The center on personnel studies in special education: research issues in teacher education.

Since the passage of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, the field of special education has been concerned with the preparation of adequate numbers of qualified teachers. To address this concern, the U.S. Congress has authorized more than $90 million each year for the U. S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), to improve the field's capacity to recruit and prepare special education teachers. Despite OSEP's significant investment, the field suffers from chronic teacher shortages, which appear to be increasing. At the same time, many policymakers are advocating for alternative routes to the classroom to solve shortages; yet, ...