In this article, Susan Moore Johnson calls for a balanced approach to improving teaching and learning, one that focuses on both teachers and the contexts in which they work. Drawing on over a decade of research on the experiences of new teachers, Johnson argues that focusing on the effectiveness of individuals while ignoring how their schools are…

Peer Assistance and Review (PAR) is a promising program to improve the teacher evaluation system and teaching quality more broadly. Under PAR, an innovative approach that uses expert teachers to conduct regular evaluations for novice teachers and underperforming veterans, districts can focus attention on instructional quality, retain the most…

Peer Assistance and Review (PAR) is a local labor-management initiative designed to improve teacher quality. In PAR, expert "consulting teachers" mentor, support, and evaluate novice and underperforming veteran teachers. Evaluations under PAR can lead to dismissals. The authors examine the costs and benefits of PAR, both financial and…

Using a sample of 374 randomly selected first- and second-year teachers in three states, this study examines new teachers' experiences of official mentoring during their first year. Descriptive analyses reveal that experienced mentors are generally present in the work lives of new teachers. However, new teachers often have inappropriate…

Teach For America (TFA) recruits high-achieving college graduates to teach for 2 years in the nation's low-income schools. This study is the first to examine these teachers' retention nationwide, asking whether, when, and why they voluntarily transfer from their low-income placement schools or leave teaching altogether. Based on a survey of three…

This report from Harvard University's Project on the Next Generation of Teachers examines why new some teachers remain in the profession despite difficult teaching conditions. Central to teachers' satisfaction is the belief that they are teaching their students effectively. Other factors include being granted novice status via reduced course…

Interviewed beginning teachers in Massachusetts to determine how they experienced curriculum and state-mandated assessments they encountered. Most respondents received little or no guidance about what to teach or how to teach it and spent inordinate amounts of time and money developing their own content and materials from scratch. Asserts that…

Four-year study of the career paths of 50 beginning teachers in Massachusetts focuses on why 8 of these teachers ("Voluntary Movers") transferred from original schools to other public schools. Reasons given for transferring include reasonable assignments, stable working environments, opportunities to learn and grow, and accessible,…

Investigates second-year Massachusetts teachers' experiences with three professional cultures of their schools: veteran-oriented, novice-oriented, and integrated. Finds, for example, that integrated professional cultures, unlike either veteran- or novice-oriented cultures, provided new teachers with sustained support and collegial exchange…

Background/Context: In order to develop effective strategies for retaining able and committed teachers, it is important to understand how new teachers experience their work with their colleagues. A previous qualitative study conducted by the authors and others presented a conceptual framework for understanding new teachers' experiences of the…

In 1998, Massachusetts instituted a $20,000 Signing Bonus to address concerns about the supply of quality teachers. This article reports on a longitudinal, qualitative study of the experiences of 13 of the original 59 recipients of the Signing Bonus, and analyzes their responses to various incentives embedded within the Massachusetts Signing Bonus…

Interviewed diverse beginning teachers in a variety of Massachusetts public schools regarding how they experienced curriculum and assessments in the face of standards-based reform. Respondents received little or no guidance about what to teach or how to teach it and struggled to prepare content and materials. The standards and accountability…

Discusses research on new-teacher induction from the Project on Next Generation of Teachers at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Describes three types of school-based professional cultures: veteran-oriented, novice-oriented, and integrated. Emphasizes the importance of organized onsite, ongoing support for new teachers. (PKP)

Purpose: Teacher hiring decisions have far-reaching consequences for a school, its students, and faculty. This article examines how new teachers in four states are hired and explores whether the process leads to good matches between these individuals and their schools. The authors conceive of hiring as a two-way process and examine the extent to…

This report describes workplace conditions that support effective instruction and professional growth according to recent research. Key workplace conditions include: fair teaching assignments; opportunities for teachers to collaborate with colleagues; extra induction support, ongoing professional development, and expanded career opportunities;…