In this Issue: Recruiting for Diversity

Introduction
Tuition Assistance for Teacher Preparation at Minority Institutions
Monarch Center
Diversity Recruitment Campaign
Diversity Recruitment Products

Introduction

This month Connections highlights resources for recruiting persons from underrepresented populations into the special education profession. Research continues to confirm that children have an academic advantage when they see people like themselves in teaching roles. However, the racial and ethnic diversity in the teaching force does not mirror the racial and ethnic diversity of children in U.S. schools. Within special education, 86% of the work force is White, and approximately 14% comes from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Current graduates of special education teacher preparation programs are only maintaining the current diversity percentages in the workforce. These issues create a critical urgency for schools, districts, and preparation programs to develop creative and proactive strategies to recruit from underrepresented populations. NCPSE's "Just the Facts" series contains demographic data for special education teacher and student populations:

• Percent of Special Education Teachers by Racial Group
  
• Percent of Students Ages 3-21 in Special Education by Race/Ethnicity
  
• Percent of Public Elementary and Secondary Students by Race/Ethnicity

Tuition Assistance for Teacher Preparation at Minority Institutions

There are currently 71 personnel preparation programs nationwide that receive funding from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, to provide tuition assistance to persons enrolled in programs at minority institutions of higher education (MIHE). To be designated as a minority IHE, the student population at that institution must consist of 25% or more minorities. These personnel preparation grants actively recruit persons from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, males, and persons with disabilities into their programs.

You can search NCPSE's database of OSEP-funded programs at minority institutions by going to the OSEP Grants advanced search page and choosing "Preparation of Minority Personnel" from the Competition Name drop-down menu. You can also search these grants by state by selecting a state name from the Geographic Region menu. Contact the project director listed in the grant abstract to find out more about these programs. School district recruiters may find these programs excellent resources for finding highly qualified diverse special educators!

Monarch Center

The National Technical Assistance Center for Personnel Preparation at Minority Institutions of Higher Education (Monarch Center) continues and expands on the work of the former Alliance Project. Located at the University of Illinois at Chicago, the Monarch Center's purposes are to:

1. Promote the successful participation of minority institutions of higher education in IDEA Part D personnel preparation grant competitions.

2. Collaborate with faculty members at these institutions to strengthen the capacities of their programs to prepare special education personnel who are fully qualified to improve results for students with disabilities; and

3. Proactively identify minority institutions' initiatives, models, and accomplishments in personnel preparation for widespread dissemination across the field of education.

The Monarch Center's technical assistance services are provided by the center's staff and a nationwide cadre of content experts and trainers. Contact the Monarch Center at monarch@uic.edu.

Diversity Recruitment Campaign

In November, 2002, NCPSE contracted with The Watkins Group, a marketing firm from Atlanta, GA that specializes in diversity markets. The Watkins group was asked to develop and implement a diversity recruitment campaign that would encourage members of the minority community in six southeast cities to respond to the need for special education teachers and related services personnel in urban educational settings. Campaign activities have focused on the following objectives:

• Increase the overall awareness of members of underrepresented groups about disabilities and the need for highly qualified special education professionals from diverse backgrounds.
• Secure the commitment and participation of various community infrastructure components essential to the success of this campaign.
• Increase number of persons from minority groups applying for professional positions/preparation programs in Special Education.

Currently, targeted efforts are underway in Savannah, GA, one of the six targeted urban areas, to engage community members and media outlets in educating the public on the need for special educators from diverse backgrounds.

Diversity Recruitment Products

Personnel preparation programs that utilize partnerships between IHEs and local school districts are more successful in recruiting and retaining persons of color and those from other careers into the field of special education than more traditional programs. NCPSE's latest publication, Enlarging the Pool: How higher education partnerships are recruiting and supporting future special educators from underrepresented groups, is a comprehensive look at what these partnership preparation programs are doing to recruit and support persons from underrepresented groups in their programs. Enlarging the Pool is available for download in PDF format.

There are also news articles on the NCPSE website that have been distributed by the North American Precis Syndicate (NAPS) which focus on the need for persons from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds to work in the field of special education. The articles can be used in local or school newspapers to increase diversity in the special education professions.

Special Education personnel preparation programs at colleges and universities, as well as local district-based programs, can use the brochure, Strategies for Recruiting and Supporting Underrepresented Groups within High Quality Special Education Teacher Preparation Programs, to learn more about the techniques used by those programs that have been successfully recruiting and supporting potential diverse special educators for years.

The National Clearinghouse for Professions in Special Education is the descriptive title for the National Clearinghouse on Careers and Professions Related to Early Intervention and Education for Children with Disabilities Cooperative Agreement H326P980002 between the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Exceptional Children. The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of either the U. S. Department of Education or the Council for Exceptional Children. This information is in the public domain, unless otherwise indicated. Readers are encouraged to copy and share it, but please credit the National Clearinghouse for professions in Special Education. U. S. Department of Education Project Officer Martha B. Bokee