The problem addressed in this study was that, while research shows that mentoring relationships are beneficial to novice teachers, it is unclear as to the influence of mentor training on the perceptions of success of novice teachers. As districts and schools in the state of Arizona continue to work towards excellence in collaboration with their…

In the United States, beginning teacher retention rates are extraordinarily low; only 50% of teachers remain in the classroom after five years. In particular, the state of Arizona has been recruiting significant numbers of teachers from out of state and attempting to retain them with minimal success. This persistent problem has led the neediest of…

"Valuing the Everyday: A Verbal Study in GTA Response to Pre-Designed Curriculum" culminates in a verbal understanding of how four graduate teaching associates at the University of Arizona used and responded to pre-designed courses (PDC) and may suggest ways to structure training or learning management systems (LMS) themselves to better…

This qualitative descriptive study explored how novice online K-12 teachers in Arizona described the influence of organizational, interpersonal, and intrapersonal leader support on their psychological needs. Based on the theoretical framework, Support for Teachers' Psychological Needs (STPN), the study investigated leader support for organization,…

Teachers have lasting influence on their students, and they are invaluable assets to their schools. However, they are leaving their schools and the profession too frequently. The problem addressed by this study was the shortage of teachers in Arizona charter elementary schools, resulting from low and declining retention rates of early career…

Over the past decades, there has been growth in student academic success programs in institutions of higher learning. However, with this growth instructors in these programs have not always been prepared to teach courses focused on supporting student academic success. The purpose of this study was to understand the role that mentoring plays in the…

This quantitative correlational study examined the relationship between teacher pre-hiring effectiveness evaluation and their performance evaluation scores at the end of the first year of teaching. Prior to this study, it was not known if and to what degree teachers' scores on the Ventures for Excellence B-22 screening interview correlated to…

The most restrictive language policy context in the United States, Arizona's monolingual and prescriptive approach to teaching English learners continues to capture national and international attention. Five school years removed from the initial implementation, this study aimed to understand the complexities of Arizona language policy in…

Leaders in the business community often talk about the "skills gap," the gap between the skills needed for good jobs in the economy and the skills that prospective employees possess. Though there is debate as to whether or not such a gap actually exists, the idea of the "skills gap" can be a helpful way to frame instances where…

Increasing teacher shortages in Career and Technical Education have resulted in changes in the routes to teacher certification. As the gap widens between available traditionally certified teachers and the openings available, administrators will continue to turn to alternative means to fill positions. Arizona has responded to this by changing…

As NIET enters its 20th year, research continues to point to the effectiveness of NIET's support and the positive impact of investing in human capital. The Winter 2020 Research Summary captures both NIET's key long-term impact, shares promising results highlighting that the TAP System [The System for Teacher and Student Advancement] sustains…

This study is a quasi-experimental descriptive design, with existing educator-made adaptations evaluated. The goals of this study were to (a) describe how educators develop adaptations and (b) evaluate the effectiveness of educator-made adaptations in facilitating the learning of students with disabilities. Findings suggest that (a) most…

First-year alternatively certified teachers face significant challenges as they attempt to address the complexities of classroom teaching, particularly when they are assigned to teach in urban school settings. As the number of alternatively certified teachers continues to increase, it is important to provide them with professional development…

New teachers need help. From day one, new teachers, largely on their own, are responsible for running a classroom and ensuring student learning, as well as fulfilling administrative requirements. Little wonder that 14% of new teachers leave by the end of their first year, 33% leave within three years, and almost 50% leave in five years (Ingersoll,…

In this qualitative study, we examined teachers' language policy appropriation in the English-only state of Arizona. Specifically, we investigated teachers who received their professional placement and preparation through the Teach For America organization. We conducted the research in 2010 and 2011, a period when Arizona state language policy…