This article presents a profile of early career special educators' (n = 1,153) working conditions, induction support, and career plans using data from the Study of Personnel Needs in Special Education (SPeNSE). The majority of respondents are Caucasion and female, and 80% are certified for their main assignments. Most respondents reported receiving informal support from other teachers and viewed this informal support as more valuable than other forms of support. Approximately 60% of respondents participated in formal mentoring, although one third did not find this support helpful. Those who reported higher levels of induction support reported greater job manageability and success in getting through to difficult students. School climate was related to teachers' intent to remain in special education.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BillingsleyB.PyechaJ.Smith-DavisJ.MurrayK.HendricksM. B. (1995). Improving the retention of special education teachers: Final report. Research Triangle Institute (Prepared for Office of Special Education Programs, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, The U.S. Department of Education under Cooperative Agreement H023Q10001).
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 (2), 137–174.
3.
BillingsleyB. S. (2002a). SPeNSE summary sheet. Beginning special educators: Characteristics, qualifications, and experiences. Retrieved March 15, 2002, from http://ferdig.coe.ufl.edu/spense/IHEsummaryfinal.doc.
4.
BillingsleyB. S. (2002b). Special education teacher retention and attrition: A critical analysis of the literature. Gainesville, FL: University of Florida, Center on Personnel Studies in Special Education (COPSSE).
5.
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.
6.
BoyerL.LeeC. (2001). Converting challenge to success: Supporting a new teacher of students with autism. The Journal of Special Education, 35 (2), 75–83.
CarterK. B.ScruggsT. E. (2001). Thirty-one students: Reflections of a first-year teacher of students with mental retardation. The Journal of Special Education, 35 (2), 100–104.
9.
CheneyC. O.KrajewskiJ.CombsM. (1992). Understanding the first year teacher: Implications for induction programs. Teacher Education and Special Education, 15 (1), 18–24.
10.
CrossL. H.BillingsleyB. (1994). Testing a model of special educators' intent to stay in teaching. Exceptional Children, 60, 411–421.
11.
Darling-HammondL. (2003). Keeping good teachers: why it matters, what leaders can do. Educational Leadership, 60 (8), 6–13.
12.
Feiman-NemserS. (2003). What new teachers need to learn. Educational Leadership, 60 (8), 25–29.
13.
FullerF. F. (1969). Concerns of teachers: A developmental conceptualization. American Educational Research Journal, 6, 207–226.
14.
GerstenR.KeatingT.YovanoffP.HarnissM. K. (2001). Working in special education: Factors that enhance special educators' intent to stay. Exceptional Children, 67, 549–567.
15.
GoldY. (1996). Beginning teacher support: Attrition, mentoring, and induction. In SikulaJ.ButteryT. J.GuytonE. (Eds.), Handbook of research on teacher education (2nd ed., pp. 548–594). New York: Simon & Schuster.
16.
GriffinC. C.WinnJ. A.Otis-WilbornA.KilgoreK. L. (2002). New teacher induction in special education. Gainesville, FL: University of Florida, Center on Personnel Studies in Special Education (COPSSE).
17.
GrissmerD. W.KirbyS. N. (1987). Teacher attrition: The uphill climb to staff the nation's schools. Santa Monica, CA: The RAND Corporation.
18.
HouseJ. S. (1981). Work stress and social support. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
19.
IngersollR. M. (2001). Teacher turnover, teacher shortages and the organization of schools (Document R-01-1). Seattle, WA: University of Washington, Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy, Seattle.
20.
KargeB.LaskyB.McCabeM.RobbS. (1995). University and district collaborative support for beginning special education teachers. Teacher Education and Special Education, 18, 103–114.
21.
KilgoreK. L.GriffinC. C. (1998). Beginning special educators: Problems of practice and the influence of school context. Teacher Education and Special Education, 21, 155–173.
22.
LittrellP.BillingsleyB.CrossL. (1994). The effects of principal support on special and general educators' stress, job satisfaction, school commitment, health, and intent to stay in teaching. Remedial and Special Education, 15, 297–310.
23.
MacDonaldV. (2001). Making time: A teacher's report on her first year of teaching children with emotional disabilities. The Journal of Special Education, 35 (2), 84–91.
24.
MastropieriM. A. (2001). Is the glass half full or half empty? Challenges encountered by first-year special education teachers. The Journal of Special Education, 35 (2), 66–74.
25.
McLeskeyJ.TylerN.SaundersS. (2002). The supply and demand of special education teachers: A review of research regarding the nature of the chronic shortage of special education teachers. Gainesville, FL: University of Florida, Center on Personnel Studies in Special Education.
26.
MillerM. D.BrownellM.SmithS. W. (1999). Factors that predict teachers staying in, leaving, or transferring from the special education classroom. Exceptional Children, 65, 201–218.
27.
MorvantM.GerstenR.GillmanJ.KeatingT.BlakeG. (1995). Attrition/retention of urban special education teachers: Multi-faceted research and strategic action planning. Final performance report, Volume 1. Eugene, OR: Eugene Research Institute.
28.
MurnaneR. J.SingerJ. D.WillettJ. B. (1989). The influence of salaries on teachers' career choices: Evidence from North Carolina. Harvard Educational Review, 59 (3), 325–346.
29.
OdellS. J.FerraroD. P. (1992). Teacher mentoring and teacher retention. Journal of Teacher Education, 43 (3), 200–204.
30.
RosenbergM. S.GriffinC. C.KilgoreK. L.CarpenterS. L. (1997). Beginning teachers in special education: A model for providing individualized support. Teacher Education and Special Education, 20 (4), 301–321.
31.
SingerJ. D. (1992). Are special educators' career paths special? Results from a 13-year longitudinal study. Exceptional Children, 59, 262–279.
32.
Smith-DavisJ.BillingsleyB. (1993). The suppy/demand puzzle. Teacher Education and Special Education, 16, 205–220.
33.
TylerN.YzquierdoZ.Lopez-ReynaN.SaunderS. (2002). Diversifying the special education workforce. Gainesville, FL: University of Florida, Center on Personnel Studies in Special Education (COPSSE).
34.
VeenmanS. (1984). Perceived problems of beginning teachers. Review of Educational Research, 54, 143–178.
35.
WeinsteinC. S. (1988). Preservice teachers' expectations about the first year of teaching. Teaching and Teacher Education, 4, 31–40.
36.
WhitakerS. D. (2000). Mentoring beginning special education teachers and the relationship to attrition. Exceptional Children, 66, 546–566.
