Special Education Value-Added performance Evaluation Systems: A State-Level Focus - This brief policy analysis describes current special education teacher and related services provider performance evaluation systems in the states. The document begins with a brief background on methods of measuring teacher effectiveness. Data was collected through a survey of states and results are provided regarding state roles in performance evaluation frameworks, differentiation of these frameworks for special educators, how evaluation data is used for special educators and recommendations from the states that responded. (Paula Burdette, National Association of State Directors of Special Education, November 2011)...

Assessing Trends in Leadership: Special Education's Capacity to Produce a Highly Qualified Workforce--2011 Final Report - During the next five years, doctoral granting institutions of higher education--those producing the teacher educators who will produce the next generation of teachers--will lose one half to two-thirds of their faculty to retirement alone. (IRIS@CGU, September 2011)...

Recruiting and Retaining Qualified Special Education Personnel: Approaches from Eight State Education Agencies - The interview used for this report addressed 10 recruitment and retention strategies that were chosen based on the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) work with state. State-level infrastructures, recruitment to the field, recruitment to specific jobs, retention, barriers and recommendations were discussed. An appendix that delineates state-level approaches to recruitment and retention about which the eight states were interviewed is provided. (Eve Muller, NASDSE, February 2011)...

Virtual Personnel Preparation Programs for Special Educators: Several Approaches - In response to teacher shortages around the country, the number of virtual personnel preparation programs has grown dramatically over the past few years. The purpose of this document is to: (1) provide a brief overview of current research on virtual postsecondary education, particularly as it pertains to the preparation of special educators; and (2) describe the features of a variety of virtual personnel preparation programs for special educators. (Eve Muller, Project Forum/National Association of State Directors of Special Education, April 2009)...

General Education Teachers’ Role in Special Education - This fact sheet from the Study of Personnel Needs in Special Education summarizes the role general education teachers play in special education. (U.S. Office of Special Education Programs, December 2001) ...