Special education teacher shortage leaves schools searching for more support

Study the questions and tasks

Work through the material below, or start the interactive practice above to complete an attempt. Try the exercises before opening any answer or transcript sections, then use them to review your work.

Practice level

B2. Try this level if you can follow the instructions and understand most of the language; choose an earlier level if you need more support.

Question formats

Single choice

How to approach this practice

Read the passage for its main idea, then return to the relevant sentence or paragraph for each question. Base answers on the passage.

1. Question 1 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What is the main idea of the article?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Special education teachers mainly teach academic subjects.
   2. Special education teachers face pressures despite making important differences.
   3. Most public school students receive special education services.
   4. Federal law has recently created special education shortages.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Special education teachers face pressures despite making important differences.

   The article balances teachers’ achievements with the persistent shortage and its causes.

   Their work can be demanding, but teachers also describe moments when students make important progress.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What can be inferred about Tejeda’s student?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. The student avoided school activities before high school.
   2. The student received no support from other staff.
   3. The student became more involved in school life.
   4. The student wanted to become a professional singer.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The student became more involved in school life.

   The student’s activities suggest increased participation and confidence at school.

   The student also sang the national anthem in front of the school.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does “this kind of support” refer to?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Teaching academic skills
   2. Joining a school choir
   3. Managing teacher turnover
   4. Advocating for students
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Advocating for students

   The phrase refers to advocating for students, described immediately before it.

   Tejeda said that advocating for students is as important to her job as teaching.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Why does the article mention the number of students receiving services?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. To show that demand is increasing
   2. To compare different state laws
   3. To explain why students join choirs
   4. To identify the oldest federal program
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   To show that demand is increasing

   The figure shows why growing demand makes the shortage more serious.

   The shortage is becoming more serious as the number of students receiving special education services rises.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   How is the article mainly organized?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. A personal success is followed by broader causes and consequences.
   2. A legal history is followed by unrelated classroom instructions.
   3. Several teachers debate different approaches to recruitment.
   4. Statistics are presented before one student’s daily schedule.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   A personal success is followed by broader causes and consequences.

   It moves from teachers’ roles and successes to the shortage’s scale and causes.

   These pressures help explain why schools continue to struggle to recruit and keep teachers, even though the work can have a powerful effect on students’ opportunities and confidence.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What relationship does the article establish between isolation and recruitment?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Isolation encourages more teachers to apply.
   2. Isolation helps schools reduce workloads.
   3. Isolation contributes to recruitment difficulties.
   4. Isolation makes student services unnecessary.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Isolation contributes to recruitment difficulties.

   Feeling isolated is presented as one pressure affecting recruitment and retention.

   These pressures help explain why schools continue to struggle to recruit and keep teachers, even though the work can have a powerful effect on students’ opportunities and confidence.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does the article suggest about the shortage’s history?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. It began only after the COVID-19 pandemic.
   2. It has existed since federal recognition in 1975.
   3. It started when Tejeda entered teaching.
   4. It ended when services expanded nationally.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   It has existed since federal recognition in 1975.

   The shortage predates COVID-19 and has continued for decades.

   It has continued since special education became part of federal law through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 1975.

What to review next

Find the words that support each answer. For a mistake, compare the question with the evidence and identify the detail or inference you missed.

A focused practice result shows how you did on these tasks. Use several activities across skills to decide what to study next; one practice score does not certify an overall CEFR level.

Before you practise: a worked example

Look for evidence in the text. Separate what the writer says from what you already know about the topic.

The library normally closes at six, but on Fridays it stays open until eight. When does it close on Friday?

The answer is eight. But introduces an exception to the normal closing time, so the first time mentioned is not the answer.

This teaching example is separate from the scored questions. After your test, compare any mistakes with the explanation and revisit the topic before trying again.