This qualitative descriptive study explores the perspectives of alternatively certified novice teachers regarding onboarding processes associated with district-selected curriculum in Louisiana during their first year of teaching. Addressing the issue of insufficient onboarding support, which impacts curriculum implementation, the study uses the…

Teacher mentorship programs, where new teachers are paired with veterans, are a research-based practice, but they often lack clarity and can turn into more of a "buddy system" than a true learning opportunity. In this new report, Why New Teacher Mentoring Falls Short, and How to Fix It, NIET shares research and experience that point to…

This study explored the lived experiences of experienced educators who support novice teachers to better inform teacher recruitment and retention policies and practices. A qualitative transcendental phenomenological method was used to interview 12 experienced educators from four high schools in one Louisiana public school district to learn about…

Special education teachers play a crucial role in supporting the academic and social development of students with disabilities. However, many states, including Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana (the four states), have been experiencing a shortage of special education teachers in recent years, and retaining experienced teachers has become an…

Dating back to the late 1980s in the United States, a popular assertion in the field of education has been that about half of all new teachers will leave the profession within their first five years. The lack of quality new-teacher retention programming contributes to the qualified teacher shortages faced by many school districts across the…

The year 2020 marked an era of change and demanded that educators across the globe adapt in new and innovative ways. In secondary agricultural education, teachers experienced significant transitions as a majority of K-12 schools shifted to remote, distance, and online instructional models. Therefore, teachers' position requirements, obligations,…

This study sought to understand the professional development needs articulated by secondary agricultural education teachers across three career stages. To accomplish this, we collected data from secondary agricultural educators (N = 66) in Louisiana. Then, we performed a cross-case analysis to compare and contrast themes and axial codes. Through…

In 2016, the Louisiana Department of Education selected Learning Forward to design and facilitate a mentor teacher training program that provided expert teachers across the state with tools and skills to more effectively support teachers in their systems through their first three years of teaching. This three-year partnership was completed in…

STEM teachers are in short supply due to attrition and teacher shortages. In Louisiana, over 20% of math and science classes are taught by educators who do not possess the proper certifications and over 40% of departing teachers have less than five years of teaching experience (Louisiana Department of Education, 2019). Research suggests that low…

Little progress has been made to understand the (in)abilities of school-based agricultural education (SBAE) teachers to balance their work and life responsibilities. Nevertheless, advancing this conversation is critical, especially in light of ongoing teacher shortage trends. In response, this study's purpose was two-fold: (1) examine how early…

The retention of Black teachers in the teaching profession remains challenging due to historical events and policies, low salaries, lack of support from administrators, and other school factors. This action research study aimed to investigate, develop, and implement a retention support program for Black teachers employed in their first-fifth year…

The powerful nature of novice teachers' experiences in their first years of teaching has been well documented. However, the variance in novices' initial immersion in the school environment is largely dependent on perceived personal and professional support as well as the environmental inducements that lend to novice teachers' success in the…

Louisiana's Believe and Prepare pilot program, supported by grants from the Louisiana Department of Education, aimed to prepare teacher candidates or in-service teachers through a residency with a mentor and a competency-based curriculum. To improve teacher preparation and teacher residencies, state and teacher education leaders in Louisiana…

This Study Snapshot highlights key findings from a larger study on Louisiana's Believe and Prepare pilot program. The program aimed to provide teacher candidates or in-service teachers a competency-based curriculum and a residency with a mentor. State and teacher education leaders in Louisiana sought to better understand the early career outcomes…

The "Outcomes for Early Career Teachers Prepared through a Pilot Residency Program in Louisiana" study examined early career outcomes for participants in the Louisiana Believe and Prepare pilot program that launched in 2014. The pilot program provided grants to school districts (known as "school systems" in Louisiana), in…