This article examines the components of an effective mentoring program for beginning special education teachers and the impact mentoring has on attrition. The participants for the study were 156 first-year special education teachers in South Carolina who responded to a questionnaire that examined the frequency and perceived effectiveness of the form and content of the mentoring the characteristics of the mentors, and the teachers' plans to remain in special education. Two factors emerged in the mentoring: a general factor and a factor specific to special education. The perceived effectiveness of the mentoring was significantly correlated with the teachers' plans to remain in special education. The article examines critical components of mentoring and concludes by discussing the implications for practice.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AndersonE. M.ShannonA. L. (1988). Toward a conceptualization of mentoring. Journal of Teacher Education, 39(1), 38–42.
2.
BillingsleyB. S. (1993). Teacher retention and attrition in special and general education: A critical review of the literature. The Journal of Special Education, 27, 137–174.
3.
BillingsleyB. S.CrossL. H. (1991). Teachers' decisions to transfer from special to general education. The Journal of Special Education, 24, 496–511.
4.
BillingsleyB. S.TomchinE. M. (1992). Four beginning LD teachers: What their experiences suggest for trainers and employers. Learning Disabilities Research and Practice, 7, 104–112.
5.
BoeE. E.BarkanicG.LeowC. S. (1999). Retention and attrition of teachers at the school level: National trends and predictors. (Data Analysis Report No. 1999-DAR1). Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, Center for Research and Evaluation in Social Policy.*
6.
BoeE. E.BobbittS. A.CookL. H. (1997). Whither didst thou go? Retention, reassignment, migration, and attrition of special and general education teachers from a national perspective. The Journal of Special Education, 30, 371–389.
7.
BogenschildE. G.LauritzenP.MetzkeL. (1988). A study of teacher attrition: Information on personnel supply and demand. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 311 614).
8.
CheneyC. O.KrajewskiJ.CombsM. (1992). Understanding the first year teacher: Implications for induction programs. Teacher Education and Special Education15(1), 18–24.
9.
The Council for Exceptional Children (1998). What every special educator must know: The international standards for the preparation and licensure of special educators. (3rd ed.). Reston, VA: The Council for Exceptional Children. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 399 727).
10.
EckertV. A.BeyT. M. (1990). Supporting beginning teachers of at-risk students. Southeastern Educational Improvement Laboratory. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 331 786).
11.
Feiman-NemserS.ParkerM. B. (1993). Mentoring in context: A comparison of two U.S. programs for beginning teachers. International Journal of Educational Research, 19, 699–718.
12.
FreibergM.ZbikawskiJ.GanserT. (1994, February). Perceptions of beginning teachers in an urban setting: Does mentoring make a difference? Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association of Teacher Educators, Atlanta, GA. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 367 637).
13.
FullerF. F.BownO. H. (1975). Becoming a teacher. In RyanK. (Ed.), Teacher education: The seventy-fourth yearbook of the national society for the study of education part II (pp. 25–52). Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.*
14.
GanserT. (1991, February). Beginning teachers' and mentors' perceptions of effective mentoring programs. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association of Teacher Educators, New Orleans, LA. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 337 428).
15.
GanserT. (1996). What do mentors say about mentoring?Journal of Staff Development, 17(3), 36–39.
16.
GonzalezP. (1996). Causes and cures of teacher attrition: A selected bibliography focusing on special educators. National Association of State Directors of Special Education, Alexandria, VA. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 389 128).
17.
Harris, L., & Associates, Inc. (1991). The Metropolitan Life survey of the American teacher, 1991: The first year: New teacher's expectations and ideals. New York: Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 354 224).
18.
Harris, L., & Associates, Inc. (1992). The Metropolitan Life survey of the American teacher, 1991: The second year: New teacher's expectations and ideals. New York: Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 354 226).
19.
Harris, L., & Associates, Inc. (1995). The American Teacher, 1984–1995, Metropolitan Life Survey. Old problems, new challenges. New York: Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. 392 783).
20.
HuffmanG.LeakS. (1986). Beginning teacher's perceptions of mentors. Journal of Teacher Education, 37(1), 22–25.
21.
Huling-AustinL. (1986). What can and cannot reasonably be expected from teacher induction programs?Journal of Teacher Education, 37(1), 2–5.
22.
Huling-AustinL. (1990). Teacher induction programs and internships. In HoustonW. R. (Ed.), Handbook of research on teacher education (pp. 535–548). New York: Macmillan.*
23.
KirbyS.GrissmerD. W. (1993). Teacher attrition: Theory, evidence, and suggested policy options. Santa Monica, CA: Rand Corporation. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 364 533).
24.
KuekerJ.HaenslyP. (1990, January). Developing induction year mentorships in a generic special education teacher-training program. Paper presented at the annual conference of the Southwestern Educational Research Association, Austin, TX. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 355 738).
25.
LaneG. M.CanosaR. (1995). A mentoring program for beginning and veteran teachers of students with severe disabilities. Teacher Education and Special Education, 18, 230–239.
26.
LittleJ. W. (1990). The mentor phenomenon and the social organization of teaching. In CazdenC. B. (Ed.), Review of Research in Education, Vol. 16 (pp. 297–351). Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association.
27.
LittletonM.Tally-FoosK.WolaverR. (1992). Mentoring: A support system for new teachers. The Clearing House, 65(3), 172–174.
28.
LortieD. C. (1975). Schoolteacher: A sociological study. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
29.
McKnabP. (1995). Attrition rates of special education personnel in Kansas: 1993–94 to 1994–95. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 380 977).
30.
MillerM. D.BrownellM. T.SmithS. W. (1999). Factors that predict teachers staying in, leaving, or transferring from the special education classroom. Exceptional Children, 65, 201–218.
31.
NataleJ. A. (1993). Why teachers leave. The Executive Educator, 15(7), 14–18.
32.
OdellS. J. (1990a). Mentor teacher programs: What research says to the teacher. Washington, DC: National Education Association. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 323 185).
33.
OdellS. J. (1990b). Support for new teachers. In BlyT. M.HolmesC. T. (Eds.), Mentoring: Developing successful new teachers (pp. 3–24). Reston, VA: Association of Teacher Educators.
34.
OdellS. J.FerraroD. P. (1992). Teacher mentoring and teacher retention. Journal of Teacher Education, 43, 200–204.
35.
PugachM. C. (1992). Uncharted territory: Research on the socialization of special education teachers. Teacher Education and Special Education, 15, 133–147.
36.
RyanK. (Ed.) (1992). The Roller Coaster Year. New York: Harper-Collins.*
37.
SchlechtyP. C.VanceV. S. (1983). Recruitment, selection, and retention: The shape of the teaching force. The Elementary School Journal, 83, 469–487.
38.
SingerJ. D. (1992). Are special educator's career paths special? Results from a 13-year longitudinal study. Exceptional Children, 59, 262–279.
39.
SultanaQ. (1996, November). Special education teachers' attrition in Kentucky and its reasons. Paper presented at the annual conference of the Mid-South Educational Research Association, Tuscaloosa, AL. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 405 681).
40.
VeenmanS. (1984). Perceived problems of beginning teachers. Review of Educational Research, 54, 143–178.
41.
WhitakerS. D. (1999). Induction year special education teachers: Perceptions of mentoring and its relationship to attrition. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of South Carolina, Columbia.
42.
WhiteM. (1995). Factors contributing to special education teacher attrition: How a one year internship affects the attrition rates of special education teachers in Kentucky. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN.
