Meeting the Needs for Special Education Teachers in New Mexico

Abstract To meet the needs for special education teachers who are not fully certified (on waiver) throughout the state of New Mexico, an online distance education program was developed through the Office of Licensure and Endorsements for Alternative Preparation in Education at New Mexico State University in the College of Education. In addition to 539 special education teachers who were not fully certified in New Mexico for the 2002-2003 school year, there is a significant shortage of special education teachers in the state. The online special education alternative licensure program was developed in response to these specific state needs. As of the 2004-2005 school year, there were only 58 special education teachers who were not fully certified in New Mexico. The state of New Mexico has a diversity that is expressed not only in population but also in geography, thereby creating challenges to making special education certification available to teacher candidates in rural areas. Although the majority of the population (75%) of the state is located in urban areas (e.g., Albuquerque, Las Cruces, and Santa Fe), a full 25% livein the rural areas that fill in the vast distances between these urban concentrations (American Community Survey Profile, 2002). Although only one-quarter of the population lives in rural New Mexico, 37% of all public schools are located in rural communities. Two factors intensify the need to certify teachers in rural areas: the percentage of minority students that are enrolled in rural public schools in New Mexico is over 70%, and New Mexico has the largest percentage of rural children in poverty (Why Rural Matters, 2003). According to Darling-Hammond (1997) and Hooks (1994), schools with high poverty and high minority populations have the highest percentage of teachers who are not fully certified or on waivers. The changing demographics of the United States will soon reflect the diversity in population that New Mexico presently experiences. New Mexico demographics currently indicate a population with 42% Hispanic origin, 45% White, 10% Native American, 2 % African-American and 1% Asian (American Community Survey Profile, 2002). New Mexico can and does serve as a laboratory of sorts for investigating and creating innovative and resourceful programs and curricula designed to increase the potential for student success in academic arenas. The purpose of this article is to describe a project created to address the unique needs of the state of New Mexico for teachers in the area of special education through the development of an online alternative licensure program. Project Description Project Funding During the 2003 New Mexico Legislative Session, $500,000 was allocated through Senate Bill (SB) 655 to address the critical shortage of appropriately licensed teachers. According to data provided by the New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED), during the 2002-2003 school year there were 539 teachers who were not fully certified (on waiver) in the area of special education. This figure represents 47% of the total of all teachers, counselors, and administrators on waiver. As a result of this information, special education was identified as a critical need area for the state. In response to this critical shortage, the College of Education (COE) at New Mexico State University (NMSU) created the Office of Licensure and Endorsements for Alternative Preparation in Education with requested funds allocated through SB 655. Certification and requirements for special education teachers are provided by the United States Government Accountability Office (USGAO). According to the Office of Education Accountability (OEA; 2005), New Mexico is meeting these requirements. The USGAO (2004) state the requirements of No Child Lett Behind (NCLB) to include: 1 . Bachelor's degree. 2. State certification. 3. Demonstration of subject matter competency in each core academic subject taught either by an additional degree or passing a state exam. …