Addressing Personnel Needs for Rural Areas

A chronic shortage of early interventionists and special educators exists in rural areas. The authors argue that special rural knowledge and skills may be required for early interventionists and special educators to be satisfied and productive in rural areas. Both recruitment and retention of rural special educators can be challenging, leading in many states to gaps in services for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities who live with their families in rural or remote areas. This article began with a review of the literature on personnel preparation for rural services. It summarizes data from 96 recent rural personnel preparation projects funded by U.S. Department of Education (USDE), Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and shares the results of an e-mail survey of the directors of recent OSEP rural projects that have concluded. Based on this triad of sources, the authors discuss (a) rural knowledge and skills to be incorporated into personnel preparation programs, (b) effective recruitment strategies for rural professionals, (c) methods of delivering training to personnel in rural areas, and (d) outcomes of the OSEP rural projects. The authors offer recommendations to university personnel and policy makers to increase stability and reduce the longstanding shortages of qualified personnel for rural services.