1. Induction and Mentoring for Special Educators
Lynn Holdheide & Lindsey Hayes, Center on Great Teachers and Leaders

2. Mission
The mission of the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders (GTL Center) is to foster the capacity of vibrant networks of practitioners, researchers, innovators, and experts to build and sustain a seamless system of support for great teachers and leaders for every school in every state in the nation.

3. Session Objectives
Discuss strategies to develop and refine induction and mentoring programs that increase the ability of special educators to select and implement evidence-based practices (EBPs) for students with disabilities (SWDs).
Highlight how partnerships between state education agencies (SEAs) and local districts can support high-quality induction and mentoring practices targeted to the needs of special educators.

4. Reflection Questions Complete the reflection questions on the handout.
Share answers in your table group.

5. Why Induction and Mentoring?
Critical stage of the teacher and leader development continuum
System of coordinated and aligned supports to provide a supportive pathway into the profession
Experience that facilitates a smooth preservice to inservice transition
Source: GTL Center, 2014.

6. National Landscape
Twenty-nine states have policies requiring some type of mentoring or induction support for new teachers.
Twenty states have policies requiring support for first-time principals.
Nine states require support for new teachers beyond their first two years.
Sixteen states provide some dedicated funding for induction.
Two states fund statewide teacher induction programs.
Source: New Teacher Center, 2016b.

7. Theory of Action

8. Research on Impact of Induction
Mentoring and induction activities have shown positive impact on teacher commitment and retention, teacher classroom instructional practices, and student achievement (Ingersoll & Strong, 2011).
High-quality induction and mentoring has been associated with first- year teachers showing student performance gains equivalent to those of fourth-year teachers who did not have this support (Strong, 2006).
Results from a recent randomized control trial show that the New Teacher Center’s teacher induction model increases student learning in grades 4-8 by 2-4 additional months in reading/English language arts and 2-5 additional months in mathematics (Schmidt, Young, Cassidy, Wang, & Laguarda, 2017).

9. Research on Content of Induction Support for Special Educators
The content of mentor interactions with beginning special educators is often in the area of emotional support.
Beginning special educators value the expertise of their mentors in helping them select and adapt functional materials for instruction and develop strategies to motivate students.
Beginning special educators who reported access to content about school and special education systems, materials, curriculum, and instruction still reported needing more assistance in these areas than was provided and other critical areas such as supporting families and providing access to the general education curriculum.
Source: Billingsley, Griffin, Smith, Kamman, & Israel, 2009.

10. The Bigger Picture
When part of a coordinated talent development strategy, induction and mentoring can connect with and support many state and district- driven initiatives.
State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP)
Equitable access to excellent educators
Personnel shortages
School turnaround
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) implementation
Others?

11. How Does Special Education Fit?
The field has long-standing issues with:
Retention and attrition of special educators
Special education as a critical shortage area
Poor achievement for SWDs
Lack of alignment between initiatives
Induction and mentoring must address the root causes of these issues, which frequently lead back to lack of effective instruction.
In short, the content of induction and mentoring must be grounded in effective, evidence-based instructional practices.

12. A New Way of Thinking
Induction and mentoring programs are only as effective as the instructional practices they promote, including:
EBPs in content areas (e.g., literacy and mathematics)
Positive behavioral supports and evidence-based interventions
Culturally-relevant pedagogy
Instruction within Multi-tiered Systems of Supports (MTSS)
Therefore, effective induction and mentoring supports must help novice special educators to:
Identify EBPs
Select appropriate EBPs for a student and/or group
Implement EBPs with fidelity
Use data to evaluate progress and make instructional adaptations

13. Shifts for Special Educators
Moving away from…
Moving toward…
Mentoring as emotional or logistical support (e.g., mentor as “buddy”)
Informal and non-evidence based feedback
Professional development that is not tailored to the needs of beginning special educators
Mentoring that provides intensive and specific guidance to move teaching practice forward
Professional teaching standards and data-driven conversations
Ongoing and aligned system of supports
Source: New Teacher Center, 2016a.

14. Considerations for Special Educators
Mentoring as one component of a larger system of support that also includes professional development, curriculum planning, orientation, etc.
Mentor match—special education versus content area
Leveraging preobservation conferences
Mentor training and support
Balance of ongoing instructional support with just-in-time logistical support

15. Example from the Kokomo School District
Talent for Turnaround (T4T) partnership between the Kokomo, Indiana School District and the GTL Center
Approximately 7,000 students and 390 teachers
Approximately 70% free and reduced-price lunch

16. Challenges
Eighty-three percent of first- and second-year teachers left within a five-year period.
Fifty percent of first- through fifth-year teachers left within a five-year period.
Three of Kokomo's four lowest-performing, highest-poverty schools have the highest percentages of teachers with less than five years of experience (34-45%).
There were 50 vacant positions across subject areas and grade levels at the end of the school year.

17. Induction as Turnaround Strategy
Talent Development: Large-scale impact by targeting first- and second-year teachers
Turnaround Leadership: Building capacity among district- and school- level leadership to lead systemic change
Instructional Transformation: Providing leadership opportunities for master teachers to reinforce effective instructional practices
Example: Culturally-relevant pedagogy

18. Partnering for Pilot and State Scale-Up
Topics: Vision setting; research and best practices; mentor recruitment, selection, and development; and program evaluation
Audience: District and building- level administrators and mentor teachers
Partners: GTL Center, Great Lakes Comprehensive Center
Development and initial facilitation in Kokomo
Training and practice for replication
Successes and lessons learned from Kokomo
Targeted delivery for local education agencies with equity gaps

19. Measuring Progress Mentor standards and evaluation
Inexperienced teacher effectiveness
Stakeholder feedback
Student achievement and growth

20. Discussion and Share Out
What strategies will you consider to strengthen partnerships between the SEA and local districts for induction and mentoring of special educators?
What strategies will you consider to reinforce effective instructional practices for SWDs through induction and mentoring?

21. References
Billingsley, B.S., Griffin, C.C., Smith, S.J., Kamman, M., & Israel, M. (2009). A review of teacher induction in special education: Research, practice, and technology solutions. National Center to Inform Policy and Practice in Special Education Professional Development. (NCIPP Doc. No. RS-1). Retrieved from
Center on Great Teacher and Leaders. (2014). Talent development framework for 21st century educators: Moving toward state policy alignment and coherence. Washington, DC: American Institutes for Research. Retrieved from
Ingersoll, R. M., & Strong, M. (2011). The impact of induction and mentoring programs for beginning teachers: A critical review of the research. Review of Educational Research, 81(2),
New Teacher Center. (2016a). High quality mentoring and induction practices. Santa Cruz, CA: New Teacher Center. Retrieved from
New Teacher Center. (2016b). Support from the start: A 50-state review of policies on new educator induction and mentoring. Santa Cruz, CA: New Teacher Center. Retrieved from content/uploads/state-teacher-induction-2016-exec-summ-only-final-version-v3.pdf
Schmidt, R., Young, V., Cassidy, L., Wang, H., & Laguarda, K. (2017). Impact of the New Teacher Center’s new teacher induction model on teachers and students. Menlo Park, CA: SRI Education. Retrieved from
Strong, M. (2006). Does new teacher support affect student achievement?: Some early research findings. Santa Cruz, CA: New Teacher Center. Retrieved from h_findings