In 2002, and again in 2007, in an effort to identify effective recruitment and retention strategies, the Oregon Special Education Recruitment and Retention Project surveyed newly hired (in their first or second year) special educators regarding their recent job-seeking experience. We received over 300 completed surveys from individuals throughout Oregon.
Section four of the survey, specifically asked respondents to rate the factors that influenced their decision to accept a job offer. These factors related to financial issues, personal issues, working conditions, and support. In the following summary the results are broken down by level of experience and whether the respondent was from Oregon or out of state. The results are broken down further by urban-suburban positions, small city positions and rural/isolated positions.
The August strategy briefing will discuss the results related to administrative support. We will discuss additional factors in the coming months.
Administrative Support
The single most important factor identified by this survey was the sense of administrative support these individuals could expect once employed.
- Survey results indicate that making clear the level and kinds of administrative support available is critically important to special education professionals in their decision to accept a job offer. While administrative support is slightly less important to beginning special educators prepared out of state and experienced career changers, it was still very or critically important to about 70% of the respondents that fell into these categories.
- Survey results indicate that there are differences by agency size and geographic location in how important administrative support is to individuals who accepted a job. Respondents in rural or isolated settings identified administrative support as more important than respondents in either urban/suburban or small city settings. Individuals working at ESD's serving varied settings indicated that administrative support was far less important to them in accepting a job offer.
Potential Implications for Policy and/or Practice:
Both beginning and experienced special educators know how important administrative support is to their work experience. Lack of administrative support was also cited as the most important factor in leaving a previous job. Being clear to job applicants the kinds and level of administrative support they can expect is an important selling point to special educators making a decision to accept a job offer.
