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Teacher Retention in Special Education
Teacher Retention in Special Education
(Author’s name)
(Institutional Affiliation)
Background of Issue
The central challenge in the field of special education is coming up with a work force that is qualified and establishing work environments that sustain the involvement of special educators and their commitment. For numerous years, the demand and supply of special teachers and educators has been of central concern to many stakeholders and especially, policymakers. The field of special education has insufficient supply of current and new educators, in addition to, qualified educators who are currently available to fill in the vacancies. For instance, numerous administrators indicate that a shortage of qualified educators is the main barrier to getting special education tutors. Current data indicate that there has been a regular development over years was the demand of special education tutors has exceeded their supply. As it follows, there has been a distinctive increasing tendency in the number of tutors required over time to replace unqualified professionals and fill vacancies (Sindelar, Shearer, Yendol-Hoppey & Liebert, 2006).
A number of researchers estimate that about 10 percent of the current special education teachers are not fully certified or qualified for their jobs and positions. However, these statistics, though crucial, may not fully show the level to which the teacher shortage issue is affecting education. For instance, school districts might be forced to decrease and limit services to disabled children or in rise limits to the size of the class. The special educator shortage problems have critical implications for students with different kinds of disabilities, especially when educators with inadequate qualifications and preparation teach them. Numerous studies point out that this can result to a number of crucial consequences, including insufficient educational experiences for the learners, decreased levels of student achievement and inadequate competence of resulting graduates in the work place (Boe, Cook & Sunderland, 2006).
Although the causes of the special education teacher shortage are varied and complex, the retention of educators has been identified as the most crucial part of solving the issue. This is because shortage issues will not be addressed by recruiting thousands of new educators into the teaching profession if they end up leaving after a few years (Nance & Calabrese, 2009). It is also crucial to become familiar with the number of tutors leaving and the reasons as to why they leave. However, before figuring this out, the key issue to answering this question is solving and understanding teacher attrition. Clearly, educator attrition is a key contributor to the shortage of tutors in special education. Appreciating the levels at which educators, leave is essential, as most educators are employed or hired to replace those who decide to leave rather than to meet the increasing needs of an expanding enrolment, or new programs or smaller class sizes. As it follows, efforts committed to dealing with attrition should put more focus on understanding the factor or elements that contribute to the decisions special educators make to leave the special education field (Futernick, 2007).
Identification of the Problem
Attracting and retaining special education educators who are qualified is a challenge. The quality of educators in special education is mainly threatened by the lack of qualified professionals, the reaction of educators to their environment of work and personal elements such as lack of or diminished interest because of unknown reasons or stress. Special educators, the most crucial recruits in public schools currently, work hard daily to deliver on the promises of the IDEA, individuals with disabilities education act, however, complexities of the environment they work in and their profession conspire to convince them to leave their work. A study carried out recently found that more than 28 percent of the special educator participants were undecided about whether they were going to remain in the field or wanted to stay only for a short term up to when something more interesting crops up (Guarino, Santibanez & Daley, 2006).
The study cited different factors such as unmanageable workloads, teaching children from more than four disability groups and interference of paperwork with work as some of the main reasons as to why special education tutors intended to leave their profession as soon as they could. Other reasons given included minimal opportunities for professional development, unsupportive school environments, non- certification or license status, administrative burdens related to IDEA, caseloads with more than one area of disability and role dissonance and conflict (Nance & Calabrese, 2009). The study noted that 6 percent of all educators in special education leave their profession each year with other five percent of educators in special education leaving for another field in teaching (Guarino, Santibanez & Daley, 2006).
As it follows, administrators face a serious shortage of licensed and qualified special education tutors, in an era of increasing accountability for all tutors to be highly qualified and for all learners to make enough annual progress. Yet, never was the effectiveness of an educator in special education more significant than in the current educational field (Sindelar, Shearer, Yendol-Hoppey & Liebert, 2006).
Purpose of the Study
The intention of this research essay is to draw attention to and discuss the reasons former or current tenured educators in special education leave or remain in their special education professionals. The paper will do so by highlighting the importance of highly qualified tutors in special education and their influence on high levels of academic success by students. In addition to this, the essay will also share the reasons why teachers in special education decide to leave their positions for other professions. Furthermore, the article will show how administrators and policy makers can support tutors in special education and convince them to stay in their profession.
Research Questions
To realize the intention of the essay, the article will base its research on three main questions. These questions will help in answering questions that can be used to solve the issue of teacher retention. The questions include the following.
Are special education tutors candidates the right fit for the job?
What are some of the internal elements that lead to retention of teachers in the special education field?
What are some of the external factors that might lead to educator retention in the profession of special education?
What can be done to improve educator retention in the profession of special education?
Hypothesis
In order for the paper to work out these questions and come up with conclusive answers, it will have to base its research on one hypothesis. The hypothesis is as follows: Providing special education educators with support, training, personal enrichment and conducive work environment and conditions will increase the chances of administrators retaining more educators while decreasing teacher shortage in the profession of special education.
Methodology
For this article, electronic databases like Google Scholar, ERIC and Psychological Abstracts, among others, were searched using search terms such as retention of special education educators, teacher retention, special education attrition, turnover, retention and transfer. Studies prior to 2006 were not considered or included since they represent information derived and applicable to older education systems. Since the study required information and data pertaining the current special education profession and issues affecting it, it was found better to focus on studies and surveys carried out and published in the past five years.
The reference page summarizes five research- based articles and studies in scholarly journals that meet the previously described criteria. A number of research presentations and reports and their findings are also included in this research paper as the results and findings from several key funded projects are not present as journal articles. Reports consisting mainly of tables, charts and diagrams with minimal or limited narrative discussion were not included. In addition to this, research papers directed mainly at personnel demand and supply, job satisfaction, rates of attrition, burnout, stress and general education attrition were included and used only to give context for the results and findings of this research paper. Furthermore, dissertations and books were not included in the report.
Findings/ Results
The literature review provided essential results, which pointed to a number of factors that affect teacher retention in special education. The review provides a description of a broad range of elements that influence the career decisions of most special educators. The review also provides a wide range of influences on the career decisions of special education teachers including employment factors, external factors and personal factors. Some of the external factors identified include societal, economic and institutional, are external to the employing district and teacher, and have an indirect impact on the career decisions of special education educators. The center of this model emphasizes on employment factors such as work conditions, professional qualifications, rewards and commitment to district, school, teaching profession and field. The review indicates that when work conditions and professional qualifications (internal factors) are not as favorable, educators are likely to experience less rewards, and, therefore, decreased commitment. Whether educators actually leave, depends on a number of social, personal and economic factors.
Application of Results
Generally, this research found that a broad range of elements influences educator retention in special education including priorities and personal circumstances of teachers. Most of retention surveys emphasize more in problematic work conditions and environment variable and their connection to retention. Work environment elements like poor climate, role issues and lack of support from the administration can result to negative affective responses like increased stress levels, as well as, low levels of satisfaction with job and low commitment. These negative responses can also result to withdrawal and eventually attrition. Moreover, teacher qualifications variables and characteristics associated with attrition also influence retention.
The findings of this survey have noteworthy implications, mainly for administrators and policy makers. For instance, those administrators and policy makers interested in decreasing rates of attrition, increasing special educator retention must enhance the creation of improved work environments for educators in special education, solving issues like teacher role overload, and the need for crucial support systems must be addressed to make sure that tutors can be efficient and effective at their jobs. This is not to mean that solving one or two issues affecting the lives of teachers and their work will be sufficient to significantly increase retention. A holistic review at establishing positive work conditions and environments should not only increase retention, but also help sustain the involvement and commitment of educators of special educators in their fields of work.
References
Boe, E., Cook, H. & Sunderland, J. (2006). Attrition of beginning teachers: Does teacher preparation matter? (Report No. 2006-TSDQ2): Center for Research and Evaluation in Social Policy. Philadelphia, PA: Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania.
Futernick, K. (2007). A possible dream: retaining California’s special education teachers. The Special Edge 19 (3).
Guarino, M., Santibanez, L. & Daley, A. (2006). Teacher recruitment and retention: A review of the recent empirical literature. Review of Educational Research, 76 (2), 173-208.
Nance, E. & Calabrese, L. (2009). Special education teacher retention and attrition: the impact of increased legal requirements. International Journal of Educational Management, 23 (5), 431 – 440.
Sindelar, T., Shearer, K., Yendol-Hoppey, D. & Liebert, W. (2006). The sustainability of inclusive school reform. Exceptional Children, 72(3), 317-331.
Taylor Cunningham
Taylor Cunningham
EH102-01
Annotated Bibliography
8 October 2019
How can raising minimum wage help increase economic mobility?
Annotated Bibliography
Boehner, John. “Should Congress Increase the Federal Minimum Wage and Index It to Inflation? (Cover Story).” Congressional Digest, vol. 92, no. 5, May 2013, p. 19. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ulh&AN=87086284&login.asp&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
This article focuses on the fact that congress are trying to determine whether to increase the minimum wage for workers. The fact that if that is done, so many other things will go wrong in doing so. As Boehner said, “when you raise the price of employment, guess what happens? You get less of it” (19). Basically, he is saying that if the employees are getting paid more then eventually the amount of employees will eventually start to decrease. He also said, “The last time Congress increased the minimum wage, in 2007, the national unemployment rate stood at 4.4 percent and had averaged under 5 percent for the preceding three years” (19). This shows that the unemployment rate has started to increase from the decision that was made in 2007. This article can help me because it has information about what happened once before when congress decided to increase minimum wage.
Harkness, Peter A. “Rising Inequality, Stagnant Mobility.” Governing, vol. 27, no. 6, Mar. 2014, p. 18. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=brb&AN=95033692&login.asp&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
This article focuses on the fact that when Obama was in office, he decided to want the minimum wage rate to be increased. This was said in a state of the union address to congress and the United States. It is said in Harkness article, “since 1967, the inflation adjusted earnings of middle-class americans have risen a paltry 19 percent, while those in the top 5 percent have enjoyed a 67 percent gain, according to the U.S. Census Bureau” (1). Harkness also puts in his article that, “In all, 46.5 million Americans are living below the poverty level” (1). That number alone is very disturbing to read when it comes to Americans being poor. I can use this in my paper because it will help me indicate how inequality is really effecting the world today.
Irmen, Andreas, and Berthold U. Wigger. “National Minimum Wages, Capital Mobility, and Global Economic Growth.” Economics Letters, vol. 90, no. 2, Feb. 2006, pp. 285–289. EBSCOhost, doi: 10.1016/j.econlet.2005.08.011.
This article focuses on the fact that there is a two-country endogenous growth model with capital mobility and national minimum wages. It identifies conditions on the technology and national preferences that determine whether national minimum wages are a stimulus or an obstacle to economic growth. I can use this article in my paper because it helps me look at growth models that can help explain more.
Meer, Jonathan, et al. “The Wrong Tool for the Job.” City Journal, 14 Aug. 2019, https://www.city-journal.org/increasing-minimum-wage.
This article focuses on the rising of minimum wage in different countries. The fact that minimum wage has been risen already in some states is an improvement for some. In the article, Meer says, “Twenty-five states and the District of Columbia have raised their minimums since 2014” (Meer1). He also puts in his article that, “Congress is considering the Raise the Wage Act, which would phase in a nationwide increase to $15 an hour over the next few years” (Meer1). With that being risen that high, it raises concerns on what else may be effected by this. I can use this in my article by being able to see the effects that has already been done from the minimum wage being increased once before.
Schrager, Allison. “The Problem in the US Is Economic Mobility, Not the Minimum Wage.” Quartz, Quartz, 1 Aug. 2013, https://qz.com/110887/the-problem-in-the-us-is-economic-mobility-not-the-minimum-wage/
This article focuses on the fact that the problem may not be minimum wage, but it is economic mobility. The fact that there is an estimated amount a household needs to earn just to get by is concerning. Most of the U.S. is under that amount and are in poverty. In Schrager’s article, he asks, “Should people be paid their market value or an income that ensures a dignified lifestyle?” (1). Schrager also says in his article that, “living wage measures are completely arbitrary and that members of the upper middle class, both conservatives and liberals, aren’t well qualified to determine what’s an acceptable lifestyle for other people” (1). To further deliberate, other people cannot determine how a person can live just by making a certain amount of money. I can use this in my paper because it can help me go into further detail about jobs that are going on strikes due to their pay from their jobs.
Zimmerman, Seth. “LABOR MARKET INSTITUTIONS and Economic Mobility.” Urban.org, 2019, www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/31191/1001163-labor-market-institutions-and-economic-mobility.pdf.
This article focuses on the fact that there is little known about the relationship between minimum wage and economic mobility. There are several institutions used in this article that work and try to find solutions for this problem. Zimmerman says, “Though many studies of unions and minimum wage laws include tangential discussions of mobility, direct evidence is difficult to come by” (2). While reading more into this article, he also says, “Studies relating changes in minimum wage and unionization levels to income and wage inequality are much more common” (2). In this periodical Zimmerman is giving using all kinds of information. I can use this in my paper because it gives relationships and shows how it is not so easy to just compare the two, minimum wage and economic mobility.
redone_tax
TAXATION
STUDENT NAME
AFFILIATION
DATE
Question 4
To access the credit ratio of all individuals that can be fitted in this tax bracket. This is available to entrepreneur’s who have small business that qualify for such a taxable year. In full definition disabled access credit is the eligible access expenditure that is rated as 50% of which exceed $250 but is below the class of $10,250 in a taxable year.
To qualify for such a credit it is important to note that such businesses have minimal income as compared to corporate companies To be eligible for such a credit it is imperative that the company to have a substandard employee number .In such a case a limited company should be able to cope with the market demand and help the business in decision making. In financial statement the business should be able to get a gross receipt of less than a million (Lakomski, 1999).This is in comparison with a limited company but the difference is that it is its own legal entity.
A business that generates less than a $1million is capable of getting such a credit especially if they maintain a proper book of accounts which will state the preceding income statement and financial statement. In a limited company the number of employees are restricted by the law but in a business it depends on the end of year financial system. Increasing employees helps increase profit ratio but depending on the income. To be eligible for such a credit a business should have a maximum of thirty employees and a minimum of two.
In understanding the eligibility of a credit facility one has to identify the sort of credit required. In our case we understand that the Americans with Disability act requires a business to identify its access expenditures. This entails that a credit should be governed by the amount expected to incur if such a credit should be offered. They should adhere to such requirements as provision of modified equipment’s for individuals with disabilities .they should provide access to business by removing all barriers pertaining to individuals with disabilities. Through acquisition of modified equipment’s they should be able to cope with all types of disabilities.
Question five
Negative income tax is when the government gives an individual a supplement pay instead of paying actual taxes to the government. According to research such as payment is referred to a system that incorporates a progressive income tax system of taxation. EITC program identifies individuals who have earned income such as wages, salaries, tips, net earnings from self-employment. Thus a negative income tax is not a factor that disrupts low wage markets but increases the availability of cheap labor but at the same time making minimum wage impossible. In the USA most minimum waged employees are employed leaving majority of the low income Americans unemployed (Lakomski, 1999). According to Friedman NIT was outgrown by Earned Income Tax Credit which in his own understanding this would assist individuals acquire credit.
According to Friedman EITC he suggest that food stamps are a birth from this and it is just an incentive to work. The EITC is not a NIT because it facilitates the unemployed to continue receiving in kind support. A woman will be reluctant to work when they notice their husband is receiving extra credits. This means that when an individual loses work he/she will receive neither wages nor credit. EITC is not practical and does not give enough incentive to work because it compare the non-working g poor and the working poor. If the above was a NIT it would have proved that all are equal deserving the same amount.
Optimal transfers can be identified to acquire the optimal tax and should have a higher tax rates at lower income.
Question 6
EITC is a credit that needs an individual to have earned income at a certain time in their life. This can be included with such earnings from, wages, salaries and other forms of taxable pay. Earned income is considered important especially to disabled individuals who earn disability payments before retirement. It is important to note that premiums gotten after retirement are not considered as earned income. Especially from a policy you received or paid for after retirement. This include other benefits such as, interest and dividends, social security and railroad retirement benefits (Lakomski, 1999).
Social security benefits as mentioned above is not considered as Earned income because it is not acknowledged .The only time you can consider Social security is when you have a Supplementary Security Income which is accessible within 12 months according to SSI .If you are above the age of 65 years old tax credit can only be identified when the social Security is not high and is only useful when you actually owe the government (Robson, 1997)
Question 8
To qualify for EITC one has to have earned income and this will assist in saving for the future of a child. Saving is crucial and through investment opportunities a family can have the right formula for an effective payment system. Although there are tax reliefs on tuition fees including student contribution a parent should not rely on such means to invest. In the course of saving for education Coverdell Savings Account is an ideal method to save for a child’s future because they are not taxable if you pay higher educational expense. This is also advantageous because the in case of excess payment an individual can claim credit for the excess amount.
The above claim is simplified into a more effective and efficient mode of saving. This is because the plan offers a post educational savings that increase the time for money to grow. A student will have the ability to acquire unsubsidized and subsidized loans in the duration of their studies. This will limit the borrowing expenditure especially considering the 401k if your company will agree. Taking loans is effective but depending on the duration of pay it can affect the family contribution as a whole. A 529 plan is effective if managed a parent might require the whole amount for tuition but this is inappropriate because he can be disqualified from the American Opportunity credit that is worth $2,500.It is thus important not to tap the 529plan until the parent pays a certain amount to reduce the expenses on tuition.
Question 22
She should sign up for the Dependent Care because her income and eligible dependents .This is however difficult due to increase in income for Polly. A dependent Care FSAs provide better tax advantage than a dependent tax credit which requires one to file a federal income tax. For a Dependent Care FSA there is a maximum amount to contribute of $5000 a year for individuals or married couples. The above plan has benefits such as placement fee for a dependent care provider and fees for daycare or adult care facilities.
Question 40
Taxable income-$700,000{500,000+200,000}
US sourced-$500,000
Income Tax Liability-$238,000
Foreign Sourced-$200,000/Foreign income taxed-$45,000==$165,000
Income tax liability-$500,000-$165,000
ITL=$445,000
In the above case the tax is an income tax thus it qualifies for a foreign tax credit. In the above scenario Blue Horizon has accrued income amounting to $200,000 from a foreign country which generally qualifies for a tax credit. In the US one can only claim credit if you paid foreign tax to a foreign country or the mother country such as US.
In assumptions
Income received from EU is $200,000 which has a withholding tax of 20% on interest income but according to tax treaty benefits the withholding rate is 10% if a withholding certificate is produced. Foreign tax qualified will be 10% of $200,000 that is $20,000-=
Thus to identify the tax credit limit
Income tax liability *Taxable income/Total taxable income
${238,000*500,000/700,000} =170,000
The above amount can be claimed thus
Thus income tax liability will be ${238,000-170,000}
=$68, 0000
Reference
Lakomski, G. (1999). Critical theory. In J. P. Keeves and G. Lakomoki (Eds.). Issues in Educational Research. Oxford: Elsevier Science Ltd., 174-82
Robson W (1997) Strategic management and information systems (2nd edition)
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