The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) specifically determines the quality of teachers in a school as one of the basis for high school rankings. According to the provisions of NCLB, teachers are required to be highly qualified to teach core academic curriculum, and are required to prove their competency through tests. Teachers need to have a bachelor’s degree and must demonstrate their proficiency through completion of an academic major. Finding such teachers is proving to be easier said than done. Qualified teachers are hard to find and this shortage has inevitable repercussions on high school rankings for those institutions that fail to attract and retain top quality teachers.

High School Rankings and Under Qualified Teachers

According to a study conducted last year, schools that are in minority neighborhoods or high poverty areas are likely to be staffed by teachers who are under qualified and lack a minor or major in the subject that they teach. It’s not surprising therefore that many of these schools fare so low when high school rankings time of the year rolls around.

Recruiting Teachers Who can Maintain High School Rankings

Educational authorities say that the country’s schools will need between 1.7 million to 2.7 million teachers next year. These will be required to replace aging teachers who retire, and those who abandon teaching or relocate. With the quality of teachers being such a prime condition of NCLB and high school rankings, school authorities are raising the stakes as they compete fiercely to attract the highest quality talent for their schools. As usual math and science teachers, who are the hardest to find, are being chased the hardest in an effort to boost high school rankings.

Innovative New Schemes to Attract Teachers

At some school districts, authorities have taken to promoting teaching as a career among college football players in an effort to attract more talent. These players are encouraged to join as substitute teachers and then make the transition to full time teachers. It’s hoped that this will help counter the shortfall of teachers and mark an improvement in high school rankings. In Miami educational authorities are turning to the military to tap potential teachers. The district hosts career fairs that showcase teaching as a career to former service men, and is involved in the Troops to Teachers Program. Some schools have turned to the local minority community to fill vacancies.

While the role of teachers in determining high school rankings is unquestionable, many schools have begun to realize that finding quality teachers can be a challenge. While better compensation packages can go a long way in attracting talent, schools also recognize that combning a support system for teachers, giving them respect and greater involvement in the decision making process attracts quality to the teaching ranks.

Almost all universities in the United States of America offer graduate and undergraduate programs in teacher education. All the colleges and universities have definite goals and objectives for teacher education, and focus on molding quality teachers. Schools have laid down principles and philosophies to guide them in training leaders in education and contribute a great deal to shaping the young generation.

The University of California, San Diego (UCSD), offers minors, majors, graduate and undergraduate programs in education studies. The UCSD Education Studies (EDS) also offers M Ed, credential programs and doctoral degrees to certified teachers who want to further their careers and add to their knowledge base and skill sets. Their special programs include MA Deaf Education and M Ed Credential programs in multiple subjects.

The Harvard Graduate School of Education wants their graduates to have an impact in the schools and indirectly in the society. Their graduate programs include the Teaching and Curriculum (TAC) program and the Mid-Career Math and Science (MCMS) program. Undergraduate Teacher Education Program (UTEP) at the school has trained students for more than 15 years for K-12 schools. They aim at getting aspiring teachers to certify for teaching in public schools in the United States.

Central Washington University has teacher education programs for teachers of all age groups. Undergraduate programs include minors in Bilingual Education, Reading and Second Language English teaching, and majors in Elementary Education, Early Childhood Education and Special Education. The Masters programs in the university comprises of Instructional Leadership, Special Education, Educational Administration and Reading Specialist.

This article describes a research study of Oregon juvenile corrections educators. The study examined the understanding the educators had of their role in the special education process and how that understanding influenced their instruction for students with disabilities.

The research involved interviews with respondents representing the Youth Corrections Education Programs in Oregon. The data revealed five leading issues for regular education teachers in the juvenile corrections education programs. The issues that emerged were accommodations for students with disabilities, responsibilities for the delivery of special education, special education eligibility, student medications, and transition services. The educators believed the special education personnel and administrators were primarily responsible for the education of students with disabilities.

Implications are drawn for educational practice and further research. Discussion in the area of educational practice centers on professional development for regular education teachers in special education law and student eligibility. An alternative role for the special education teacher is proposed, incorporating classroom modeling and consulting. Finally, the topic of adaptive curriculum to accommodate the needs of special eduction students is considered.

The student population of juvenile corrections education programs is a unique assembly. Many of these students were public school dropouts at an early age; therefore, they tend to be two to three years behind their peers in academic skills (Rider-Hankins, 1992). One major difference between the juvenile corrections residents and the public school population is that a significant portion of the students in corrections education qualified for special education services. However, very few of the juvenile corrections educators I have talked to or worked with have had specific training for working with a large population of special education students.

National studies disclose that high percentages of youth in juvenile correction facilities qualify for special eduction services. The prevalence of students in juvenile corrections education who qualify for special education is estimated to be from 30% to over 70% (Bullock, 1994; Casey & Keilitz, 1990; Leone, Meisel, & Drakeford, 2002; Rutherford, Nelson, & Wolford, 1985).

Regular education teachers typically receive little instruction in the area of special needs students even though they are required by Federal and state law to participate in the development and implementation of student Individual Education Plans (IEPs). Educators working with youth in correctional institutions seldom have background or training in special education beyond their basic initial teacher preparation. Corrections educators are unfamiliar with special education law, their required role in the student IEP, or how these components should influence their classroom practice. Knowledge of characteristics of disabled youth is needed to allow educators to design and modify the general education curriculum to meet the needs of these students in juvenile correctional facilities (Platt, Wienke, & Tunick, 1982). Currently, in Oregon, teachers in the youth corrections education programs are only required to hold a Basic or Initial Teaching License at the middle or high school level, or a vocational licensure. There is no special training for either the correctional aspect of the teaching environment or for the high prevalence of special needs students in the classroom.

The goal of this study was to communicate the results with the Oregon Department of Education and the Youth Corrections Education Programs. The hope is that the information collected will be used for improving staff development regarding instructing special education students in the juvenile corrections classrooms.

Educator Interviews

The purpose of the study was to investigate the comprehension of juvenile corrections educators regarding special education and how that understanding influences their instruction and practice for special needs students. Personal interviews and demographic surveys were conducted with teachers from 12 statewide youth correctional facilities in both a face-to-face and telephone interview format, since the educators in the study were located statewide. The interview questions were designed to disclose the knowledge these educators have concerning their awareness of special education law and its impact on their special needs students.

Phase I

Phase I was conducted to check the interview protocol for ease and depth of understanding on the part of participants. Twelve teachers from one school within the Oregon Youth Corrections Education Program (YCEP) participated in the initial interviews.

The initial interview protocol consisted of exploratory, open-ended questions aimed at encouraging the participants to give their personal knowledge, opinions, and beliefs regarding the special education process for their students, their involvement in the IEP process, and to ascertain how their knowledge affects classroom practice. The participants were asked a structured set of questions concerning teachers’ roles and responsibilities in the IEP team, awareness of their responsibilities to the implementation of the student IEP, and awareness of responsibility to the specific accommodations, modifications, and supports that must be provided to a student with disabilities.