Dual Certification in Special and Elementary Education and the Academic Achievement of Students With Disabilities

• In Event: Not Siloed: Working Across Disciplines to Improve Teacher Preparation

Abstract

Researchers and policymakers commonly use certification as a metric of teaching quality in subject areas as well as particular subfields of education. This study examined the association between having a teacher with a dual certification in elementary and special education and math and reading achievement for students with disabilities (SWDs). Using a nationally representative sample from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study: Kindergarten Class of 2010-11, we employed OLS regression models supplemented with school and child fixed effects to examine differences based on certification type for children in kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grades. After controlling for confounding variation at the school and child-levels, we find that SWDs with teachers with dual certification score better in reading and math. Implications are discussed.

Authors

• Jacob Kirksey, Texas Tech University

• Michael Lloydhauser, University of California - Santa Barbara