How more information can flip the switch on special education teacher transfers

Special education teachers are consistently in short supply, straining schools and leaving vulnerable students without the support they need. Data indicates that, in comparison to general education teachers, special education teachers are more likely to transfer schools and exit the profession. With retention a clear issue among special education teachers, a recent Annenberg working paper authored by Andrew Pendola, Frank Perrone, and Brandon Ryan examines how this cohort moves within the workforce.

Analyzing over a million Texas teachers across 27 years, the study finds that the average special education teacher switches schools more than three times in their career, working in one more school than the average core subject teacher (elementary teachers and those in secondary English language arts, math, science, and social studies positions). While special education teachers switch schools more often (as shown below), they are more likely to remain within the same district and tend to transfer shorter distances than core subject teachers, suggesting that there may be different labor market forces in play.

Annual rates of switching by special education and core subject teachers (1990–2022)

Reprinted from Pendola, A., Perrone, F., & Ryan, B. (2024). From school to school: Examining the contours of switching schools within the special education teacher labor market [EdWorkingPaper: 24-1014]. Annenberg Institute at Brown University. https://doi.org/10.26300/g81p-e337

While this paper offers valuable insights into the movement of special education teachers in Texas—a state with its own unique policies, as noted by the authors—it raises several important questions. District leaders will need to address these questions to identify the most effective policy solutions for reducing school transfers among special education teachers. Some of the questions we would like to see explored include:

What motivates school switches?
Are special education teachers more likely to transfer schools because they are seeking better opportunities, or are districts asking them to fill gaps? The study could not distinguish between voluntary and involuntary transfers, which is important because it’s possible that one of the reasons special education teachers are more likely to exit the profession is because they are more often subject to involuntary transfers. However, if increased transfers are more often the result of ample available openings each year, allowing special education teachers greater freedom to move for personal or professional reasons, then it suggests districts should explore incentives to encourage teachers to stay at their current school.

What role do working conditions play?
Related to the previous question, it is important to explore the working conditions that may prompt special education teacher transfers. Are special education teachers seeking out smaller caseloads, more planning time, greater administrative support, or more professional development? Annual school‑level climate surveys could help answer some of these questions.

What do special education teachers do after leaving their position as a special education teacher?
It is easy to assume that when special education teachers step out of their roles, they exit the teaching profession altogether, but previously covered research indicates that special educators with a second endorsement often transfer into other teaching positions. In fact, dual-certified special education teachers are about 5 percentage points more likely than special education-only teachers to transfer to a general education classroom. To fully understand why special education teachers leave their roles, it is important to account for the professional options available to them.

How do school switchers differ from those who exit the profession?
As a final question to explore, how do those who switch schools, and their motivations for doing so, differ from special education teachers who leave the profession? Is there something “switchers” can teach us that may help prevent losses?

To help answer these questions, districts and states should look to collect or create:

• Comprehensive vacancy logs that include every special education opening, including subject area, grade level, posting date, and the date the position was filled.
• Exit surveys, or brief, standardized surveys for teachers who transfer or exit that capture their top reasons for leaving, as well as stay surveys, capturing the reasons teachers stay in their positions.
• Working conditions metrics, including annual school‑level data on factors like caseload size and planning time, as well as data from teacher surveys on administrative support and access to professional development.
• Policy logs to catalog district transfer rules, endorsement and certification requirements, and financial incentives. Districts can compare recent policy changes with vacancy data to see if there is a positive impact on the recruitment and retention of special ed teachers.

By drilling down into the why behind switching and exit patterns, districts can better develop targeted strategies to stabilize the special education workforce.