Special Education Implementation Pillars
PaTTAN plays a critical role in the Bureau of Special Education’s systemic alignment* by delivering customized professional development and technical assistance aligned with four key Implementation Pillars—the core strategies for driving improvement: Attract-Prepare-Retain; Collaborative Partnerships; Post-School Outcomes; and Evidence-Based Practices. Through this coordinated approach, Pennsylvania strengthens educator capacity, fosters collaboration, and advances equitable opportunities for all students with disabilities.
The Outcomes and Targets for the Attract-Prepare-Retain Pillar are listed below:
Outcome: Increase qualified long-term employees
Targets:
- Develop and expand recruitment and preparation pathways for Teachers of the Visually Impaired (TVI), Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH), and educational interpreters
- Increase specialized professional development for general
- Expand career growth and leadership opportunities
Attract-Prepare-Retain (APR) is a priority of Pennsylvania's Bureau of Special Education (BSE) with a primary focus that is three-fold:
-
To attract skilled, compassionate, and diverse individuals to the varied career options within the field of special education,
-
To prepare special education personnel by building capacity through targeted professional development, technical assistance, and supports, and
-
To retain special education personnel long-term through the collective efforts of federal, state, and local entities.
View the 2024 Attract Prepare Retain Infographic
The Special Education Teacher Pipeline in Pennsylvania
The Bureau of Special Education is working with The National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research (Calder) to measure the impact of Pennsylvania's efforts to attract, prepare, and retain special education personnel through focused projects and grants.
These reports summarize findings from the long-term research project on the special education teacher pipeline in Pennsylvania and Attract-Prepare- Retain (APR) projects.
Visit the #PANeedsTeachers Solution Playbook to learn of innovative strategies Pennsylvania schools, organizations, and agencies are using to attract, prepare, and retain teachers.
Want to learn more about the local impact of the teacher shortage? View the report by Ms. Laura Boyce, Teach Plus Pennsylvania and Dr. Ed Fuller, Penn State University.
Interested in Obtaining a Special Education Teaching Certification?
if you want to earn a bachelor's degree and obtain a special education teaching certification, review the specific steps for special educators on this guide.