Recruitment and Retention of Special Education Staff

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Of the more than 1 million Washington students enrolled in K-12 education in the 2021-2022 school year, almost 150,000 are eligible for special education services. Having an adequate and stable supply of qualified special education teachers and support staff is essential if the state is to assure quality instruction for these students and help them achieve educational goals.

Like most states, however, Washington reports shortages of qualified special education staff. As a result, many school districts struggle in recruiting qualified teachers to fill special education vacancies. The shortfall also reflects the related problem of retaining staff. People may leave special education for other public school teaching roles or abandon the profession entirely. Either way, students with the most complex educational needs can be left without the properly trained staff to meet their needs.

Washington’s Legislature continues to work to ensure every child in Washington receives the maximum benefits of a public education. For example, a child with disabilities cannot reach their potential without the support of dedicated teachers, paraeducators, psychologists and others. Legislators expressed interest in identifying successful recruitment and retention strategies for special education staff. In this audit, we reviewed the approaches and successes of other states in attracting and retaining these important frontline workers.

Read a two-page summary of the report.

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Key results

This audit identified strategies to help school districts improve their efforts to recruit and retain special education teachers and staff. It also considered the challenges districts face in those efforts. Finally, it looked for ways districts might collaborate with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and Education Service Districts (ESDs) if they wish to implement or scale up recommended strategies.

In addition, the audit found: 

  • Washington lacks qualified special education staff, but does not know the full extent of the shortage and attrition in the field
  • School districts described multiple challenges they face in recruiting and retaining special education staff
  • School districts may be able to improve recruitment and retention practices but will need regional and statewide support to do so

Background

Students with disabilities have distinctive social, emotional and functional needs that can affect their ability to learn. They may need extra help with basic elements of schoolwork, including studying in a classroom or using technology. They might need guidance in interacting with other students or adults, or help moving between classes. Special education services can include lessons to develop basic life skills, speech or physical therapy, vocational education and travel training.

Both federal and state laws (the Individual with Disabilities Act (IDEA) and RCW 28A.155, respectively) require that students with disabilities who are eligible for special education services receive a free and appropriate public education. The law defines “appropriate education” as one directed to the unique needs, abilities and limitations of disabled children who are enrolled in a school district.

School districts are responsible for providing special education services to students, but Educational Service Districts (ESDs) and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) also play a key role.

Exact shortfall of staff unknown

Research studies and school districts report shortages of special education staff, particularly in rural and high-poverty districts. Inexperienced teachers and paraeducators are also common in special education settings. Moreover, attrition reduces the supply of available, fully qualified teachers and staff.

Washington’s shortfall and high turnover in special education may be greater than studies suggest. To quantify total unmet need and determine statewide critical teacher shortage areas, the U.S. Department of Education recommends states collect three types of data:

  • Vacant, unfilled positions
  • Positions filled with teachers who lack a matching endorsement in the content area they have been assigned to teach
  • Positions filled with teachers who have only a limited certificate

However, Washington cannot make a complete estimate on a statewide level because it does not collect and analyze school district data for vacant positions. For this reason, the special education shortage may be greater than the estimates.

Collecting and analyzing job vacancy data could help the state identify the school districts with severe staffing needs and deploy resources accordingly to address the shortage.

Districts face challenges

Various factors can complicate school districts’ recruitment and retention efforts, among them unfavorable working conditions. These problems can include heavy caseloads, administrative responsibilities and lack of leadership support. Districts that can pay higher wages, even within the same region, may be better able to attract and retain qualified staff. In addition, the quality of preparation and mentorship programs can affect teacher preparedness for the job and lead to turnover.

Finally, community factors can also create barriers to recruitment and retention. During the audit, school district staff raised issues that included:

  • District location may be remote, expensive, and lack housing or other amenities
  • Few special education preparation programs in or near the district

The audit went on to consider leading practices that might help school districts improve their efforts to recruit and retain special education staff.

Areas of practice

We identified five areas of practice that can enhance school district efforts to recruit qualified special education teachers and support staff, and retain people they do hire. These five areas are:

  1. Create alternative pathways into the profession
  2. Take advantage of newly reduced credentialing barriers
  3. Provide financial incentives for special education roles
  4. Promote manageable workloads
  5. Establish supportive workplaces

However, school districts alone cannot solve the state’s lack of qualified special education staff, with its adverse effects on students. Multiple educational agencies will need to work together, including the ESDs and OSPI.

Take practice area #2, for example. Until recently, Washington was among the many states that required teachers with out-of-state endorsements obtain a Washington certificate before being allowed to teach in our public schools. However, in 2024, the Legislature passed a bill to join the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact. This agreement is already in place in 11 other states, and pending approval in seven more. One key benefit of the compact establishes a streamlined pathway to licensure mobility for teachers.

Teachers with an eligible license apply when they enter a member state. They receive the closest equivalent license without taking state-specific exams or completing additional coursework. This pathway will also include teachers holding special education endorsements. Proponents expect the compact will be especially beneficial to military spouses, who often find an educational certificate issued in their home state is not as useful in gaining a teaching job in their spouse’s next assignment.

OSPI can develop and disseminate guidance to help school districts understand how these changes affect the hiring of special education teachers with out-of-state endorsements and certificates.

Future work in special education

This performance audit also fits into a wider constellation of studies intended to address the interests of policy makers. In 2025, we plan to review the prevalence of disabilities requiring special education services across Washington. Then, in 2026, we plan to conduct a performance audit of non-public agencies that provide special education services. Our audits will look at the authorization, monitoring and investigation of these services.

Our colleagues at the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee will also be conducting reviews in related areas. Taken together, these special education reports will form a solid factual basis for ongoing improvements to special education in our state. We at the State Auditor’s Office are proud to be part of that effort.

Recommendations

This audit did not make formal recommendations to the school districts interviewed or other educational agencies mentioned in the report. However, we consider the audit results so broadly applicable that it is in the state’s best interest for all school districts, educational service districts and OSPI to consider the strategies highlighted in this report.