Though the benefits of working with families are documented, teacher education programs and school districts offer limited educational opportunities to new teachers. Until recently, most state certification departments did not require courses on family involvement in preservice education. During the late 1990s, the number of states requiring that…

Describes a study of principals and beginning teachers at Catholic schools in Nebraska to determine what induction methods were most effective. Reports findings related to the expectations that principals and beginning teachers had of each other and differences between desired and actual assistance provided by the principal. Includes suggestions…

Introduces a theme issue on reflective practice in California's Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment program. Papers highlight: state policy mandating teacher reflection; the California Formative Assessment and Support System for Teachers; teacher skills and beliefs for promoting reflective practice in novice teachers; beginning teachers'…

A survey of 115 universities and colleges that provide special education teacher preparation found nearly three-fourths reported having formal written partnerships with districts, schools, or teachers, however, such formal partnerships only partially influenced the identification and placement of preservice teachers in special education field…

Reports an exploratory investigation which examined how advice and support from teacher training tutors and school teacher mentors influenced elementary student teachers' classroom practice. Mentors significantly influenced the content of curriculum students taught. Tutors were more influential on deciding how to teach. Friends and relatives were…

One Colorado school district implemented a teacher induction seminar throughout the school year to promote professional development and facilitate the transition of new teachers into the district. The seminar encouraged questions, sharing, and mutual support. The article describes the structure of the seminar and the evaluation results. (SM)

Reports on the development and findings of a survey by the Association of Teacher Educators. Respondents (n=944) were primarily university faculty and administrators (n=847). The two issues ranked most critical for improving teacher education related to conditions beyond respondents' control (mentoring for beginning teachers and school reform).…

Describes a program developed by Henderson State University (Arkadelphia, Arkansas) that provides professional support to first-year teachers in rural school districts. First-year teachers are assigned to a mentor teacher who is responsible for on-site support. Both beginning and mentor teachers earn graduate credit by attending classes addressing…

A program in a public research university to provide mentoring for new female faculty beginning on entry to the institution is described. The program emphasizes individual professional development and institutional factors influencing women's advancement. Activities include colleague-pairing, mentor training, a mentoring agreement, and career…

Examined beginning teachers' needs when working in an urban school district with a university-supported collaborative peer-assistance-and-review program. Surveys and interviews indicated participants had to address issues of survival before moving toward instructional concerns and professional growth. They were able to be successful managers and…

Describes the Process for Remediating Identified Marginal Education Candidates (PRIME Candidates) procedure, which identifies people at risk for successful completion of their preservice teacher education programs or who possess traits associated with rapid attrition in the teaching profession. The model provides a support system to help them in…

Some mentees or proteges are not successful because they are not emotionally or professionally ready for full-time teaching, they are philosophically incompatible with the school district, they do not engage with other staff, what they learned at the university is incompatible with district practices, they do not listen to their mentors, or they…

Describes the ongoing problem of graduate level preparation for community college teaching, and the need for such faculty. Describes a program in which two-year college and university faculty collaborate to train graduate students as community college faculty. Discusses getting the program started, implementing it, and taking stock. (SR)

In 2007, the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future (NCTAF) completed an 18-month study of the costs of teacher turnover in five school districts. The selected districts varied in size, location, and demographics enabling exploration of how these variations affected costs. Costs of recruiting, hiring, processing, and training…

This paper reports on an element of a long term research project on the development of a conceptual framework for the training of mentors of beginning teachers. Three aspects are being investigated: (1) mentors' perceptions about mentoring; (2) the relation between mentors' perceptions and their actions in practice; and (3) the effect of mentoring…