Supporting Special Education Teacher Induction Through High-Leverage Practices

Abstract

Induction is designed to support teachers’ effectiveness, improve their students’ learning, and foster their retention. We consider how high-leverage practices (HLPs) might provide an instructional framework for special education teacher (SET) induction. With sensemaking theory as a conceptual foundation, we posit that, by structuring induction experiences and instructional conditions around HLPs, schools and districts can send more coherent messages about effective instruction, thereby easing new SETs’ efforts to make sense of their roles. We first provide a brief review of research on new SETs’ experiences. Next, we consider how specific induction components (i.e., professional development and mentoring, teacher evaluation, and collaboration) and instructional conditions (i.e., collaboration, instructional curricula and resources, and schedules) might be structured to support SETs’ learning of and use of these HLPs. We conclude with considerations for researchers and practitioners.