The Special Educator Workforce: A Research Collaborative (SPARC Center)
The SPARC Center conducts research and leads systemic change to strengthen the special educator workforce.
Special education teacher staffing challenges have existed for decades, making it difficult for schools to provide a free, appropriate public education to students with disabilities. Special education staffing challenges have become especially concerning in the face of increasing teacher attrition and declining enrollment in teacher preparation programs. Addressing these challenges is an urgent federal and state policy priority.
The SPARC Center is working to address these challenges by studying the composition, distribution, stability, and effectiveness of the special educator workforce. Through a national network of researchers, the SPARC Center is using state longitudinal data systems and qualitative data to conduct a cohesive, mixed-methods program of research. The SPARC Center is currently working with seven state education agencies to examine their special education teacher workforce data.
Additionally, the SPARC Center is conducting national leadership activities to raise awareness of the Center’s research findings, inform policymakers, and improve the capacity of states to conduct high-quality research on the special education workforce.
The SPARC Center is a five-year special education research and development center funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) and managed by AIR.
