The Factors Influencing the Shortage of Certified Adapted Physical Educators

Background/Purpose: The shortage of the Certified Adapted Physical Educators (CAPE) has been reported since 1975, the year the enactment for All Handicapped Act mandated (Zhang, 2010). Currently, in the United States, there are 33 universities offering Adapted Physical education (APE) major for undergraduate level and 41 universities offering this major in the graduate level. 21 states do not have any university offering APE major, and only 17 states require the endorsement of CAPE. The purpose of this study was to estimate the priority factor to predict the number of CAPE in the state. Specifically, this study was aimed at estimating how the number of CAPE in state varies due to the number of students with disability, the number of universities offering APE major, the average wage, and the state’s status of CAPE endorsement.

Method: Primary data was obtained from the 30^th annual report to congress on the implementation of the individuals with disability education act (USDE, 2008). The number of CAPE by state was provided by the Adapted Physical Education National Standards (APENS, 2012). Data about the number of colleges offering APE major and the state endorsement of CAPE was from the National Consortium for Physical Education and Recreation for Individuals with Disabilities (NCPERID, 2012). 

Analysis/Results: A multivariate ordinary least squares (OLS) regression using SPSS version 20 was utilized to analyze data. The results of the regression indicated the predictors explains 62% of data variance (R² = 0.62, F (4, 46) = 5.918, p<0.01). It was found that the number of CAPE predicted by the number of students requiring special education (β=0.701, p<0.01) and the number of university offering APE major (β=0.91, p<.01). However, it was not a significant factor to predict the number of CAPE the state endorsement of CAPE (β=-0.52, p=0.06) and the average wage of the state (β=-0 .67, p=1.54).

Conclusions: Each state has their own criteria for defining qualified APE teachers. Since the state average wage for APE teachers are primarily based on the living cost of the state, the state endorsement of CAPE in relation to the average wage was found not to be a significant factor across the country. The number of students with disabilities within a state, as well as the number of university offering APE major affects the number of CAPE significantly. We conclude that the role of higher education, providing APE major in higher education, is critical to foster the number CAPE in the state.