The pipeline of college students seeking teaching positions is shrinking. The teacher shortage makes finding and retaining new teachers even more challenging. The cost of replacing existing teachers who leave is tremendous, and new teachers leave the profession at an alarming rate. This dissertation explored the lived experiences of new teachers…

Purpose: Although mentoring is increasingly hailed as one of the most critical components of US teacher induction programs, the corresponding research base has failed to provide conclusive support for the effectiveness of teacher mentoring. Design/methodology/approach: Cross-sectional data from the 2015 to 2016 National Teacher and Principal…

In his letter introducing the 2011 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, former President Barack Obama stated "we know that from the moment students enter a school, the most important factor in their success is not the color of their skin or the income of their parents--it is the teacher standing at the front of the…

This article explores the role of Centers for Teaching and Learning (CTL) in providing peer mentorship for new faculty. The Peer Network program (PN) pilot aims to foster a sense of belonging, deepen relationships with CTL, support effective teaching, encourage empathy for students, celebrate successes, and affirm experiences. The study…

While mentoring partnerships between new and more experienced educators have been shown to support early career teachers and improve retention, more research is needed to provide insight into how these mentoring partnerships work. In our study, we draw on sociocultural theory to examine the work of mentors supporting 15 novice teachers serving in…

Many prior studies have explored average differences in initial levels of teaching effectiveness among graduates from different teacher preparation programs (TPPs) and the features of preparation that predict these differences. We focus on another important dimension of effectiveness--how graduates from different TPPs improve over time. Examining…

Many prior studies have examined whether there are average differences in levels of teaching effectiveness among graduates from different teacher preparation programs (TPPs); other studies have investigated which features of preparation predict graduates' average levels of teaching effectiveness. This is the first study to examine whether there…

Recognizing the necessity for procuring substantive data (rather than merely professional opinion) upon which to base meaningful and relevant changes in teacher education, Fairmont State College designed and carried out a graduate assessment program in 1971 referred to as the Graduate Assessment Record. The Graduate Assessment Record, as initially…

Beginning teachers evaluate their training in the light of their first year of actual experience. (JD)

Surveys conducted over three consecutive years sought to determine if beginning teachers graduating at the same time but with varying amounts of subsequent teaching experience perceived the quality of their training program differently. Questionnaires elicited 954 responses. Questions focused on five skill categories: planning, instructing,…

This paper describes the key elements of a model evaluation of beginning teacher programs in a large urban school district. Over a year and a half, evaluators conducted studies of the effectiveness of these programs, some of which were still in progress. This paper reports on the elements used in each study and analyzes the usefulness of each…

Two different school districts' induction and evaluation methods were investigated to discover what specific methods help beginning teachers to learn more about teaching and how what they learn influences satisfaction with their work. One district had an induction program which used experienced teachers as full-time consultants to provide…

This article reports on the results of a survey of beginning teachers who were asked to evaluate their training for the profession in the light of their first year of actual experience. Eighteen teachers were observed and interviewed throughout their first year of teaching. Two themes emerged from their responses: a realization of the limits of…

In this first of four volumes reporting the findings of the study of induction programs for beginning teachers, the problems and issues covered by the study are discussed. A description is given of the methodology used in the study, and a series of recommendations for teacher educators and policymakers are offered. In the first chapter, the human…

This paper reports on an evaluation of a unique 3-year program designed to support new teachers in a school district. The emphasis in the evaluation was on the participation of the multiple stakeholders in the evaluation process, which was endorsed by the teachers union, school district administrators, and entry-year teachers. The people who are…