Coaching and Training to Strengthen Retention of Special Education Teachers in Georgia
After the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) collected special education retention data, it understood strategic changes needed to be implemented. According to Georgia teacher shortage data collected across 2018 and 2019, Georgia had 3,400 vacancies in special education teacher positions. Also, between 2018 and 2020, Georgia hired 1,235 new special education teachers and lost approximately the same number.
In 2020, the GaDOE, Division of Special Education was awarded the Teacher/Provider Retention Grant from the United States Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, which led the development of the Teacher/Provider Retention Program (TPRP). The TPRP is designed to support the GaDOE in its efforts to improve the retention of new special education teachers by developing and implementing high-quality mentoring and induction programs. The GaDOE has contracted with the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders at AIR (GTL Center) to support with this effort.
The Opportunity
The GTL Center at AIR and Kennesaw State University (KSU) provided train-the-trainer materials for professional development sessions for the Model Induction Program for Georgia Special Education Teachers.
The materials included content from the GTL Center's Mentoring & Induction Toolkit 2.0, which helps states and districts develop a model induction program for K-12 special education teachers to support induction and retention based on High-Leverage Practices.
This toolkit is a ready-to-use resource for states working closely with districts to build strong mentoring and induction programs. The Mentoring and Induction Toolkit 2.0 helps states facilitate meaningful conversations about the design and implementation of effective, high-quality mentoring and induction programs. The Center provided technical assistance in addressing high-leverage practices and Individualized Education Program development and implementation.
The training objectives were to:
- Increase innovation in teaching the high leverage practices (HLPs) using mixed-reality simulation labs; and
- Increase coaching and immediate performance feedback for new special education teachers.
The Approach
The Georgia Department of Education team and Georgia Learning Resources Systems (GLRS) staff participated in a series of virtual sessions that supported the development of resources and processes to develop and implement a comprehensive teacher induction program that strengthened instructional practice and planning for sustainability and scale-up. These activities led to:
- A Continuous Improvement Process: The state engaged in a root cause analysis, data review, and evidence-based strategy selection process to develop an action plan for addressing their state’s special education retention needs. The teams also used monitoring and evaluation to strengthen their approach.
- Evidence-based Strategies: For three years, the GTL Center designed train-the-trainer materials on High Leverage Practices. In addition to the materials addressing HLPs, Center staff supported the state in creating special education policies and practices that can be turn-keyed in GLRS regions.
- Virtual Learning: GTL Center and GLRS staff used the train-the-trainer materials in a virtual learning technical assistance approach: collaborative virtual convenings with all GLRS staff along with other state-designated personnel and virtual support for the GLRS staff in Communities of Practice (CoPs) to facilitate sustainability and scale-up.
The Outcomes
As a result of the mentor and induction support, the Georgia TPRP Induction Program participants survey showed the following results:
- 95% of all Georgia TPRP Teacher Induction Program participants agreed that the training increased their capacity to use HLPs in their teaching.
- 95% of all Georgia TPRP Teacher Induction Program participants agreed that the coaching increased their capacity to use HLPS in their teaching.
- 89% of all TPRP participants agreed that the Professional Learning (Training, Coaching, MRS Labs) influenced their plans to continue teaching.
- Those who completed 75% or more of the Teacher Induction Program were 10% more likely to be retained.
- 60% growth was seen when comparing the High-Leverage Practices pre-assessment to the post-assessment results.
View our webinar, The Power of Collaboration: Partnering to Support and Retain Novice Educators, to learn more about how participating districts are partnering together to collaboratively implement GA-TPRP with their novice teachers, highlighting program successes and tips for implementation.
