Strategies for Promoting Equity with Diverse Student Populations: Students with Special Needs Lynn Holdheide, Center on Great Teachers and Leaders and the National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI) Promoting Equitable Access at the State and Local Levels SECC/TXCC Regional Institute November 5 & 6, 2015

 There is NO silver bullet…..  We have tried BUT… “Nine of the 13 educational fields identified by the American Association for Employment in Education (2008) as areas of considerable shortage are in special education” (Provost, 2009) Why this session?

 Discuss unique factors that contribute to issues in retention and recruitment Characterize equitable access to special educators as a system issue  Determine deliberate efforts within existing state equity strategies that will contribute to improved retention and recruitment  Determine matrices to inform progress Today’s Objectives

There are not enough special educators to fill vacancies each year (Vittek, 2014)

 Newly hired special education teachers are 2.5 times as likely to leave teaching compared to other beginning teachers (Smith & Ingersoll, 2004).  7.9% of beginning special education teachers (i.e., teachers with 1 to 3 years of experience) left teaching, as compared to 5.1% of teachers with 4 to 12 years of experience (Boe, Cook, & Sunderland, 2008).  Uncertified special educators leave the field more frequently than fully certified special educators (Carlson & Billingsely, 2001) We just cannot keep’em

 Job Satisfaction (Vittek, 2014) Role variability and lack of defined expectations Less and less time spent on instruction Increased work-load than their general education peers (e.g. paperwork) Compensation Accountability requirements Lack of administrative support/ disconnect with local administrator Social disconnect Lack of resources Variables influencing retention

Preparation Participation in a more significant student teaching experience (Connelly and Graham, 2009) Partnerships with local districts Residency programs Rigorous licensure standards and program approval Strategies to Keep’em

Professional Learning and Support  Investing in Induction that is distinctive to special education (Billingsley, 2004a; Thornton et al., 2007;Wasburn-Moses, 2006) – includes assistance with Individualized Education – Program (IEP) writing, proper mentoring, and appropriate professional development  Investing in Mentoring Beneficial when provided with a mentor from the special education department, as well as a mentor from the general education department (Wasburn- Moses, 2006). Strategies to Keep’em

Administrative Support Focused training for leaders to understand and support the role of the special educator/ELL Specialists (Billingsley, McLeskey, & Crockett; 2014) School Climate Culture of shared ownership/support collaboration between special education, ELL specialists and general education teachers (Billingsley, 2013) Job Design Limit role ambiguity/non-teaching responsibilities (Leko & Smith, 2010; Vittek, 2014) Strategies to Keep’em

 The approach is similar for general & special education personnel  We are all in it together on the working conditions piece  Administrators often need extra support in this arena  There are some important contexts & opportunities here Implications for Recruitment and Retention

Common Strategies A Preliminary Analysis A preliminary analysis of 49 submitted State Plans by the U.S. Department of Education found the most common strategies for eliminating equity gaps were:

We cannot fix recruitment and retention of special education teachers and ELL specialists by fixing special educators and specialists alone! Challenge our thinking

 Universally Designed and Differentiated Core Instruction  Universal Screening  Progress Monitoring  Problem Solving  Increasingly intensive evidence- based instruction and interventions for non-responders  Coordination of instruction and services MTSS Framework

 What are the signals when the triangle is inverted? MTSS Framework

 MTSS creates the structure to also systematically evaluate the school’s infrastructure (e.g. scheduling, curriculum, resources, and personnel) to establish and refine a continuum of systemwide resources, strategies, structures, and practices to support all student learning. – What are some examples? MTSS as the Infrastructure

 The role of the leader in strengthening instruction, collaboration, and the infrastructure (e.g. MTSS) to improve students with disabilities and English Language Learners access to effective teachers?  The role of the general education teacher in strengthening instruction, collaboration and coordination, and the infrastructure (e.g. MTSS) to improve students with disabilities and English Language Learners access to effective teachers? Shared Ownership/Inclusive Practice

 This guide is designed to help states: Strengthen existing equity strategies with a particular lens for improving students with disabilities and English Language Learners’ access to effective teachers. As needed, identify gaps in existing strategies specific to special educators and English language learner specialists. Activity (see handout)

Questions? Comments? 20

Billingsley, B. S. (1993). Teacher retention and attrition in special and general education: A critical review of the literature. Journal of Special Education, 27, Billingsley, B. S. (2004a). Promoting teacher quality and retention in special education. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 37, Billingsley, B., McLeskey, J., & Crockett, J. B. (2014). Principal leadership: Moving toward inclusive and high-achieving schools for students with disabilities (Document No. IC-8). Retrieved from University of Florida, Collaboration for Effective Educator, Development, Accountability, and Reform Center website: Carlson, E., & Billingsley, B. (2001, July). Working conditions in special education: Current research and implications for the field. Paper presented at the OSEP Project Directors Conference, Washington, DC. Chapman, D. W., & Green, M. S. (1986).Cook, L. H., & Sunderland, R. J. (2008). Teacher turnover: Examining exit attrition, teacher area transfer, and school migration. Exceptional Children, 75(1), 7–31. References 21

Connelly, V., & Graham, S. (2009). Student teaching and teacher attrition in special education. Teacher Education and Special Education, 32, Leko, M. M., & Smith, S. W. (2010). Retaining beginning special educators: What should administrators know and do? Intervention in School and Clinic, 45, Metzke, L. K. (1988). A study of the causes of teacher attrition in regular education and special education in Wisconsin. Dissertation Abstracts International, 24, Provost, J. (2009). Special education personnel needs: Matters of quality as well as quantity. Journal of Special Education Leadership, 22, Smith, T. M., & Ingersoll, R. M. (2004). What are the effects of induction and mentoring on beginning teacher turnover? American Educational Research Journal, 41, 681–714. Thornton, B., Peltier, G., & Medina, R. (2007). Reducing the special education teacher shortage. Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 80, References 22

Vittek, J. E. (2015). Promoting Special Educator Teacher Retention. SAGE Open, 5(2), Retrieved from: Wasburn-Moses, L. (2006). A practical proposal for special education teacher induction. Mid- Western Educational Researcher,19(4), Wasburn-Moses, L. (2009). An exploration of pre-service teachers’ expectations for their future roles. Teacher Education and Special Education, 32, References 23