On this page:
- What do Special Education teachers with Cross-Categorical Certification do?
- What is the job market for Special Education teachers?
What do Special Education teachers with Cross-Categorical Certification do?
Increasingly, students with disabilities are served in inclusive regular education settings supplemented by cross-categorical support services provided by a special education case manager. When students with disabilities are served outside of regular education classrooms it is typically in a "resource room" where students with various disabilities are provided specialized instruction, either individually or in small groups. The teacher may spend some time with a student or small group working on such things as study skills, preparing for a test, organization and test-taking strategies, and other strategies that help them learn more effectively and efficiently.
Special education teachers also work with general education teachers to develop lesson plans, materials, and tests; adapt curriculum to be appropriate for each students; and teach specific learning strategies and study skills. The special education teacher responsibilities also include assessment, developing individual education and transitions plans, and working with families and other support services. The individual education and placement plans developed for students with special needs are increasingly driven by the student’s instructional and behavioral needs rather than by category of disability diagnosis. Similarly, special education teachers are assigned a caseload of students with special needs based on their education plans rather than category of disability.
With the exception of teachers who work with students with profound and multiple disabilities in self-contained classrooms, the vast majority of special education teachers now work with students with learning, cognitive, and emotional/behavioral disabilities, thus the needs for cross-categorical certification.
What is the job market for Special Education teachers?
According to the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Outlook Handbook, "employment of special education teachers is expected to increase faster than the average for all occupations through 2010, spurred by continued growth in the number of special education students needing services, legislation emphasizing training and employment for individuals with disabilities, and educational reforms requiring higher standards for graduation. The need is to replace special education teachers who switch to general education, change careers altogether, or retire will lead to additional job openings. Although all areas of the country report difficulty finding qualified applicants, positions in inner cities and rural areas usually are more plentiful than job openings in suburban or wealthy urban areas.
The number of students identified as needing special education services has continued to grow, and is increasing at a rate higher than both the general population and school enrollment according to the U.S. Department of Education. Given all of these factors, Special Education teachers should have excellent job prospects for many years to come. In fact, according the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment opportunities in special education teaching are expected to grow nationally 35% or more between 1996 and 2008, an increase of 126,000 positions
While there is a shortage of teaching personnel in all disability areas, there is an even greater demand for teachers prepared to teach across a variety of disabling conditions (cross- or multi-categorical teachers). The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) reported that over 90% of states use some sort of multi-categorical licensure. (Issues in Preparing and Licensing Special Educators, 2001). Wisconsin PL 34 provided a structure for cross-categorical special education licensure beginning in 2004. This licensure allows graduates to teach any combination of Cognitive, Emotional/Behavioral (E/BD) and/or Learning Disabilities (LD).
The 2003 Teacher Supply Demand Report indicated an "Above Average" need for special education teachers with CD, E/BD, and Cross-Categorical certification and an "Average" need for teachers with LD certification. Wisconsin DPI processes hundreds of emergency special education licenses each year (individuals not certifiable but teaching in special education).
Without an adequate supply of qualified special education teachers available, practitioners and researchers alike agree that disabled students are not receiving the quality of educational services mandated by the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Ultimately, the most important reason to provide an adequate supply of appropriately trained Special Educators is to provide an appropriate education to students who are disabled.
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