Seeking Racial Diversity but Not Finding: Exploring 23 Years of Degree Attainment in Special Education

• In Event: Race, Equity, and Disparities in Special and Inclusive Education

Abstract

Efforts to recruit racially-diverse teachers, particularly special education teachers, have not kept pace with teacher shortages even as degree-attainment has increased and as the demographics of K-12 students has become more racially-diverse (NCES, 2017). Research on degree attainment by race in education and special education is limited. Using IPEDS data, we examine the degree attainment patterns in education and special education by race over the past twenty-three years and how the racial distribution of special education degrees aligns with the racial distribution of K-12 students. We find that the percentage of Hispanic teachers has increased but the racial distribution of special education teachers does not match the racial distribution of K-12 students.

Authors

• Derek A. Houston, Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville

• Christopher J. Cormier, Stanford University

• LaRon A. Scott, Virginia Commonwealth University