Early Career Special Education Teachers in High-and Low-Poverty Districts: A Comparison of their Qualifications, Work Conditions, and Career Commitments

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dc.contributor.authorFall, Anna-Mariaen
dc.contributor.committeechairBillingsley, Bonnie S.en
dc.contributor.committeememberHicks, Daviden
dc.contributor.committeememberWilliams, Thomas O. Jr.en
dc.contributor.committeememberCarlson, Elaineen
dc.contributor.departmentTeaching and Learningen
dc.date.accessioned2014-03-14T20:21:10Zen
dc.date.adate2009-01-16en
dc.date.available2014-03-14T20:21:10Zen
dc.date.issued2008-12-10en
dc.date.rdate2009-01-16en
dc.date.sdate2008-12-26en
dc.description.abstractI used teacher data from the Study of Personnel Needs in Special Education (SPeNSE) to compare the characteristics, qualifications (e.g., credentials, preservice preparation, self-efficacy, and induction) and work conditions (e.g., school support, work manageability and induction support) of early career special education teachers in high- and low-poverty districts and the effects of these variables on teacher commitment. Organized as a set of thee articles, this research presents findings from a nationally representative sample of 935 early career special education teachers. Data analyses included descriptive statistics, factor analysis, reliability analyses, and logistic regression. Significant differences were found in the credentials and preparation of teachers working in high poverty vs. more affluent districts, with those in high poverty schools having fewer credentials and less preparation. In contrast, the two teacher groups reported similar induction opportunities and gave themselves comparable ratings on both self-efficacy and in skillfulness in various work tasks. Teachers in high poverty districts also reported less desirable work conditions than their counterparts in more affluent districts. When compared to teachers in low poverty districts, those in less affluent districts viewed their principals and colleagues as less supportive, perceived less involvement in school decisions, reported having fewer materials, and indicated higher and more diverse caseloads. In contrast, the two teacher groups reported similar professional development and induction opportunities. Finally, logistic regression results suggest that problems with work manageability were negatively related to teacher commitment, whereas positive school support and good match between preparation and assignment positively influenced teachers' commitment. However, district level of poverty, district support, and perceived helpfulness of induction support were not significantly related to teachers' commitment. These studies draw attention to inequalities in the education of students with disabilities in high poverty districts; and emphasize the critical need not only to recruit and prepare qualified teachers for high poverty schools, but also to address disparities in work conditions. Policymakers and educational leaders concerned with fostering teachers' commitment should consider developing supportive work environments, involving teachers in decision making, and creating manageable work assignments.en
dc.description.degreePh. D.en
dc.identifier.otheretd-12262008-122955en
dc.identifier.sourceurlhttp://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-12262008-122955/en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/30262en
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.relation.haspartETD_amfall.pdfen
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subjectearly career special education teachersen
dc.subjecthigh poverty districtsen
dc.subjectinequalityen
dc.subjectteacher commitmenten
dc.subjectteacher qualificationsen
dc.subjectwork conditionsen
dc.titleEarly Career Special Education Teachers in High-and Low-Poverty Districts: A Comparison of their Qualifications, Work Conditions, and Career Commitmentsen
dc.typeDissertationen
thesis.degree.disciplineCurriculum and Instructionen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.leveldoctoralen
thesis.degree.namePh. D.en

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