Advocacy and Reform in Special Education: Apprenticeships as a Pipeline Toward a More Inclusive Future

Dear Colleagues:

This Special Issue explores how registered apprenticeships can serve as a transformative tool in reimagining educator preparation. The aim is to bring together research, commentary, and practice-based models that integrate workforce development strategies into the broader educational pipeline, with a focus on equity and inclusion in education.

The scope of this Special Issue includes innovative partnerships between school districts, institutions of higher education, and state agencies that use apprenticeship structures to prepare and retain educators. Contributors examine how these programs offer immersive, paid training experiences that align with certification goals while also addressing critical educator shortages.

The aims of the Special Issue are threefold:

• To expand the national conversation around educator preparation to include workforce development and economic mobility;
• To explore how apprenticeship models can promote inclusive practices and address longstanding barriers in education;
• To highlight scalable, community-anchored approaches that strengthen recruitment, retention, and preparation across the educator continuum.

Through these lenses, this Special Issue challenges traditional preparation models and offers a vision of public education that supports both learner outcomes and community-based economic growth.

This Special Issue is dedicated to advancing research, theory, and practice related to alternative pathways into the teaching profession. As schools nationwide confront teacher shortages, high attrition, and the need for a more diverse workforce, non-traditional preparation models—including apprenticeships, residencies, grow-your-own programs, and community college partnerships—are gaining traction. These pathways offer flexible, workforce-aligned entry points into teaching that emphasize hands-on experience, local partnerships, and expanded access.

We welcome theoretical, empirical, and practice-oriented submissions that critically examine these pathways. Theoretical papers may explore conceptual frameworks and equity-driven models. Empirical studies—whether quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods—should contribute to evidence-based policy and practice. Practice-oriented papers may include implementation strategies, case studies, and lessons learned from the field.

Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, the following topics: cultural competence in alternative teacher preparation, the role of mentorship and induction in teacher retention, and the impact of socio-economic factors on preparation and practice. Special attention will be given to programs that integrate coursework with clinical experience and provide “earn while you learn” opportunities.

By spotlighting diverse preparation models, this Special Issue aims to support a stronger, more inclusive teacher pipeline and promote collaboration across education and workforce systems.

Dr. Reesha M. Adamson
Dr. Susanne James
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• alternative teacher licensure
• apprenticeship programs
• residency models
• teacher workforce development
• grow-your-own programs
• career changers
• educator diversity
• clinical preparation
• educational equity
• mentorship and induction