SUPPORT FOR NEW SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS

1. SUPPORT FOR NEW SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS

2. PROBLEM OF ATTRITION

3. ATTRITION AMONG SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS • Approximately 43% leave within first five years in the profession • Attrition rate runs between eight percent and ten percent annually • Yearly shortage for special education teachers is estimated at 29,000

4. COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGH RATES OF ATTRITION

5. SOME OF THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH ATTRITION • Because of the shortage of special education teachers, the recruiting process is costly and difficult • Schools lose their investment in professional development • Most special education replacement teachers are beginning teachers • Schools with too many new teachers often experience more problems with discipline and experience lower academic performance

6. MORE COSTS • Schools in low-income areas tend to have more inexperienced teachers • Inexperienced teachers without the developed skills required frequently land in classrooms with the most needy and the greatest challenges • Beginning teachers frequently start their careers at hard-to-staff schools where resources are frequently scarce because of the number of available jobs and frequent turn over

7. WHAT ARE SOME POSSIBLE REASONS FOR HIGH ATTRITION?LET’S LOOK AT CONCERNS EXPRESSED BY NEW SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS

8. Teaching Concerns– • Examples: applying skills learned to real classroom issues, assessing levels of student performance and evaluating their progress, evaluating individual needs, meeting student behavior needs, not having expected expertise about curriculum that spans several grade levels and subjects, managing large case loads.

9. Collaboration Concerns– • Examples: lack of time for or problems collaborating with general educators, belief that general educators will welcome collaborative relationships, difficulties working with paraprofessionals, challenges with parents.

10. Organization and Management Concerns— • Examples: management of varied work tasks, conflicting demands, paperwork stress, establishment of routines and organizing work responsibilities, local policies and procedures, procedure for ordering supplies and accessing available resources

11. Support Concerns— • Examples: overestimation of ability to cope with demands placed upon them, belief that they can accomplish their classroom goals for each child, isolation from other special educators, lack of support from general educators, lack of curriculum materials, come with idealistic expectations and experience reality shock, lack full certification, work with difficult parents, tremendous stress, lack of support staff help, unmet need to continue learning.

12. Legal Issues— • Examples: compliance requirements, confidentiality requirements, completion of IEPs.

13. IF WE BELIEVE RETENTION WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO OUR CHILDREN What Can Administrators Do to Support and Retain New Special Education Teachers?

14. What are the primary practices that positively impact teacher retention? • Providing administrative support and leadership • Improving working conditions • Providing high-quality professional learning on research-based strategies for improving student outcomes • Implementing effective mentoring programs

15. Help Administrators Understand Importance of Their Support • Recent report by Wallace Foundation revealed leadership is second only to classroom instruction among all school related factors that contribute to what students learn at school. • Recent study analyzing teacher survey results found that teachers leaving because of job dissatisfaction, most often point to lack of administrative support and low salaries. • Teachers from high minority, high poverty schools were even more likely to report that lack of administrative support was primary reason for leaving.

16. Building capacity among administrators • Do they understand legal mandates ? • Do they understand the work of the various service providers? • Are they receiving on-going professional development as instructional leaders • Are they receiving on-going professional development as team builders

17. Administrative Actions That Can help • Explain to the new teacher expectations of their roles and responsibilities • Arrange time for new and experienced teachers to have shared planning time or to work in professional communities together or just to have common professional development • Take time to get to know new teachers • Encourage new teachers to ask questions and check in frequently about their support needs

18. Stop by new teachers’ classrooms, listen to their concerns, observe them, learn about their needs by asking them • Encourage them to request assistance in areas of perceived need • Provide opportunities for continued learning, including visiting the classrooms of skilled and effective teachers—Research shows that teachers who feel they are provided with opportunities to learn on the job tend to be less likely to leave

19. Be personally supportive: • In area of discipline and behavior management • In helping them obtain the necessary resources and materials • In giving recognition for their work which helps to combat stress and burnout • In providing emotional support by seeking teachers’ input in decision making process and taking a genuine interest in their work • In showing concern for their students and the students progress

20. Help New Teachers Acclimate to Geographic Area • Welcome Center • Living Accommodations/ Room Mate Leads • School Plan for Welcoming and Acclimating • Community Day/Outside Interests • Enlist Student Councils and PTAs • Plan Social Events or Outings

21. Help them become familiar with area and its offerings • Show genuine concern about issues of moving to a new area and/or starting a new job • Help spouse find a job—involve community • Appreciate surrounding area through sight seeing • Take a bus route tour of areas from which students will come • Ask family to come in to talk about family life and challenges they face • Ask high school student council members to come in to talk about family life and challenges they face • Ask community leaders to share traditions and culture

22. What are the primary practices that positively impact teacher retention? • Providing administrative support and leadership • Improving working conditions • Providing high-quality professional learning on research-based strategies for improving student outcomes • Implementing effective mentoring programs

23. ESEA Reauthorization Blueprint Calls for Survey Data on Conditions and Climate • Transparency of Data • around the key indicators of whether students and schools have effective teachers and principals • whether teachers have the professional supports they need (teacher survey data on levels of support and working conditions in schools) • States and districts also to collect other information about teaching & learning conditions & climate • student, teacher and school leader attendance; disciplinary incidents; • student, parent, or school staff surveys about their school experience

24. Steps to Improving Working Conditions • Select your target population to focus upon • Use the information from surveys you have/or use a survey designed just for special education teachers --do not ask for input unless you plan to do something with that input • Determine the highest priority issues related to special educators, by position and setting, if possible • Ask for input from your teachers and staff on strategies for improvement in those areas—this is evidence of their value to the program and to you. Consider use of such techniques as Interest-Based Problem Solving to develop strategies

25. What are the primary practices that positively impact teacher retention? • Improving working conditions • Providing administration support and leadership • Providing high-quality professional learning on research-based strategies for improving student outcomes • Implementing effective mentoring programs

26. WHAT SHOULD THE TARGET OF THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Be???

27. WHAT SHOULD BE THE TARGET OF THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

29. EXAMPLE OF CHECKLISTOBSERVATION OR CONVERSATION Instructional Accommodations: • Pref Seating: ___________________________ • Indiv Instruction: _______________________ • Sm Grp Instruction: _____________________ • Peer Tutors/Wk Buddies: _________________ Modified Assign:________________________ • Rd Class/Test Mtls Orally: ________________ • Study Guides/Outlines: __________________ • Alternate Assign: _______________________ • Graphics/Pictorial Mtls: __________________ • Color Code Mtls:________________________ • Increased Time (Tests/Assign)_____________ • Allow Breaks: __________________________ • Transition Cues: ________________________ • Indiv Testing: __________________________ • Sm Grp Testing:_________________________ • Calculator: ____________________________ • Manipulatives: _________________________ • Alter Mtls (font, spacing, highlight): ________ • Other: ________________________________

30. ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF CHECKLISTFOR OBSERVATION OR CONVERSATION Behavioral Strategies: • Proximity: _____________________________ • Positive Praise: _________________________ • Redirection: ___________________________ • Thumbs-up/High Fives: __________________ • Teach Expectations: _____________________ • Provide Structure/Routine: _______________ • Peer Supporter: ________________________ • Model/Role Play: _______________________ • Free Choice: ___________________________ • Time Out: _____________________________ • Counselor: ____________________________ • Call Parent: ____________________________ • Note Home: ___________________________ • Referral: ______________________________ • Other: ________________________________ • ______________________________________ • Assistive Technology to be Implemented: • ______________________________________ • ______________________________________

33. ACTION PLANOVERALL GOAL: IMPROVE CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT SKILLS • Specific goals to accomplish • Participate in the classroom management behavior management workshops • Observe teachers with effective classroom management skills • Practice using reflective thinking after teaching a lesson • Target dates for implementing new strategies

34. WORK WITH TEACHER TO CREATE ACTION PLAN

35. High-Quality Professional Development Available Free On The Web

36. IRIS RESOURCE TITLES • Accommodations • Assessment (includes Progress Monitoring) • Assistive Technology • Behavior and Classroom Management • Collaboration • Content Instruction • Differentiated Instruction • Disability • Diversity • Learning Strategies • Math • RTI (includes Early Intervening) • Reading, Literacy, Language Arts • Related Services • School Improvement/ Leadership • Transition • Grades: PreK - 3 • Grades: 4 - 8 • Grades: High School

37. University of North CarolinaCONNECT Modules for Early Childhood http://connect.fpg.unc.edu • Embedded Interventions • Transition • Communication for Collaboration • Family—Professional Partnerships • Assistive Technology • Dialogic Reading Practices • Evidence-Based Practice Approach to Professional Development

38. What are the primary practices that positively impact teacher retention? • Improving working conditions • Providing administration support and leadership • Providing high-quality professional learning on research-based strategies for improving student outcomes • Implementing effective mentoring programs

39. Why a Special Education Specific Mentoring Program? • Attrition rates for special education teachers are twice the rate of general education teachers. • Many states hire between 25 to 50 percent more new special educators prepared through alternative preparation programs than those prepared through tradition programs. • Considerably fewer new special education teachers are assigned mentors than general education teachers, due to lack of experienced job-alike professionals in their schools or even districts.

40. New Teacher Center’s eMSS: e-Mentoring for Student Success Program Models 2011-2012

41. CHECK LIST FOR DESIGNING MENTORING PROGRAM

43. MENTOR-MENTEE ACTIVITIES TIMELINE

48. Mentor Qualifications--Selected Mentors Should Exhibit Following: • Fully certified as special education teacher • Belief that all students can learn and that teachers can make it happen • Effective classroom management skills • Ability to design and use an individual behavior plan • Planning that connects lesson plans to IEPs, curriculum, state standards, and assessment • Demonstrated interest in supporting teacher colleagues • Good interpersonal skills • At least three years of certified teaching experience in special education

49. Review the school district policies and school handbook with the new teacher • Provide the new teacher with a copy of the procedures manual • Review school-based emergency drill plans • Provide introductions and “who’s who” tour for new special education teacher • Review lesson plans for proper format, reflection of course requirements and standards • Review grading policies and school specific regulations • Conference with the new teacher at least once a week • Make a monthly classroom visit to observe and give feedback • Serve as a mentor, friend and guide for the new teacher

50. Assist your mentee with preparations for the first day of school • Help the mentee develop classroom rules and procedures • Help arrange the physical layout of the classroom • Review IEPs for assigned students • Share suggestions for grouping students during instruction • Share your classroom schedule, or develop one together • Discuss how and when students should move throughout the classroom