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Rand Report Notes Special Education Teacher Shortages

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In a Rand Corporation Report, written by Melissa Kay Diliberti and Heather L. Schwartz, and released on Thursday, the authors note that while educator turnover has increased, districts are taking steps to boost teacher ranks through increased salary and benefits and grow-your-own teacher preparation programs.

Shortages in special education remain high, regardless of other factors. Only 31% of the 300 leaders from school districts and charter management organizations who took the sixth American School District Panel survey in fall 2022 report no shortages in special education staffing while 53% report moderate to considerable shortages. Weighted percentages broken down by locale, race/ethnicity, and poverty level show moderate to considerable special education shortages in special education at 51% for rural schools, 55% for suburban, and 63% for urban schools. A breakdown for race/ethnicity indicates a moderate to considerable special education shortage for majority white schools at 52% and a 60% level of need for schools with a majority of students of color. Examined through a lens of poverty, 47% of low poverty schools and 62% of high poverty schools indicate a moderate to considerable shortage of special education teachers.

The authors observe that while certain policy measures such as increased pay and teacher preparation are beginning to ease the shortage, they stress the need to maintain teacher quality along with other measures. Accompanying the report is an interactive visualization tool that allows users to select and view weighted results for each survey question by locale, student race and ethnicity, and district poverty level. While the report focuses on teacher shortage, other questions can be accessed within the data tool, including how schools are navigating current events such as political polarization and the funding impact once American Rescue Plan (ARP) Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) investments expire.

Read the report here.

Posted:  17 February, 2023
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