What Makes Special-Education Teachers Special? Teacher Training and Acheivement of Students with Disabilities

Andrew Young School of Policy Studies Research Paper Series No. 12-10

W. J. Usery Workplace Research Group Paper No. 2012-2-4

38 Pages Posted: 14 Mar 2012

See all articles by Tim R. Sass

Tim R. Sass

Georgia State University - Andrew Young School of Policy Studies

Li Feng

Texas State University

Date Written: February 27, 2012

Abstract

We analyze the impact of both pre-service preparation and in-service formal and informal training on the ability of teachers to promote academic achievement among students with disabilities. We employ rich student-level longitudinal data from Florida over a five-year period to estimate “value-added” models of student achievement. We find little support for the efficacy of in-service professional development courses focusing on special education. However, we do find that teachers who hold advanced degrees are more effective in boosting mathematics achievement of students with disabilities than are educators with only a baccalaureate degree. Further, pre-service preparation in special education has statistically significant and quantitatively substantial effects on the ability of teachers of special education courses to promote gains in achievement for students with disabilities, especially in reading. In particular, certification in special education, an undergraduate major in special education and the amount of special education coursework in college are all positively correlated with the performance of teachers in special education reading courses.

Suggested Citation

Sass, Tim and Feng, Li, What Makes Special-Education Teachers Special? Teacher Training and Acheivement of Students with Disabilities (February 27, 2012). Andrew Young School of Policy Studies Research Paper Series No. 12-10, W. J. Usery Workplace Research Group Paper No. 2012-2-4, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2020714 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2020714

Tim Sass (Contact Author)

Georgia State University - Andrew Young School of Policy Studies ( email )

Department of Economics
35 Broad Street, 6th Floor
Atlanta, GA 30303-3083
United States
404-413-0150 (Phone)
404-413-0145 (Fax)

Li Feng

Texas State University ( email )

601 University Drive
San Marcos, TX 78666-4616
United States
512-245-8462 (Phone)
512.245.3089 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://uweb.txstate.edu/~lf20/

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