Retention and Attrition of Local Special Education Directors. inForum

Overview & Synopsis

Local special education directors oversee district-level special education programs. They play an essential role in assisting with program administration, ensuring the quality of special education services and working with teachers and parents in the education process. A number of state special education directors have noted that job turnover in local special education director positions presents an ongoing challenge. Although research relating to the role of the local special education director remains extremely limited, one study suggests that local directors are often frustrated by the lack of adequate funding for special education as well as a perceived lack of administrative support (Marsh, 2005). Another study suggests that one potential strategy for reducing attrition is mentoring for new special education directors (Collin, 2008). The purpose of this document is to: (1) describe challenges, as perceived by state directors of special education, relating to the retention and attrition of local special education directors; and (2) propose strategies for addressing this problem at both the state education agency (SEA) and local education agency (LEA) levels. (Contains 1 footnote.)