1. Professional Development through Online Community- Building: Supporting New Special Education Teachers Virginia Kennedy, Ph.D. California State University, Northridge Department of Special Education

2. New Teachers need - opportunities to affiliate with other professionals. Time and pressures make this difficult. In addition, special education teachers must often cope with isolation on their school site.

3. They support new teachers in a variety of ways. Mentors/support providers Professional development Individual goal-setting Induction programs are now in 38 states.

4. CA changed Education Specialist credential in 1997 to consist of two levels; the second level is induction Components: advanced coursework induction supports

5. Induction courses taken at beginning and end of Level II program. Goals: Reflective practice Set and achieve individual goals related to state and professional standards Participate in collaborative problem-solving with peers

6. Course Objectives: Alignment with Professional and Program Standards Quickly develop teachers’ identities Develop career-long dispositions for seeking resources Develop appreciation for peer support

7. Activities and assignments: Individualized professional development plan Dialogue with instructor, colleagues, and experienced teachers Learning environment, instruction, service-learning Self-assessment & reflection Portfolio

8. Relevant resources: California K-12 Academic Content Standards http://www.cde.ca.gov/standards/ California Standards for the Teaching Profession http://www.ctc.ca.gov/cstppublication/cstpreport.html Council for Exceptional Children, Professional Standards http://www.cec.sped.org IDEA Practices http://www.ideapractices.org/ (Available on MERLOT) Maroney, S.A. (2000).What's Good? Suggested Resources for Beginning Special Education Teachers. Teaching Exceptional Children, 33(1), 22-27. http://www.cde.ca.gov/standards/ http://www.ctc.ca.gov/cstppublication/cstpreport.html http://www.cec.sped.orghttp://www.ideapractices.org/