The combination of difficult economic times and increased accountability has led policymakers to call for evidence that students taught by National Board of Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS)-certified teachers make greater achievement gains than those taught by non-NBPTS-certified teachers. Overall, studies show mixed results regarding the…

Whether referred to as "pay-for-performance" (PFP) or "merit pay," attempting to tie educators' compensation to their performance in the classroom and students' performance on high-stakes tests has been a key component of many educator compensation reform efforts in the last five years. This issue looks at PFP systems broadly…

Recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers has been a challenge for many rural school districts. Lower salaries, working conditions, and geographic location are some of the challenges rural districts face when staffing their schools. The challenges of recruiting teachers in rural areas are compounded by competition from larger districts…

The present study contributes to the limited body of research pertaining to secondary teacher efficacy and its relationship to career persistence, gender, ethnicity, contract status, and years of teaching. In addition, this study examines the concepts of student engagement, instructional strategies, and classroom management as subscales used to…

This mixed methods study investigated the impact mentoring has on beginning teachers' perceptions of success. Surveys were used to determine whether or not principals and mentor teachers provided beginning teachers with research-identified best practices of mentoring. Surveys, focus groups, and individual interviews were used to determine whether…

This monograph offers an in-depth look at the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Rural Systemic Initiative (RSI) efforts, an investment of more than $140 million to reform mathematics and science programs in rural K-12 public education and tribal education. The authors seek to promote a foundation of contextual understanding for improving public…

Forty-six percent of the nation's teachers are expected to leave the profession by their fifth year in the classroom. This alarming statistic has grabbed the attention of federal, state, and local leaders. In South Carolina alone, 28,500 teachers left the profession in the last five years, or an average of 5,700 per year. This translates to a…

In light of continuing educational reform and the increased focus on student achievement, school districts, states, and other constituents involved in preparing K-12 public school teachers have increasingly come under scrutiny as to how they have been and are continuing to prepare future educators. One area that has garnered increased attention is…

The study examined the No Child Left Behind Act as it relates to the recruiting and retention of special education teachers in rural school districts. The focus of the research was to examine those factors that have influenced teachers to leave the profession or to seek employment in more urban school districts. Data for the study were collected…

The purposes of this study were to determine whether variables reported in previous research on teacher turnover could be reduced to a number of factors, and to determine how those resulting factors affected career longevity in band directors. Career longevity was defined as the total number of years teaching. Literature on teacher turnover was…

Recent reforms in Baltimore City Public Schools (City Schools) appear to be gaining traction and producing welcome improvements in student achievement and success. Enrollment has increased, educators are replacing unsuccessful programs with innovative ones, and new resources and organizational partnerships are being brought into the system.…

School districts are faced with teacher shortages and have turned to alternatively certified and foreign trained teachers to staff classrooms. To increase retention rates of qualified teachers, districts use different methods such as mentoring programs. The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in mentoring experiences and mentoring…

On August 5, 2006, more than 300 South Carolina National Board Certified Teachers[R] (NBCTs) assembled in Columbia at a policy summit to address the vexing problem of recruiting and retaining accomplished teachers in high-needs schools. Before this summit, the NBCTs read a number of background papers and research summaries. During the summit, they…

New teachers often enter the profession expecting to accomplish what the veteran teacher has been doing for years, with equal success and equal lack of support. A survey of South Carolina school districts shows that curriculum, instruction, and classroom management techniques are omitted from many teacher induction programs. Ameliorative…

This paper presents the South Carolina edition of the National Council on Teacher Quality's 2008 "State Teacher Policy Yearbook". The 2008 "Yearbook" focuses on how state policies impact the retention of effective new teachers. This policy evaluation is broken down into three areas that encompass 15 goals. Broadly, these goals…