Tapping the Potential - Alliance for Excellent Education

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TA P P I N G T H E P O T E N T I A L : R E TA I N I N G A N D D E V E L O P I N G H I G H - Q U A L I T Y N E W T E A C H E R STHE SOLUTION: COMPREHENSIVE INDUCTIONFOR EVERY BEGINNING TEACHERAddressing attrition and the lack ofinduction requires a much morecomprehensive and systematic solutionthan currently exists in most states anddistricts. All beginning teachers needcomprehensive induction if we are toretain them and help them develop intohigh-quality professionals.“Comprehensive induction” is defined asa package of supports, development, andstandards-based assessments provided tobeginning teachers during at least their firsttwo years of full-time professional teaching.High-quality, comprehensive induction thatretains and develops new teachers includesthe following components:• structured mentoring from carefully selectedteachers who work in the same subjectarea, are trained to coach newteachers, and can help improve theteacher’s practice;• common planning time for new teachers tocollaborate with their mentors, otherteachers, and school leaders across alllevels of experience;• intensive professional development activitiesfor new teachers that result inimproved teaching that leads to studentachievement;• participation in a network of other teachersoutside the local school; and• a standards-based assessment and evaluationof every beginning teacher to determinewhether he or she should move forwardin the teaching profession.Solving New Teacher Attrition:More Than MentoringSince the early 1980s, increasing numbersof states and districts have tried toretain and develop their teachers byadopting some form of induction. Inmost districts and for many states, inductionis equated with mentoring.Mentoring is a formal or informal relationshipthat offers new teachers coaching,support, and feedback from moreexperienced teachers. The popularity ofmentoring is clear. In the 1999–00 schoolyear, 79 percent of new teachers in theUnited States participated in some type of“formal” induction program; two-thirds ofthem were given mentors. 59While mentoring is the most widelypracticed component of induction, mentoringby itself is not enough to retainand develop teachers. Mentoring programsvary widely, and many do little“Comprehensive induction”is defined as a package ofsupports, development,and standards-basedassessments provided tobeginning teachers duringat least their first two yearsof full-time professionalteaching.Mentoring by itself is notenough to retain anddevelop teachers.11
A L L I A N C E F O R E X C E L L E N T E D U C AT I O NComprehensive inductionrequires a substantialinvestment of time,money, and resources.The good news is that theinvestment pays off.more than ask mentors to check in withnew teachers a few times per semester tochat. Some mentors meet with new teachersregularly for encouragement butnever observe or evaluate them in theclassroom. Emotional support is importantfor growing professionals, but it is apale substitute for rigorous guidanceabout how to teach. Even in an idealworld, where new teachers are matchedwith excellent mentors, beginning teachersneed the additional opportunities—such as networking with other teachersoutside the school or receiving standardsbasedassessment—that come with comprehensiveinduction.The Benefits of ComprehensiveInductionComprehensive induction requires asubstantial investment of time, money,and resources. The cost of comprehensiveinduction varies in terms of release timeand compensation for mentors. Usingmodels from California and Connecticut,the approximate average cost of inductionis $4,000 per teacher, per year.The good news is that the investmentpays off. Using a two-year program inCalifornia as a model, Anthony Villar ofthe New Teacher Center, University ofCalifornia, Santa Cruz, found that comprehensiveinduction pays $1.37 forevery $1 invested. 60Historically, the benefits of comprehensiveinduction have been hard to evaluate,leaving few studies and little evidence onthe true value of induction. However,Villar’s work identifies and quantifiesthree major benefits of induction:• reduced attrition;• improved teacher quality; and• improved student achievement.Reduced attrition. Induction cuts attritionrates in half. 61 And teachers whoexperience all the components of comprehensiveinduction are more likely toremain in teaching than those who onlyreceive mentors. 62 By reducing attrition,school districts can make the dollarsspent on recruiting, hiring, and developingteachers more effective and providetheir students with teachers who havegrowing expertise.Improved teacher quality. In his report,Villar found that comprehensive inductionmore rapidly develops teachers, movingthe skill level of a new teacher to thatof a fourth-year teacher within the span ofone year. In addition, all teachers, not justnovices, benefit from induction.Experienced educators who serve asinduction leaders, mentors, or coachesbuild leadership skills and refine theirown practice as they help other teachers.They also gain a sense of job satisfaction.By improving satisfaction, leadershipamong teachers, and teaching quality,induction can vastly improve the climateof schools and help retain its veteranteachers as well as its new ones.Improved student achievement.Furthermore, because inducted teachers“move more quickly beyond issues ofclassroom management to focus oninstruction,” they use practices thatimprove student achievement. 63 Inductedteachers motivate diverse students toengage in productive learning activities,and they better assess their students’learning needs. 64 Inducted teachers alsodevelop better teaching practices becausethey think about how their teaching influencesstudent learning. 6512
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