Studies have shown that teacher quality is the single greatest factor affecting student achievement. However, it is not simply enough to recruit highly qualified candidates and place them into the schools where they are needed the most; the United States needs a system to support and retain these teachers. This essay posits that school districts…

Novice teacher attrition has long been a concern among educators and policy makers who have responded with various types of induction and mentoring programs and increased efforts to recruit more teachers. Yet, these efforts have not created the stable work force needed to implement school reform efforts. The school staffing challenge is further…

Most teachers attending the August 2011 new teacher training responded positively to survey questions about their district and campus orientation activities. Teachers also suggested topics for future training sessions. A separate supplemental report also was published that described survey results for the teacher trainers for this program. [For…

Teacher trainers provided guidance and instruction to newly hired AISD teachers in August 2011. When surveyed, most teacher trainers responded that the information and support they received to conduct training were of high or very high quality. A separate report also was published that summarizes survey results from the new teachers being trained.…

A new generation of faculty is entering the academic workforce and they are increasingly dissatisfied with current working environments. Institutions must begin to address the changing nature of this new generation. This article reports on a New Faculty Orientation program based on elements of the learner-centered pedagogy. The goal was to achieve…

This article briefly reviews literature on beginning teachers and the need for induction programs. An existing teacher induction program at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is described, and results of a study of the program's effectiveness is presented. (MT)

Describes an Illinois high school teacher mentoring program designed to promote interactions between new and experienced teachers, share research on effective instruction, and disseminate information on school policies and routines. This article summarizes program development stages for use of administrators considering similar programs. (MLH)

The author discusses mentoring and training strategies that enhance adjunct faculty members' teaching effectiveness in undergraduate science laboratories and foster a sense of common enterprise within the institutional environment. These strategies include the preparation of an "Adjunct Faculty Handbook", mentoring and peer-support programs, and…

Using retired teachers as mentors for beginning teachers in New York City has made real differences in the lives of the new teachers, their mentors, the students, and the supervisors in approximately 100 schools. In these schools more than 100 mentors have worked with 500 teachers over a three-year period. The New York City Mentor/New Teacher…

Indicators and characteristics of effective induction systems are described using efforts of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools' Career Development Program as an example. Fundamental changes needed in the way teacher education is conceptualized by school personnel are discussed. (DF)

The purpose of this paper was to examine the cross-national performance of fourth- and eighth-grade students in mathematics on the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2003. The TIMSS assessment data were used to identify nations that have a competitive edge in the critical area of mathematics. The Trends in International…

A description is given of an alternative to long-term mentor training. Under this orientation model, mentors are introduced to the mentoring task through a one-day formal training program in which the district makes clear what it expects of mentors, including a review of what has worked well in the past. Prospective mentors are encouraged to feel…

This digest focuses on the evolution of beginning teacher induction programs over the past two decades, and discusses the reasons why such programs are essential to the professional development of teachers. An overview is presented of existing induction programs, and observed outcomes of these programs are briefly discussed. In considering what…

The Model Teacher Induction Project will: (1) identify needs of beginning teachers; (2) develop and implement a model teacher induction program designed to meet those needs; (3) assess the effects of the model program on new teachers in a school setting; (4) inform the teacher education community about the program; (5) study the subsequent…

This article features schools and school districts with successful induction programs, all easily replicable. Increasingly, research confirms that teacher and teaching quality are the most powerful predictors of student success. In short, principals ensure higher student achievement by assuring better teaching. To do this, effective…