Across America today, school districts face a problem of numbers: too many students, too few educators. In some areas, the shortage of classroom teachers is approaching crisis proportions. Attempts to address the problem of teacher supply have focused on either bringing new people into the field of education or keeping beginning teachers in the…

Legislation passed during the 2001 Iowa legislative session established the Student Achievement and Teacher Quality Program, Iowa Code Section 284.12(1). This legislation requires the Iowa Department of Education (DE) to annually report the statewide progress on the following: (1) Student achievement scores in mathematics and reading at the fourth…

The School of Education at the University of Missouri-Kansas City is addressing the urban teacher retention challenge through its Institute for Urban Education (IUE). IUE focuses on recruiting individuals from underrepresented populations who have a commitment to their urban communities. Its curriculum is distinguished by five features: (1) an…

It's no secret that the dearth of special education teachers has created huge headaches for district human resources departments, especially in suburban and rural areas. In addition to insufficient numbers of candidates applying for special education jobs, retention of special education teachers is an ever-greater problem, as research indicates…

Teacher turnover is significantly higher in hard-to-staff schools, and it is costly. Not only are billions of dollars spent annually to recruit and train new teachers, but students who are denied the best education possible often enter the workforce at a disadvantage. The problem demands strategies that work. This report identifies examples and…

Teacher shortages have been steadily increasing across the nation, particularly in the field of special education. According to analyses conducted by the Center on Personnel Studies in Special Education (COPSSE), reasons for this include the fact that veteran special education teachers are retiring at a faster rate than new teachers are being…

This paper draws on data from a longitudinal research project, under taken with newly qualified teachers of physical education (PE), to consider ways in which experienced teachers influence the professional development of their less experienced colleagues. It examines claims that the subject has been "masculinized" and considers the outcomes of…

This article explores the 1st-year teaching experience of five Latino paraeducators. Through interviews, they discussed their challenges and successes, how their experience as paraeducators influenced their teaching experience, and what suggestions they have for schools and colleges to help ease new teachers into the profession. The study suggests…

In this study we asked beginning elementary teachers about their needs as first-year teachers and the adequacy of their preservice program in helping to meet them. The new teachers varied in satisfaction with their preparation but showed considerable consensus on their needs. They felt the study of both theory and practice should be conducted in…

Mentor teachers have an important role in inducing beginning teachers into the profession. They must be highly accepting of new teachers and be able to work with teachers possessing a wide variety of personalities and purposes. Mentor teachers must be chosen carefully. The mentor teacher should be highly knowledgeable about methods of teaching…

Induction and mentoring have been described as the processes during which new professors become integrated into the teaching profession. Both are particularly important in advertising and public relations education, where a large number of new faculty hires are former practitioners. A survey of 113 Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass…

Many beginning teachers leave the profession after only 2 years. In an effort to help beginning teachers succeed, the Beginning Teacher Assistance Program (BTAP) was created to combat unforseen difficulties. The main difficulties are environmental in nature: (1) difficult work assignments; (2) unclear expectations; (3) inadequate resources; (4)…

This paper summarizes and analyzes the results of a questionnaire study of mentors and beginning teachers. The objective of the questionnaire study was to corroborate and extend the information gathered in a previous interview study. Mentors and beginning teachers were presented with statements describing the support given to beginning teachers…

This monograph contains an introduction, a recapitulation, and four papers on the concept of mentoring as an effective component of the induction program. The first paper, "Support for New Teachers" (Sandra J. Odell), develops the idea that a mentor must be an excellent classroom teacher, possess wisdom and skill in listening and questioning, and…

The authors examine the literature that sets the foundation for a self-actualization model for teacher induction. The model is analyzed in light of data from a successful induction program designed to keep special education teachers in the profession. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)