| The attrition rate of beginning special educators has been a constant and growing concern within the field of education (Boe & Cook, 2006, 2008; Brownell, Hirsch, & Seo, 2004; CEC, 2000; Leko & Smith, 2010; Smith & Ingersoll, 2004). Four to five of every ten new special education teachers leave the field within the first five years (CEC, 2000; Olivarez & Arnold, 2006) and beginning special education teachers are more likely than general education teachers to leave the field within the first five years of teaching (Boe & Cook, 2006, Boe, Cook & Sunderland, 2008; Brownell, Hirsch, & Seo, 2004; Leko & Smith, 2010; Smith & Ingersoll, 2004). Those who have left the field have stated that minimal inductions, lack of administrative support, poor mentorships, and poor school climates were the main causes for their departures.;Using an exploratory case study methodology with multiple-case analysis (Yin, 2009), this study examined how quality induction support (QIS) and teacher preparation affected the experiences of nine first-year special education teachers and further examined how the participants' sense of self-efficacy and their levels of resiliency impacted their experiences. Specifically, the study tested the theory that participating in a teacher preparation program with a strong field component and receiving QIS contribute to the retention of beginning special education teachers. |
