greatly in the upcoming 5 years.
This expansion is expected at a time of significant attrition, some 21% annually due to retirements alone, making it clear that demand for new faculty will far outstrip the supply in the next few years.