An Apprenticeship Model to Recruit and Prepare Minority Students to Enter Special Education Doctoral Programs

Abstract

Despite the large number of minority students in special education in the public schools, there is a critical shortage of minority faculty in special education teacher training and research. This shortage exists, in part, because many minority students do not perceive themselves as potential college professors, nor do they have a clear concept of the culture of academe or the requirements for acquiring a faculty position and attaining tenure and promotion. Equally important, minority students express a need for mentoring and financial support to enable them to pursue doctorates in special education. We describe a research-based apprenticeship model to prepare minority students to enter doctoral programs with the goal of becoming faculty members in institutions of higher education. Specific recommendations and rationale are presented for recruitment and training.