New Teachers & Specially Designed Instruction: Our Next Crisis
At the start of the 2024-25 school year, 74% of elementary and middle schools reported difficulty filling special education teacher positions, according to K12 Dive (2024). Yet the challenge isn't just recruiting new special education teachers—it's ensuring they understand how to implement specially designed instruction (SDI), the cornerstone of effective special education services. According to the Council for Exceptional Children (2024), SDI is "instruction that is tailored to a particular student" and "addresses their Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals." But when new teachers enter classrooms without adequate preparation in SDI implementation, the 7.5 million students with disabilities across the United States pay the price.
Without federal oversight, this becomes an even bigger issue. How is your district supporting your highest needs students and their families with the instruction they need to succeed?
How prepared are new special education teachers to deliver the individualized, evidence-based instruction that students with disabilities are legally entitled to under IDEA?
The Preparation Gap: What Research Reveals
A 2024 study published in the CALDER Center research examined special education teacher preparation programs and found significant gaps in the alignment of literacy instruction, a critical component of specially designed instruction. The research revealed that teacher preparation quality directly impacts reading achievement for students with high-incidence disabilities, yet many programs fail to prepare candidates for SDI implementation adequately.
According to a 2024 competency-based study published in MDPI Education Sciences, teacher preparation programs that emphasize competency-based approaches show promise, but implementation remains inconsistent across institutions. The study found that new teachers often graduate with theoretical knowledge of SDI but lack practical experience in adapting content, methodology, and delivery to meet individual student needs.
The Handbook of Research on Special Education Teacher Preparation (Routledge, 2024) synthesizes decades of research and identifies a persistent challenge: teacher preparation programs struggle to balance breadth of disability knowledge with depth of instructional practice. New teachers report feeling unprepared to translate IEP goals into daily specially designed instruction that produces measurable student progress.
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Understanding Specially Designed Instruction
Specially designed instruction is not simply "good teaching" or general accommodations. Under IDEA, SDI involves "adapting, as appropriate to the needs of an eligible child, the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction" to:
- Address the unique needs of the child that result from the disability
- Ensure access to the general curriculum
- Meet the educational needs that result from the disability
The delivery of specially designed instruction is the core job responsibility of special education teachers. Yet new teachers often confuse SDI with:
- Accommodations (changes in how students access content, like extended time)
- Modifications (changes in what students are expected to learn)
- Differentiation (general instructional adjustments for all learners)
This conceptual confusion leads to IEPs that lack meaningful SDI, leaving students without the individualized support they need to make progress.
The High-Leverage Practices Connection
The Council for Exceptional Children released updated High-Leverage Practices (HLPs) in 2024, providing a framework for effective special education instruction. According to CEEDAR Center (2024), these 22 practices represent "the most critical skills and knowledge that special educators need to support students with disabilities."
However, research from Open Journals at Ball State University (2024) on embedding HLPs into field experiences reveals a troubling reality: many teacher preparation programs introduce HLPs in coursework but fail to provide sufficient supervised practice in authentic classroom settings. New teachers learn about specially designed instruction in theory but struggle to implement it when faced with:
- Diverse student needs within a single classroom
- Limited planning time to individualize instruction
- Pressure to maintain pace with general education curriculum
- Insufficient access to evidence-based instructional materials
A 2024 study from CIDDL (Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform) found that integrating technology into HLP instruction shows promise, but only when teacher candidates receive explicit training in how technology supports—rather than replaces—specially designed instruction.
The Retention Crisis Compounds the Problem
According to Education Week (May 2024), "retention is the missing ingredient in special education staffing." The article reports that challenging working conditions, including "excessive non-instructional duties, insufficient curricular resources, and lack of administrator and colleague support" drive new special education teachers out of the profession before they develop SDI expertise.
TeachTown (2024) reports that of 700 K-12 administrators surveyed, 80% were experiencing special education teacher staffing shortages. The Brookings Institution (2024) notes that "nearly all states and about half of school districts reported special education teacher shortages in 2023-24," creating a cycle where inexperienced teachers receive inadequate mentoring from overburdened colleagues.
The Learning Disabilities Association of America (2024) warns that this shortage directly affects students with learning disabilities, who require consistent, high-quality specially designed instruction to make academic progress. When districts fill positions with emergency-certified or alternatively-certified teachers who lack SDI preparation, student outcomes suffer.
What District Leaders Can Do Now
The research is clear: new special education teachers need better preparation and ongoing support to implement specially designed instruction effectively. District leaders cannot wait for teacher preparation programs to reform—they must act now to bridge the gap.
Implement Structured SDI Mentoring Programs
Pair new special education teachers with experienced mentors who demonstrate effective SDI implementation. According to the Center for Learner Equity (2024), structured mentoring that focuses specifically on translating IEP goals into daily instruction significantly improves retention and instructional quality. Schedule weekly co-planning sessions where mentors model how to adapt content, methodology, and delivery for individual students. (Learn more about our SDI AI Framework by making an appointment with Nikki, Lisa or Leighton here.)
Provide Job-Embedded Professional Development on Evidence-Based Practices
Move beyond one-time workshops to ongoing, classroom-based coaching. The National Council on Teacher Quality (2024) emphasizes that effective professional development must be "sustained, content-focused, and connected to practice." Focus PD on the High-Leverage Practices most directly tied to SDI: systematic instruction, explicit instruction, and intensive intervention.
Reduce Non-Instructional Burdens
According to Ed Research for Action (2024), "excessive non-instructional duties" are a primary driver of special education teacher attrition. Audit how new teachers spend their time and eliminate or redistribute tasks that don't directly support SDI implementation. Provide administrative support for IEP paperwork, scheduling, and compliance documentation so teachers can focus on instruction.
Create SDI Implementation Rubrics and Feedback Cycles
New teachers need clear expectations and regular feedback on SDI quality. Develop observation rubrics that specifically assess whether instruction is tailored to IEP goals, uses evidence-based practices, and produces measurable student progress. According to research from Liberty University (2024), preservice teachers report wanting more explicit guidance on what effective SDI looks like in practice. (We provide comprehensive district wide support if you want help with this.)
Build Collaborative Learning Communities
The National Survey of Special Education Advocacy Issues (2024) identifies isolation as a significant challenge for special education teachers. Create structured opportunities for new teachers to observe colleagues, analyze student work together, and problem-solve SDI implementation challenges. According to Ori Learning (2024), collaboration is one of the most effective strategies for addressing special education challenges in 2024.
The Path Forward
The gap between new special education teachers' preparation and the reality of implementing specially designed instruction represents a critical challenge for American education. With 7.5 million students depending on SDI to access their education, districts cannot afford to leave new teachers struggling without support.
The research from 2023-2024 makes clear that teacher preparation programs are evolving, incorporating competency-based approaches, High-Leverage Practices, and field-based experiences, but change is slow. District leaders must bridge the gap through intensive mentoring, job-embedded professional development, and systemic support that allows new teachers to focus on what matters most: delivering high-quality, individualized instruction that helps students with disabilities achieve their potential.
As federal special education oversight weakens and teacher shortages persist, the responsibility for ensuring SDI quality falls increasingly to local districts. The question is not whether districts can afford to invest in new teacher support, it's whether they can afford not to.
To learn more about the lack of federal oversight, check out this post.
What strategies has your district implemented to support new special education teachers in delivering effective specially designed instruction? Share your experiences in the comments below.
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Sources Cited
1. Brookings Institution. (2024). "States face different special education staffing challenges that require targeted responses." https://www.brookings.edu/articles/states-face-different-special-education-staffing-challenges-that-require-targeted-responses/
2. CALDER Center. (2024). "Special Education Teacher Preparation, Literacy Instructional Alignment, and Reading Achievement for Students with High-Incidence Disabilities." https://caldercenter.org/publications/special-education-teacher-preparation-literacy-instructional-alignment-and-reading
3. CEEDAR Center. (2024). "High-Leverage Practices Resources." https://ceedar.education.ufl.edu/high-leverage-practices/
4. Center for Learner Equity. (2024). "A new action guide: How to keep special education teachers." https://www.centerforlearnerequity.org/news/a-new-action-guide-how-to-keep-special-education-teachers/
5. CIDDL. (2024). "Integrating Technology into the High-Leverage Practices in Special Education Teacher Preparation." https://ciddl.org/integrating-technology-into-the-high-leverage-practices-in-special-education-teacher-preparation/
6. Council for Exceptional Children. (2024). "Specially Designed Instruction." https://exceptionalchildren.org/topics/specially-designed-instruction
7. Council for Exceptional Children. (2024). "High-Leverage Practices for Students with Disabilities, 2nd Edition." ERIC ED657689.
8. Ed Research for Action. (2024). "Addressing Special Education Staffing Shortages: Strategies for Schools." https://edresearchforaction.org/research-briefs/addressing-special-education-staffing-shortages-strategies-for-schools/
9. Education Week. (May 2024). "Retention Is the Missing Ingredient in Special Education Staffing." https://www.edweek.org/leadership/retention-is-the-missing-ingredient-in-special-education-staffing/2024/05
10. K12 Dive. (2024). "Special educators are in short supply at all levels." https://www.k12dive.com/news/special-educator-shortages-early-childhood-education-K12-postsecondary-special-education/753361/
11. Learning Disabilities Association of America. (2024). "How the Special Education Teacher Shortage Affects Students with LD and What to Do About It." https://ldaamerica.org/how-the-special-education-teacher-shortage-affects-students-with-ld-and-what-to-do-about-it/
12. Liberty University. (2024). "Preservice teacher preparedness to teach in the inclusive classroom setting: A hermeneutical phenomenological study." Digital Commons. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=7686&context=doctoral
13. MDPI Education Sciences. (2024). "Results of a Competency-Based Approach to Prepare Special Education Teachers." https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/14/5/475
14. National Council on Teacher Quality. (2024). "Teacher Prep Review: Strengthening Elementary Reading Instruction." https://www.nctq.org/publications/Teacher-Prep-Review:-Strengthening-Elementary-Reading-Instruction
15. NSEAI. (2024). "Top 10 SPED Advocacy Issues of 2024." https://www.nseai.org/blog/top-10-advocacy-issues-of-2024
16. Open Journals at Ball State University. (2024). "Embedding High-Leverage Practices into Special Education Field Experiences." https://openjournals.bsu.edu/JOSEP/article/view/4396
17. Ori Learning. (2024). "What Are the Biggest Challenges in Special Education in 2024?" https://orilearning.com/biggest-challenges-special-education-2024/
18. Routledge. (2024). "Handbook of Research on Special Education Teacher Preparation." https://www.routledge.com/Handbook-of-Research-on-Special-Education-Teacher-Preparation/McCray-Bettini-Brownell-McLeskey-Sindelar/p/book/9781032267272
19. TeachTown. (2024). "Special Education Teacher Retention & Attrition." https://web.teachtown.com/blog/special-educator-retention/
20. Texas Education Agency. (2023). "Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) Guide." https://spedsupport.tea.texas.gov/sites/default/files/2023-08/specially-designed-instruction.pdf
21. United Federation of Teachers. (2024). "Specially Designed Instruction." https://www.uft.org/teaching/students-disabilities/specially-designed-instruction
