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Alternative Route Programs Within Special Education Teacher Preparation: A Systematic Literature Review.

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Title: Alternative Route Programs Within Special Education Teacher Preparation: A Systematic Literature Review.
Authors: Day, Jamie1 (AUTHOR), Nagro, Sarah A.2 (AUTHOR)
Source: Journal of Education Human Resources. Oct2025, Vol. 43 Issue 4, p735-762. 28p.
Subject Terms: *Special education, *Teacher education, *Supply & demand of teachers, *Human capital, *Curriculum planning, Policy analysis
Geographic Terms: United States
Abstract: In the United States, there exists a chronic shortage of qualified special education teachers to provide instructional services to students with disabilities. One policy solution developed to increase the number of qualified teachers is "alternative routes," which are broadly defined as nontraditional and accelerated preparation paths to obtain a teaching license. In this systematic literature review, the authors synthesize empirical studies from 2005 to 2021, examining factors associated with alternative route programs specific to special education. First, an economic framework for the special education workforce is established. This is followed by a descriptive summary of alternative route research nested within the broader teacher labor markets. Then, a systematic literature search on alternative routes for special education teachers is analyzed. The authors found that most studies examined the role of teacher preparation cost (e.g., cost-effectiveness, federal spending), human capital (e.g., recruitment of culturally diverse teachers, location-specific capital), and program design (e.g., collaboration between stakeholders, technology). Furthermore, studies largely investigated alternative route program characteristics affiliated with institutions of higher education. The majority of researchers employed quantitative methods to analyze secondary state or survey data, while two studies used qualitative methods, and two utilized mixed methods. Implications for future research and policy recommendations needed within the recruitment and preparation of special education teachers are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Education Human Resources is the property of University of Toronto Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
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  Data: Alternative Route Programs Within Special Education Teacher Preparation: A Systematic Literature Review.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Education+Human+Resources%22">Journal of Education Human Resources</searchLink>. Oct2025, Vol. 43 Issue 4, p735-762. 28p.
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  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Special+education%22">Special education</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+education%22">Teacher education</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Supply+%26+demand+of+teachers%22">Supply & demand of teachers</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Human+capital%22">Human capital</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Curriculum+planning%22">Curriculum planning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Policy+analysis%22">Policy analysis</searchLink>
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  Data: In the United States, there exists a chronic shortage of qualified special education teachers to provide instructional services to students with disabilities. One policy solution developed to increase the number of qualified teachers is "alternative routes," which are broadly defined as nontraditional and accelerated preparation paths to obtain a teaching license. In this systematic literature review, the authors synthesize empirical studies from 2005 to 2021, examining factors associated with alternative route programs specific to special education. First, an economic framework for the special education workforce is established. This is followed by a descriptive summary of alternative route research nested within the broader teacher labor markets. Then, a systematic literature search on alternative routes for special education teachers is analyzed. The authors found that most studies examined the role of teacher preparation cost (e.g., cost-effectiveness, federal spending), human capital (e.g., recruitment of culturally diverse teachers, location-specific capital), and program design (e.g., collaboration between stakeholders, technology). Furthermore, studies largely investigated alternative route program characteristics affiliated with institutions of higher education. The majority of researchers employed quantitative methods to analyze secondary state or survey data, while two studies used qualitative methods, and two utilized mixed methods. Implications for future research and policy recommendations needed within the recruitment and preparation of special education teachers are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Education Human Resources is the property of University of Toronto Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Value: 10.3138/jehr-2023-0044
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 28
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      – SubjectFull: Special education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teacher education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Supply & demand of teachers
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      – SubjectFull: Human capital
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      – SubjectFull: Curriculum planning
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      – SubjectFull: United States
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              Text: Oct2025
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