An Examination of Resiliency in Rural Special Educators

Retention of rural special education teachers is a dilemma for many school districts. Districts in rural areas suffer from a lack of qualified special education teachers. Therefore, the problem of having enough qualified special educators is not easily solved. Many rural districts are able to hire teacher candidates, but fail to retain them for various reasons. Building resiliency in new teachers and educators during the first several years of teaching may be part of the answer to addressing the high rate of teacher turnover in rural areas. This paper summarizes highlights from research completed with rural Nebraska teachers on the topics of intrinsic resiliency and building resiliency in rural teachers.


Background of the Study
Attracting and retaining special education teacher candidates is a difficult task at best. Rosenkoetter, Irwin, and Saceda (2004) noted that currently 13% of special education teachers are not completely certified.
Other surveys report that within the first five years of teaching roughly forty percent of rural beginning special education teachers leave the field (Beeson & Strange, 2003).
According to Beeson and Strange (2003) in some Southern and Midwestern states almost one third of all students attended rural schools, meaning the schools were located in communities that had less that 2,500 people. In twenty states the percentage of rural schools was even higher. In some states, such as Nebraska and South Dakota, the percentage of rural schools was 60% and 77%, respectively. Therefore, the need to attract and retain teachers, specifically special education teachers, to rural areas is critical.
The shortage of rural educators is a multi-faceted problem. From the outset, the teacher candidate pool is more limited than in metropolitan areas (McCreight, 2000).
Commonly mentioned reasons for the shortage of special education teachers in rural districts is sub-standard facilities, lower pay, and fewer benefits (McCreight, 2000).
Consequently, attracting teachers to these communities is difficult given the restrictions of fewer potential candidates, monetary constraints, and higher attrition of teachers once they were employed within the district. The result is a reduced amount of qualified and certified teachers teaching students from low socio-economic backgrounds, many of whom would benefit from additional services and innovative instructional strategies (McCreight, 2000). Garnes, Menlove, and Adams (2002)  Building resiliency in the teachers is a key factor to increasing longevity.

Statement of the Problem
The problems addressed by this study were the shortage of qualified special education teachers and the difficulty in retaining them. The trend has been towards fewer teacher candidates majoring in special education and even fewer staying with it (Jimerson, 2003). Meanwhile, the number of students identified as needing special education continues to increase. If this trend continues--the problem will continue to grow. Rural districts will need to put into practice sound retention strategies to meet the future demand for special education teachers. Thus, dependable information about resiliency among special educators in rural areas is crucial to implementing effective practices and identifying strategies to retain quality teachers in rural schools.
Factors Contributing to Resiliency in Teachers Bernshausen and Cunningham (2001) contended the shortage of teachers not only came from a lack of turning out enough graduates, but also not retaining the graduates once they were teaching. Building resiliency in new teachers is the key to longevity. Obtaining resiliency from within or building resiliency can be accomplished through individual determination and supports from others.
In order to retain a higher percentage of educators, teachers must have some resiliency characteristics (Bernshausen & Cunningham, 2001 (Collins, 1999 (Merriam, 2001). The descriptive nature of the study provided information that could be developed into an analysis that could add to current knowledge in the field. It and what makes teaching in a rural district enjoyable and rewarding. Teachers were asked to respond freely, so the researcher could determine if themes or characteristics existed among the participants. The purpose of these interviews was to enable the researcher to suggest approaches and strategies for recruitment and retention of rural special educators.

Participants
The study s participants were composed of teachers residing in central and southeastern Nebraska who had taught special education for five or more years. Fifteen teachers agreed to participate in the interview process. The information reported in this study was collected between October 2006 and January 2007 and focused on commentary from the special education teachers.

Key Findings of the Study
The key findings from the study can be grouped into three categories. The categories include: having a familiarity with the school or rural environment, exhibiting the ability to be flexible and adjust to the daily challenges of being a rural special educator, and having a support system. These findings were prevalent throughout the study and appeared to be important to resiliency and retention of rural special education teachers.

Findings Relating to Familiarity
The first key finding focuses on the concept of familiarity with the school and rural environment.
Cahape-Hammer, Hughes, McClure, Reeves, and Salgado (2005) concluded teacher candidates were more successful if they had some knowledge of the school and community. In the current study, all teachers, with the exception of one, had either grown up in their current community, a neighboring community, or had attended a small school. As the current study also pointed out, teachers enjoyed the rural setting, the peacefulness, the extended family characteristic of the communities, and the unique cultures of the communities. Cates and Smiley (2000) found it was important for teacher education programs to train candidates in the customs and lifestyles of rural America. Carr (1995) contended teachers needed more preparation for teaching in a rural setting. Carr (1995)  University of Missouri at Columbia offers a minor in Rural Sociology (UM-C, 2007). This suggests a trend in education to not only address the subject areas, but also the lifestyle of working and living in a rural setting.

Findings Relating to Flexibility
The next key finding focuses on the need for flexibility and the ability to adjust to the challenges of being a rural special educator. Coleman (2001) found special education teachers had to plan and teach many lessons on a weekly basis. They also had to direct paraprofessionals, complete paperwork, and collaborate with regular education teachers. This study found that rural teachers had to be flexible to the needs of the students. Some taught grades K-6, some taught 7-12, while others taught a combination of grades and disabilities. Collins (1999) found it was common for rural teachers to sponsor activities or perform other assigned duties. This study's participants concurred with the Collins findings.
Some respondents taught regular education or sponsored extra-curricular activities. Special education teachers in small rural schools performed their special education duties and other tasks as assigned. It is important for future candidates teaching in rural schools to realize that they need to be prepared to perform many duties and be flexible enough to adapt to the needs of the students and the requirements of the school.

Findings Relating to Support
The final key finding focused on the importance of support in retaining rural special education teachers. Bernshausen and Cunningham (2001) reported school districts which supported new teachers had more success retaining them. Teachers needed support from school personnel and administration. Collins (1999) suggested that resiliency could be strengthened by providing support 12 The Rural Educator through mentoring and additional training for both new and current teachers. It was also concluded that some type of mentoring and support could come from colleges and universities. It could be a partnership of colleges, schools, and communities.
This study agreed with the previous conclusions in that teacher candidates needed a support system both in and out of the school. One teacher said her co-workers supported her. She was able to talk about issues and solve problems as a team. Another teacher stated her administrator acted as a mentor and was part of her support system. In conclusion, teaching special education in rural schools can be challenging, but having a support network may lead to higher retention and success rates.

Interpretation
The current study found many of the conclusions to be in line with previous studies relating to attracting and retaining rural special education teachers. However, some findings were dissimilar from previous studies. The first variation involved the issue of excessive paperwork. Coleman (2001) found paperwork to be a major issue for special education teachers. Even though the teachers in this study cited excessive paperwork, they were resigned to the fact. They accepted it as a necessary duty of the position which had to be completed. A second variation involved the issue of low School districts, in conjunction with teaching institutions, can provide ongoing training in areas such as discipline, special education law, paperwork, and best teaching practices. This ongoing training would insure that both incoming teachers and current teachers have the best available information.
The guidance should be ongoing because the field of special education is not static. It is constantly changing. The teachers need the most up-to-date information and knowledge of the field.