Autism Spectrum Disorder (revised) by Chantal Sicile-Kira

Author:Chantal Sicile-Kira
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Group, USA
Published: 2014-01-07T05:00:00+00:00

Personnel Facts and Concerns

The most important aspect of any educational program is the frontline educational staff teaching the children. Studies and presentations released by the Center on Personnel Studies in Special Education (COPSSE) show that:

There is a high turnover rate in special education teachers. Thirteen percent of special education teachers depart each year, which is ten times the rate of general education teachers. The available data suggests that there is a critical shortage of special education teachers willing to work at the salaries offered, under the working conditions that exist in the classrooms. The shortage of special education teachers is chronic and long-term, and 10 percent of all teachers are uncertified (“Teacher Education: What Difference Does It Make?” April 2003).

Work environment factors such as low salaries, poor atmosphere, lack of administrative support, and role-definition problems lead to stress and low levels of job satisfaction and commitment. These, in turn, can lead to withdrawal and eventually attrition. Teachers who were younger and inexperienced, and those who were uncertified, had higher rates of attrition, as did those with higher test scores (“Special Education Teacher Retention and Attrition: A Critical Analysis of the Literature,” Bonnie S. Billingsley).

In the 1990s and 2000–2002, the role of paraprofessionals (i.e., school or instructional aides) evolved into one with a high level of responsibility including decision making regarding adaptations, providing behavioral supports, and interacting with team members including parents. The teachers’ roles changed, too, becoming more like managers and instructional team leaders (“Paraprofessionals,” Teri Wallace).

Federal provisions require that all paraprofessionals be adequately prepared for their roles and responsibilities. The 1997 Amendments to IDEA require training and supervision for paraprofessionals who assist in the provision of special education services. Despite these laws, many local and state agencies do not provide significant preservice or in-service training (“Paraprofessionals,” Teri Wallace).

Special education administrators face the increasingly difficult task of recruiting, retaining, and developing the professional skills of special education personnel. Skilled administrators are sorely needed to steer special education in the right direction. However, in the past ten years, the preparation and licensure of special education administrators has not received much attention. Also, states vary on how they endorse and certify special education administrators (or avoid doing so) (“Special Education Administration at a Crossroads: Availability, Licensure, and Preparation of Special Education Administrators,” Carl Lashley and Mary Lynn Boscardin).

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