Occupation · SOC 25-2058
Special Education Teachers, Secondary School
Teach academic, social, and life skills to secondary 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
$69,590
$47,930–$106,050
Projected growth
-1.6%
Declining
Annual openings
-260
per year
Employed (US)
162,780
Job Zone 4
Typical preparation
Considerable preparation
Stackable credential programs
601 mapped
Core skills
Learning StrategiesWritingSpeakingSocial PerceptivenessService OrientationReading ComprehensionInstructingActive ListeningMonitoringCoordinationTime ManagementCritical ThinkingComplex Problem SolvingJudgment and Decision MakingActive LearningPersuasionNegotiationSystems EvaluationSystems AnalysisMathematicsManagement of Personnel ResourcesOperations AnalysisManagement of Material ResourcesScienceQuality Control AnalysisOperations MonitoringManagement of Financial ResourcesTechnology DesignProgrammingTroubleshootingOperation and ControlEquipment SelectionRepairingInstallationEquipment Maintenance
Knowledge areas
English LanguageEducation and TrainingComputers and ElectronicsMathematicsCustomer and Personal ServicePsychologyAdministrativeAdministration and ManagementPublic Safety and SecurityTherapy and CounselingGeographySociology and AnthropologyCommunications and MediaLaw and GovernmentPersonnel and Human ResourcesHistory and ArcheologyPhilosophy and TheologyBiologyTransportationEconomics and AccountingChemistryTelecommunicationsProduction and ProcessingMedicine and DentistryEngineering and TechnologyPhysicsFine ArtsDesignSales and MarketingForeign LanguageMechanicalFood ProductionBuilding and Construction
Technology & tools
Adobe AcrobatAdobe IllustratorAdobe InDesignAdobe PhotoshopEmail softwareFacebookHand held spell checkersMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft SharePointMicrosoft WordScreen magnification softwareScreen reader softwareText to speech softwareVideo editing softwareVoice activated softwareWeb browser softwareWord processing software
Representative tasks
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsOrganizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkCoaching and Developing OthersTraining and Teaching OthersMaking Decisions and Solving ProblemsEvaluating Information to Determine Compliance with StandardsGetting InformationWorking with ComputersUpdating and Using Relevant KnowledgeCommunicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesThinking CreativelyScheduling Work and ActivitiesProcessing InformationDeveloping Objectives and StrategiesMonitoring Processes, Materials, or SurroundingsAssisting and Caring for OthersDocumenting/Recording InformationInterpreting the Meaning of Information for OthersIdentifying Objects, Actions, and EventsGuiding, Directing, and Motivating SubordinatesCoordinating the Work and Activities of OthersJudging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or PeopleProviding Consultation and Advice to OthersResolving Conflicts and Negotiating with OthersAnalyzing Data or InformationDeveloping and Building TeamsCommunicating with People Outside the OrganizationPerforming for or Working Directly with the PublicPerforming Administrative ActivitiesEstimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or InformationInspecting Equipment, Structures, or MaterialsPerforming General Physical ActivitiesMonitoring and Controlling ResourcesSelling or Influencing OthersStaffing Organizational UnitsHandling and Moving ObjectsControlling Machines and ProcessesOperating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or EquipmentRepairing and Maintaining Electronic EquipmentDrafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Classroom rules and behavioral expectations — establish and post under cooperating teacher guidance in a secondary special education setting.Student records and daily progress notes — maintain using district-approved templates with direct supervisory review.IEP meeting preparation — gather required assessment data and compile supporting documents under the direction of a lead special education teacher.Sensory-motor and language development activities — deliver pre-designed instructional strategies during co-taught secondary classroom sessions.Lesson objectives — write and display clear learning targets for each instructional period following department-provided formats.Classroom materials and adaptive equipment — organize and prepare before each scheduled class activity in a resource room environment.Positive reinforcement techniques — apply scripted behavior modification protocols to support socially acceptable conduct among secondary students with disabilities.Parent and guardian communication — participate in structured conferences alongside a mentor teacher to address students' academic or behavioral concerns.Electronic mail and office suite software — use to submit reports, correspond with team members, and document student information in school data systems.Active listening and observation — practice during IEP team meetings and multidisciplinary staffing sessions to build understanding of collaborative planning processes.
developing
Classroom behavioral policies — enforce consistently and adapt enforcement strategies when initial approaches are insufficient in a secondary special education classroom.Cumulative student records and required compliance reports — maintain accurately and submit on schedule in accordance with IDEA regulations and district policy.Individual Educational Plans — contribute substantive goal recommendations and coordinate input from parents, counselors, and testing specialists during annual review meetings.Differentiated instructional strategies for cognition and memory — select and implement routinely to address varied learning profiles across secondary students with disabilities.Unit and project objectives — communicate clearly to students using multiple modalities, adjusting language for differing comprehension levels in a resource or inclusion setting.Adaptive classroom environments — configure independently, sourcing assistive technology and materials to support upcoming lesson requirements.Social skills instruction — plan and deliver structured lessons using behavior modification and token economy systems to reinforce prosocial behavior among secondary students.Multidisciplinary team conferences — facilitate student-focused problem-solving discussions with parents, administrators, and social workers to resolve recurring academic or behavioral issues.Presentation and database software — use to track IEP goal progress, generate data visualizations, and prepare reports for administrative review.Instructional effectiveness — monitor through ongoing formative assessment and adjust pacing and delivery in response to observed student performance data.
proficient
School-wide behavioral expectations — align classroom policies with broader campus frameworks and independently resolve complex disciplinary situations involving students with significant disabilities.Comprehensive IEP documentation and legally compliant progress reports — author and manage across a full caseload in a secondary special education department.IEP development — lead collaborative planning with parents, general education teachers, psychologists, and agency representatives to design individualized programs addressing educational, physical, and social development.Specialized instructional techniques for perceptual-motor, language, and cognitive skill development — select, sequence, and evaluate autonomously for diverse secondary learners with low-incidence and high-incidence disabilities.Standards-aligned and individualized lesson objectives — design across long-range curriculum units, integrating transition goals for students approaching post-secondary pathways.Classroom and community-based learning environments — prepare and differentiate for a range of instructional formats including self-contained, co-taught, and community-integrated settings.Behavior Intervention Plans — develop and implement evidence-based strategies, monitoring fidelity and adjusting reinforcement systems in response to functional behavioral assessment outcomes.Parent-school partnerships — cultivate through proactive, culturally responsive communication and mediate conflicts between families and school teams to achieve durable resolutions.Complex student data systems — manage and query to generate compliance reports, track longitudinal IEP goal progress, and inform instructional decision-making.Multidisciplinary problem-solving — apply critical thinking and systems analysis to diagnose root causes of persistent learning or behavioral challenges and design comprehensive intervention plans.
advanced
Department-wide behavioral frameworks and crisis response protocols — design and institutionalize across a secondary special education program to ensure consistent, safe learning environments.District compliance systems for student records and mandated reporting — lead development and audit processes to ensure alignment with federal IDEA requirements and state regulations.Transition and IEP policy — shape school or district-level procedures through collaboration with special education directors, community agencies, and post-secondary institutions.Evidence-based instructional models — evaluate, select, and champion adoption of emerging special education practices across secondary classrooms, mentoring teachers in implementation fidelity.Curriculum frameworks for students with disabilities — architect scope-and-sequence documents that align individualized goals with state academic standards and post-secondary transition outcomes.Inclusive learning environment design — lead school-wide initiatives to restructure physical and instructional spaces in support of diverse learners across general and special education settings.Positive behavioral support systems — spearhead school-wide or district-level programs integrating tiered interventions, staff training, and data-driven decision-making structures.Family and community engagement strategy — establish and sustain formal partnership structures with parent organizations, advocacy groups, and social service agencies serving secondary students with disabilities.Special education technology infrastructure — evaluate and guide procurement of document management, assistive technology, and data platforms to advance program-wide instructional effectiveness.Special education teacher development — mentor, coach, and formally evaluate early-career and developing teachers, building departmental capacity and fostering a culture of reflective professional practice.
Also known as
51 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Blind TeacherBraille TeacherCross-Categorical SPED Teacher (Cross-Categorical Special Education Teacher)Deaf TeacherEducation SpecialistEmotional Disability Special Education Teacher (ED SPED Teacher)Emotionally Impaired TeacherExceptional Children's Teacher (EC Teacher)Exceptional Student Education Teacher (ESE Teacher)Handicapped TeacherHearing Impaired TeacherHigh School Learning Support TeacherHS SPED Teacher (High School Special Education Teacher)Inclusion CoordinatorInclusion Special EducatorInclusion SpecialistInclusion TeacherInterrelated SPED Teacher (Interrelated Special Education Teacher)Learning Disabilities Special Education Teacher (LD Special Education Teacher)Learning Disabled Teacher (LD Teacher)Learning SpecialistLearning Support TeacherLife Skills TeacherLip Reading TeacherMI Teacher (Mentally Impaired Teacher)Physically Impaired TeacherReading SpecialistRemedial Math Teacher (Remedial Mathematics Teacher)Remedial Reading TeacherResource Center TeacherResource SpecialistResource Specialist TeacherResource TeacherRSP Specialist (Resource Specialist Program Specialist)Secondary School SPED Teacher (Secondary School Special Education Teacher)Secondary SPED Teacher (Secondary Special Education Teacher)SED High School Teacher (Serious Emotional Disability High School Teacher)Self-Contained Classroom SPED Teacher (Self-Contained Classroom Special Education Teacher)Severe Emotional Disorders High School TeacherSign Language Teacher