The Special Education Teacher Pipeline in Pennsylvania: Year 3 Report

This report summarizes findings from the third year of a long-term research partnership on the special education teacher pipeline in Pennsylvania and projects associated with the Bureau of Special Education’s Attract-Prepare-Retain (APR) efforts. We analyze administrative, survey, and interview data associated with seven APR projects that occurred during the 2024–25 school year: Accelerated Program for PK–12 Special Education Teacher Certification Grant, Developing Future Special Educators Grant, APR Mentoring Project, Networking and Learning Communities, K–2 Learning Institute, American Sign Language programs, and Paraeducator Preparation Pathways Grant. For the first six APR projects, the findings build on data from the 2023–24 school year implementation. And for the Paraeducator Preparation Pathways Grants, which launched in 2024–‍25, data are providing early evidence about how grantees view their experiences with this project.