Special Education Teacher Career Trajectories: Predicting Persistence in the Profession

• In Event: Special and Inclusive Education Teacher Leadership and Preparation

Abstract

Working in a research-practice partnership, we used longitudinal administrative data records from Utah (2005-2020) to describe special education teachers' career trajectories and identify teacher and school characteristics associated with various labor market outcomes (e.g., transfer, attrition, position changes). We found that approximately half of special education teachers permanently exit the profession and one in three special education teachers change districts or positions. We also found that teacher gender and race were predictive of various labor market outcomes. The identification of teacher and school characteristics most often associated with persistence in the special education teaching profession can inform strategies taken by teacher preparation programs, policymakers, and district leaders to ensure that special education teachers persist.

Authors

• Amy Auletto, University of Utah

• Sreeja Nair, University of Utah

• Bichu Li, University of Utah

• Yongmei Ni, University of Utah

• Andrea K. Rorrer, University of Utah