The Role of Teacher Preparation in Fulfilling the Promise of IDEA

Preparing the special education workforce is critical to ensuring students with disabilities receive the education to which they are entitled under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). In this Q&A, Lindsey Hayes, a principal researcher at AIR, discusses the influence of IDEA on teacher preparations.
 

Q: How has IDEA shaped the preparation of special educators?

Hayes: For 50 years, IDEA has revolutionized how we support learners with disabilities and has shaped the very identity of the special education profession. One of IDEA’s most powerful contributions is the mandate for specially designed instruction (SDI), a systematic, intentional approach to instruction that is individualized to a child’s needs and delivered by highly qualified personnel. SDI ensures that every child with a disability can access and succeed in the general education curriculum, opening doors that were once closed. 

To meet IDEA’s vision, preparation programs must help special education teachers develop deep expertise in SDI, as well as broad knowledge of practices that promote the inclusion of students with disabilities within the general education curriculum. Preparation programs must provide aspiring special educators with rigorous training on how to adapt the content, methodology, and delivery of instruction, as well as how to use data-driven decision-making to individualize and intensify instruction. Through their preparation experiences, special educators also learn how to collaborate with other educators and related service providers to deliver SDI across instructional settings, ensuring they are ready to meet individual learning needs in the least restrictive environment.

Q: How are special education teacher programs evolving? 

Hayes: IDEA continues to uphold standards of preparation that benefit students and strengthen the profession. For example, IDEA requires that special educators hold at least a bachelor’s degree and full state certification, a requirement that is not in place for general educators. At a time when the educator workforce is experiencing unprecedented personnel shortages, our charge is to expand pathways into the profession while honoring the letter and spirit of IDEA, which is that every child with a disability must have access to effective, well-prepared educators. 

Alternative preparation pathways, specifically pathways outside of traditional, four-year undergraduate programs, are growing rapidly in response to teacher shortages. This shift brings challenges, but also exciting possibilities. For example, states, districts, and preparation programs can partner to design innovative preparation models such as teacher residencies, registered apprenticeships, and grow-your-own programs. These approaches—when implemented with quality—can reduce financial and practical barriers to entering the profession while maintaining rigor through practice-based preparation.

Practice-based models have the potential to transform traditional educator preparation by giving teachers hands-on opportunities to practice, receive feedback, and reflect on specific, high-leverage instructional practices through sustained mentoring and coaching from expert teachers. By embracing practice-based models, preparation providers can strengthen preparation pipelines while equipping special educators with the skills they need to advance the promises of IDEA.

Q: How can states and districts use to leverage IDEA funding and technical assistance to build capacity in their educator workforces?

Hayes: IDEA funding and technical assistance has been a driving force behind innovation and excellence in the field of special education. In particular, Part D of IDEA has provided critical federal funding for national activities to improve the education of children with disabilities. From personnel development programs that prepare highly skilled educators, to technical assistance and dissemination centers that offer evidence-based resources, and parent training and information centers that empower families, IDEA Part D has built a powerful network of expertise and support. This network has helped states and districts implement IDEA with fidelity, efficiency, and impact, fueling progress that benefits educators, families, and, most importantly, students.

Today, as the future of IDEA Part D funding faces uncertainty, states and districts are looking for new ways to sustain this progress. To build educator capacity, states and districts might consider funding their own technical assistance networks or partnerships to ensure that schools and educators continue to have access to evidence-based resources, professional development, and implementation support. To maintain momentum for IDEA’s mandate to recruit, hire, train, and retain highly qualified special education personnel, states and districts should consider using IDEA funds to support innovative, collaborative preparation models, such as residencies and grow-your-own programs. Investing in high-quality preparation and professional development initiatives will result in stronger systems, better-trained educators, and more informed families.