Study Finds Special Educators Have Less Access to Mentors

Experts Say State Policies on Teacher Mentors Don't Address Special Education

While teacher mentoring has become nearly ubiquitous as an education reform, new research suggests state and district mentoring policies may leave gaps in support for special education teachers.

Mentoring, in which a new or struggling teacher is matched with an expert instructor for support and training, has won broad support. Nearly all states have a teacher mentoring program—most as part of induction for new teachers—but some, such as Alabama and Virginia, for any teacher not...