Nebraska is home to 443 districts/systems, including public districts and ESUs, as well as non-public systems. There are more than 3,500 teachers employed to support students with disabilities. Special education teachers play a crucial role in advocating for students with disabilities, providing specialized instruction, connecting students and families to resources, and helping students develop plans for future success. It is essential for districts to retain qualified and dedicated teachers to support the students they serve.
The Nebraska Department of Education, Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools and Educational Service Unit 13 recognized the need for support in retaining special education teachers. The team received an Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) grant to support Nebraska special education teachers and their administrators.
This led to the development of the Retaining Special Education Teachers in Nebraska: A Comprehensive Retention Program — referred to as Get SET Nebraska.
The Get SET Nebraska initiative has been underway for three years and has shown positive outcomes for special education teachers and administrators. A new project report is available with detailed information about Get SET Nebraska’s impacts to date (2021-2024).
View the report at: bit.ly/getset3year.
Positive Impacts Highlighted in the report: