In New Hampshire Special Education Teachers Are in High Demand
According to the New Hampshire Department of Education’s analysis of teacher supply and demand for the 2015-16 school year, special education teachers remain on the Critical Shortage List. In particular, special education teachers are needed throughout the state in the following areas:
- Early childhood special education in earth/space science (7-12)
- Library media specialist – Emotional and behavioral disabilities
- Mathematics (5-8) – Physical and health disabilities
- Mathematics (7-12) – Specific learning disabilities
- Music – Intellectual and developmental disabilities
- Reading and writing specialist – Blind and vision disabilities
- School psychologist – Deaf and hearing disabilities
New Hampshire’s Special Education Bureau provides and promotes leadership, technical assistance, and collaboration throughout the state to ensure that all children with special needs receive a free, appropriate public education. The Bureau accomplishes its goal by:
- Overseeing the continuous improvement of special education services
- Supporting strategies and support efforts to help preschool-age children with disabilities participate in preschool activities
- Supporting instruction, supports and specialized services for students with disabilities as to allow them to participate in the general curriculum
- Creating partnerships with outside agencies and organizations to provide services and supports for students with disabilities
- Supporting professional development opportunities for teachers, specialists, and others
Master’s-Prepared Teachers Accommodate New Hampshire’s Special Education Population
As of the 2015-16 school year, the New Hampshire Department of Education reported a total of 181,339 students in the public education system. Of those, 28,806 received special education services.
The largest proportion of special education students in New Hampshire during this time were identified as having:
- Specific learning disability: 9,439 students
- Other health impairment: 5,243 students
- Speech/language impairment: 4,478 students
- Developmental disability: 3,178 students
- Autism: 2,714 students
- Emotional disability: 2,107 students
Outside of the public school setting, some special education students were educated through charter schools in the state during the same period:
- Strong Foundation Charter School: 48 students
- Great Bay eLearning Charter School: 31 students
- Birches Academy of Academies and Art: 26 students
- Next Charter School: 23 students
- Mill Falls Charter School: 22 students
- Seacoast Charter School: 13 students
- Making Community Connections Charter School: 12 students
Educators, Early Interventionists Improving Outcomes for New Hampshire’s Children with Disabilities
According to the Council for Exceptional Children, nearly 33,000 children in New Hampshire receive some type of early intervention and/or special education services through IDEA.
The largest shortages for special education teachers are among those with expertise in:
- Blind and vision disabilities
- Deaf and hearing disabilities
- Early childhood special education
- General special education
- Emotional and behavioral disabilities
- Intellectual and developmental disabilities
- Physical and health disabilities
- Specific learning disabilities
Nearly 150 future special educators/early interventionists in New Hampshire received financial assistance through IDEA Personnel Preparation since 2006. IDEA’s Personnel Preparation program has supported about 8,000 scholars annually in an effort to address the chronic shortage of special education personnel throughout the U.S.