A Summary of Research for Educational Leaders on the Induction of Beginning Special Educators

As the percentage of teachers participating in induction programs has increased over the past two decades and new state and federal mandates have been enacted to improve the quality of the teacher workforce, published literature on teacher induction and mentoring has grown. Despite an increasing research base, the current research has been described as fragmented, lacking a cohesive conceptual framework, and containing numerous methodological "limitations that are liable to compromise the implications one is able to draw." This article presents twenty induction research studies which provide information about formal and informal induction supports in special education, including the content and frequency of mentoring, the proximity and characteristics of special education mentors and other professionals who provide induction support, and evaluation considerations. Some of these studies relate induction and mentoring to special education teacher satisfaction with mentoring, intent to stay in teaching, and self-perceptions of effectiveness. Implications for districts interested in improving their induction and mentoring programs are discussed.