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SPECIAL EDUCATORS SAY CASE LOADS ARE OVERWHELMING

November 8, 2000

EDITOR'S NOTE: Special Education News presents this monthly feature to give readers a glimpse of interesting developments in the special education field. Special Education News welcomes submissions for future monthly data reports.

Special ed teaching conditions today "have pushed the field into crisis," and many students with special needs are suffering as a result, the Council for Exceptional Children says. In its "Conditions for Special Education Teaching" report released last month, which surveyed CEC member special ed teachers plus general ed teachers, special ed administrators and school principals, the CEC argues heavy paperwork, limited access to teaching materials and poor staff development, among other factors, are hindering teachers' best efforts to help their students.

CEC: SPECIAL ED TEACHING TODAY IS PAPERWORK FIRST, STUDENTS A DISTANT SECOND October 31, 2000

Though very few special ed teachers surveyed said they definitely plan to quit soon because of these problems, some said persistent frustration and long work days are causing them to consider making a change. As one special ed teacher surveyed put it, "Most of us got into special education because we wanted to teach, to work with kids, and it seems like that aspect of the job is taking a back seat to the administrative duties."

More than two-thirds of special ed teachers and nearly three quarters of special ed and general ed teachers say they spend less than three hours per week in one-to-one instruction with students with special needs.

Amount of one-to-one time spent by special ed teachers and all teachers in the United States and Canada:

• No time --
  all teachers: 25.3%   special ed teachers: 15%
• Less than 1 hour per week --
  all teachers: 31%   special ed teachers: 31%
• 1 to 2 hours --
  all teachers: 16%   special ed teachers: 22%
• 2 to 3 hours --
  all teachers: 7%   special ed teachers: 10%
• 3 to 4 hours --
  all teachers: 4.7%   special ed teachers: 3%
• 4 to 5 hours --
  all teachers: 4.7%   special ed teachers: 6%
• More than 5 hours --
  all teachers: 12.7%   special ed teachers: 13%

Most special ed and general ed teachers say the most important reason they are not able to teach students with special needs more effectively is their classes and caseloads are too big. School principals agree, while special ed administrators say teachers need more time for curriculum and lesson planning.

Top five issues that need attention, when all survey responses were combined:

1. case load
2. access to instructional materials for students with special needs
3. planning time
4. administrative support
5. staff development

For its report, the CEC collected data from 538 educators and administrators in the United States and Canada: 246 special ed teachers, 158 special ed administrators, 72 general ed teachers and 110 school principals.8