Compounding the attrition problem of special education teachers are increases in special education student enrollment. During the 1993-1994 school year, the number of students with disabilities being served increased by 4.2% from the previous school year. This increase represents the largest enrollment growth in special education since 1976. In addition, "the rate of growth in the number of children and youth receiving special education continues to exceed the rate of growth in the number of the birth through age 21 population (which in 1993-1994 increased by ... 6%)" (U.S. Department of Education [DOE], 1995, p. 7).