Effective Influential Strategies to Retain Special Education Teachers

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

Background of the Study1

Problem Statement1

Purpose of the Study2

Aims and Objectives of the Study2

Research Questions3

Rationale of the Study3

Significance of the Study4

Limitations of the Study4

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW5

Special Education in America5

Teacher Retention in Schools5

Barriers to Teacher Retention in Special Education6

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY8

Research Design8

Sample for the Study8

Instrumentation9

Data Collection9

Data Analysis10

Projected Time Table10

REFERENCES11

APPENDIX - A12

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

The retention and attrition of special education teachers have been a growing concern over the last few years. If special educators continue to leave the field, disabled students will not have the support to accommodate their special needs. It is not known how to produce a magic potion to prevent special educators from leaving the field. A variety of needs will need to be met to retain special educators (Jennings, 2009). Elimination of burdensome paperwork will retain some special educators, while increased administrator support will retain others. In some cases, two or more factors may need to be addressed to retain special educators.

Teacher retention research indicates that special educational teachers (SET) have a greater turnover rate than general education teachers (GET) (Brownell, 2006). (Singh, 2008) indicates in his review of numerous studies regarding teacher retention that there is strong evidence that attrition is greater among secondary teachers than elementary school teachers.

Problem Statement

About 11% of special education teachers leave special education each year, compared with 6% of general education teachers. However, of the 11% of special education teachers who leave annually, 5% transfer to general education and 6% leave the teaching profession altogether. A lack of administrative support is frequently cited as a primary reason why special education teachers leave their jobs. Clearly, the shortage of well-prepared, competent school principals has the potential to exacerbate the current nationwide shortage of special educators. All new principals are challenged by the complexity of the role (Platt, 2006). The attrition of Special Education teachers raises serious questions about public education's ability to provide high-quality services in compliance with federal and state guidelines for disabled students.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study was to examine the features that contribute to the retention of secondary special education teachers. The study considered both special education teachers who received certification through college preparation programs as well as those teachers who earned certification through the alternative programs. Factors that contribute to teachers remaining in the profession will be analyzed and information provided to school district personnel so that information may be used to develop professional training and support to facilitate the retention of secondary special education teachers. Because of the teacher shortage, school personnel need to know how to retain teachers currently employed (Miller, 2009).

Aims and Objectives of the Study

The aims and objectives of this study will be to:

Highlight the importance of retaining special education teachers in a society that is already facing the problem of teacher shortage.

Elaborate the factors that have negatively influenced the retention rate of special education teachers.

Elaborate on the features of effective strategies in place in public ...