Occupation · SOC 25-2057
Special Education Teachers, Middle School
Teach academic, social, and life skills to middle school students with learning, emotional, or physical disabilities. Includes teachers who specialize and work with students who are blind or have visual impairments; students who are deaf or have hearing impairments; and students with intellectual disabilities.
Median wage
$64,880
$48,070–$102,730
Projected growth
-1.9%
Declining
Annual openings
-180
per year
Employed (US)
95,330
Job Zone 4
Typical preparation
Considerable preparation
Stackable credential programs
592 mapped
Core skills
Active ListeningSocial PerceptivenessInstructingSpeakingActive LearningLearning StrategiesWritingService Orientation
Knowledge areas
English LanguageEducation and TrainingMathematicsAdministrativeCustomer and Personal Service
Technology & tools
Operating system softwareData base user interface and query softwareComputer based training softwareElectronic mail softwareVideo creation and editing software
Representative tasks
Develop or write Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students.Establish and enforce rules for behavior and policies and procedures to maintain order among students.Develop and implement strategies to meet the needs of students with a variety of handicapping conditions.Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities.Instruct students in daily living skills required for independent maintenance and self-sufficiency, such as hygiene, safety, and food preparation.Confer with parents or guardians, other teachers, counselors, and administrators to resolve students' behavioral and academic problems.Coordinate placement of students with special needs into mainstream classes.Confer with parents, administrators, testing specialists, social workers, and professionals to develop individual educational plans (IEPs) for students' educational, physical, and social development.Modify the general education curriculum for students with disabilities, based upon a variety of instructional techniques and instructional technology.Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification and positive reinforcement.Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects, and communicate those objectives to students.Guide and counsel students with adjustments, academic problems, or special academic interests.Teach students personal development skills, such as goal setting, independence, and self-advocacy.Employ special educational strategies and techniques during instruction to improve the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, and memory.Maintain accurate and complete student records, and prepare reports on children and activities, as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations.Collaborate with other teachers that provide instruction to special education students to ensure that the students receive appropriate support.Instruct through lectures, discussions, and demonstrations in one or more subjects, such as English, mathematics, or social studies.Monitor teachers and teacher assistants to ensure that they adhere to inclusive special education program requirements.Meet with parents and guardians to discuss their children's progress and to determine priorities for their children and their resource needs.Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment and materials to prevent injuries and damage.Plan and conduct activities for a balanced program of instruction, demonstration, and work time that provides students with opportunities to observe, question, and investigate.Confer with other staff members to plan and schedule lessons promoting learning, following approved curricula.Prepare objectives and outlines for courses of study, following curriculum guidelines or requirements of states and schools.Use computers, audio-visual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations.Administer standardized ability and achievement tests, and interpret results to determine students' strengths and needs.Prepare for assigned classes, and show written evidence of preparation upon request of immediate supervisors.Prepare, administer, and grade tests and assignments to evaluate students' progress.Meet with parents and guardians to provide guidance in using community resources and to teach skills for dealing with students' impairments.Provide additional instruction in vocational areas.Organize and label materials and display students' work.Attend staff meetings and serve on committees, as required.Attend professional meetings, educational conferences, and teacher training workshops to maintain and improve professional competence.Plan and supervise class projects, field trips, visits by guest speakers, or other experiential activities, and guide students in learning from those activities.Perform administrative duties, such as school library assistance, hall and cafeteria monitoring, and bus loading and unloading.Provide assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms.Supervise, evaluate, and plan assignments for teacher assistants and volunteers.Organize and supervise games and other recreational activities to promote physical, mental, and social development.Visit schools to tutor students with sensory impairments and to consult with teachers regarding students' special needs.Select, store, order, issue, and inventory classroom equipment, materials, and supplies.
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
IEP documentation components — identify and compile under supervisor guidance when supporting student case files in a middle school special education department.Classroom rules and behavioral expectations — follow and reinforce under cooperating teacher direction within a structured special education setting.Instructional materials and classroom spaces — prepare and organize according to lesson plans provided by the lead special education teacher.Daily living skills activities — assist in delivering scripted lessons on hygiene and personal safety to small groups of students with disabilities.Student behavioral observations — record and report to the lead teacher using standard monitoring forms in a self-contained middle school classroom.Parent and guardian communications — participate in scheduled conferences under supervision, documenting key discussion points for the case file.Differentiated instructional strategies — apply pre-selected accommodations and modifications to assigned students during co-taught lessons.Assistive technology tools — operate approved software and devices with guidance to support individual students during daily instructional activities.Disability-related laws and procedures — recognize and apply foundational IDEA and IEP compliance requirements when preparing basic student documentation.Collaborative team meetings — attend and contribute structured observations about student progress to multidisciplinary IEP planning sessions.
developing
Individualized Education Programs — draft measurable goals and accommodations for a defined caseload of middle school students with varied disabilities, submitting for supervisor review.Behavioral management policies — implement and adjust classroom procedures to maintain a productive learning environment with reduced direct oversight.Differentiated instructional strategies — design and deliver lessons tailored to students' IEP goals across multiple disability categories in a resource room setting.Daily living and self-sufficiency curriculum — plan and facilitate skill-building lessons in food preparation, safety, and hygiene for students transitioning toward independence.Student progress data — collect, organize in database software, and analyze to identify trends and adjust instructional approaches for assigned students.Interdisciplinary team collaboration — confer routinely with general education teachers, counselors, and administrators to coordinate academic supports and resolve student concerns.Mainstream class placement — coordinate scheduling and support services for students with special needs transitioning into inclusive general education courses.Family engagement — lead parent-teacher conferences independently, communicating IEP progress and recommending home reinforcement strategies.Presentation and reporting tools — use office suite and presentation software to create clear progress reports and professional development materials for staff meetings.Active listening and social perceptiveness — apply structured observation and reflective questioning techniques to identify emerging behavioral or academic challenges in individual students.
proficient
Comprehensive IEP development — lead the full IEP process from evaluation through implementation and annual review for a diverse middle school caseload, ensuring legal compliance and measurable outcomes.Complex behavioral intervention plans — design, implement, and evaluate individualized behavior support plans for students with significant social-emotional and behavioral needs.Multi-disability instructional programming — create and autonomously deliver differentiated curricula addressing the academic, functional, and social goals of students across a wide range of handicapping conditions.Transition planning and independent living skills — integrate daily living, self-advocacy, and vocational readiness instruction into each student's long-range educational plan.Crisis decision-making — exercise sound professional judgment to de-escalate behavioral incidents and implement safety protocols within the school environment without supervisory prompting.Multidisciplinary collaboration — facilitate productive working relationships with psychologists, social workers, therapists, and administrators to resolve complex academic and behavioral challenges.Inclusion coordination — negotiate and oversee student placement in mainstream classes, providing co-teaching support and consulting general educators on effective accommodations.Family and community partnerships — lead sensitive IEP meetings involving parents, legal advocates, and outside agency representatives, reaching consensus on individualized student plans.Data-driven instructional refinement — use assessment data, spreadsheet analysis, and progress monitoring software to evaluate program effectiveness and adapt interventions for non-routine student cases.Professional writing and documentation — produce legally defensible IEPs, evaluation summaries, and behavioral reports that meet district, state, and federal standards.
advanced
Special education program leadership — set departmental vision, establish evidence-based instructional standards, and evaluate program effectiveness across the middle school special education continuum.District-level IEP policy development — author and champion systemic procedures that ensure legally compliant, student-centered IEP processes across multiple school sites.Mentor and coach emerging educators — design induction and professional development programs that build instructional capacity and ethical practice in new and developing special education teachers.Organizational behavior and culture — model and institutionalize high expectations for student dignity, self-control, and empathy as core values within the school community.Cross-agency partnership leadership — forge and sustain strategic relationships with social services, mental health providers, and community organizations to expand wraparound support for students with disabilities.Inclusive education systems design — lead school-wide restructuring efforts that expand and improve mainstream placement opportunities and co-teaching models for students with diverse learning needs.Advanced data governance and reporting — direct the collection, analysis, and interpretation of program-wide outcome data to inform administrative decisions and satisfy state and federal accountability requirements.Policy advocacy and legal interpretation — advise administrators and school boards on IDEA compliance, special education law updates, and best-practice implementation strategies at the organizational level.Budget and resource stewardship — manage special education departmental budgets, assistive technology procurement, and staffing allocations to maximize student outcomes across the school.Research and continuous improvement — lead action research initiatives and disseminate findings to local and regional professional communities, advancing the field of middle school special education practice.
Also known as
64 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Inclusion TeacherSpecial Day Class Teacher (SDC Teacher)Learning Support TeacherInstructor (Air Force 81T0)Handicapped TeacherSpecial Needs TeacherSelf-Contained Special Education Teacher (Self-Contained SPED Teacher)Teacher, Hearing ImpairedPhysically Impaired TeacherMentally Impaired TeacherTeacher, Physically ImpairedSpecial Education Teacher (SPED Teacher)Emotionally Impaired TeacherSED Middle School Teacher (Severe Emotional Disorders Middle School Teacher)Teacher, ResourceMiddle School Students with Moderate Intellectual Disabilities TeacherDHOH Teacher (Deaf and Hard of Hearing Teacher)Lip Reading TeacherReading InterventionistLearning Disabilities Special Education Teacher (LD SPED Teacher)Deaf TeacherExceptional Student Education Teacher (ESE Teacher)Intervention TeacherSPED Resource Teacher (Special Education Resource Teacher)Teacher, Visually ImpairedSchool SPED Teacher (School Special Education Teacher)InterventionistInterrelated SPED Teacher (Interrelated Special Education Teacher)ED SPED Teacher (Emotional Disabilities Special Education Teacher)Resource Specialist TeacherSLD Teacher (Specific Learning Disability Teacher)Visually Impaired TeacherEducation And Training Apprentice (Air Force 3F231)Intervention SpecialistExceptional Children Teacher (EC Teacher)Teacher, Emotionally ImpairedResource Room TeacherTeacher, Vocational TrainingHearing Impaired Teacher (HI Teacher)Teacher, Learning Disabled