The federal government plays an indispensable role in preparing special education personnel to become teacher educators in higher education. The 2011 Special Education Faculty Needs Assessment study documents a continued supply–demand imbalance of special education faculty. It also documents effectiveness and impact of the Office of Special Education Program’s leadership (doctoral) preparation initiative.
It is incumbent on universities to reflect current research on effective teacher preparation and respond to the changing needs of the 21st century. In the spring of 2006, University of Utah set out to restructure its teacher programs.