Special Education Requirements for General Education Certification

The purpose of the present study was to conduct a national survey to determine the state certification requirements general educators must meet (if any) in the area of special education. The survey was undertaken to study how states were responding to the increased demand placed on general educators to serve many more students with special needs. The results revealed that approximately three fourths of the states require general education teachers to have a course or two in special education or meet some specific competency criteria. The notion that such a cursory exposure to special education could prepare general educators to serve children with special needs is questioned, and future research examining the relationship between training experiences and competencies in serving students is recommended.