A Closer Look at Assessment and Entrance Requirements: Implications for Recruitment and Retention of African American Special Educators

In light of the passage of the recent mandate for assessment and accountability measures, this article explores the potential impact of such policies and measures on efforts to recruit and retain African American and other ethnically diverse special education teachers. The recruitment and retention of African American teacher candidates is largely contingent upon the availability of aggressive recruitment and retention strategies and culturally responsive supports being provided in the area of assessment. A description of strategies that seem to offer promise for recruiting, retaining, and supporting African American and other diverse candidates in becoming special education teachers is provided. Recommendations and guidelines for institutions interested in establishing programs to recruit and retain diverse special education teachers are also offered. A preservice teacher who made excellent grades in all courses and performed exceptionally well in the K-12 classroom had difficulty achieving the Praxis score on reading, writing and mathematics required for admittance to the teacher certification program. No intervention occurred. The student is African American and ultimately chose another career path. Another preservice student, also African American completed the program with excellent grades but failed to achieve the qualifying score on the special education section of Praxis II and was never certified to teach. Again, no intervention took place, and the preservice teacher chose another career path. In both of the above cases, neither preservice teacher was given assistance or support to help him/her make satisfactory assessment scores.