The purpose of the quantitative, descriptive, correlational study was to determine the influence of the first-year teacher induction program on the retention of teachers within the first five years of their careers. The study was conducted by surveying 70 teachers from elementary, middle, and high schools in a large school district in the upstate…

An educator's preparedness has many contributing factors, including natural-born giftedness, inspiration from a childhood teacher, or a need to impact our youth. However, for many current educators, teaching was not their initial choice. Alternative certification programs are growing in popularity as a means of placing qualified individuals in the…

Across the United States, the effort to ensure that students are able to meet national and state standards is being seriously undermined by three factors in particular: failure to attract, cultivate, and retain our newest teachers (South Carolina Induction and Mentoring Program Guidelines, 2006). This study is an assessment of the conditions in a…

Within South Carolina, many programs encourage and support teachers in their first year of teaching. In addition, extensive research describes the importance of support for alternatively certified teachers. However, alternatively certified teachers have received less educational training than teachers following a traditional pathway. Individual…

This study examined the significance of induction and mentorship programs in retaining early-career teachers in South Carolina. Induction and mentorship programs have been recognized as a viable solution since high turnover rates among new teachers may harm student learning and school culture. The study examined the variables of clear program…

As schools closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, teachers were forced to provide virtual instruction as students remained home in an effort to limit the spread of the virus. As veteran teachers navigated through the abrupt changes, new teachers also worked to continue their growth and development while learning how to best serve…

This study captured the lived experiences of three African American female classroom teachers who left the profession within three years of being in the career. The main goal that led this research was to include the perspective of African American women in the conversation about teacher retention, turnover, and attrition percentages that plague…

Research consistently reflects novice teachers' feelings of inadequacy in effectively responding to students' disruptive classroom behaviors. Some teachers may quickly default to disciplinary write-ups or make behavior-related referrals to special education. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the perspectives of first-year…

This research study explored regular veteran and non-veteran regular teachers' evaluation of perceived competence to teach in an inclusive classroom setting in a rural South Carolina School District. This research study examined six factors related to elementary teachers: teachers' teaching backgrounds, planning for inclusive practices, support…

The purpose of this case study is to understand the perceptions of participants in St. John's County School District concerning the effectiveness of the mentorship program in the county. The Theory of Teacher Development (Fuller, 1969; Katz, 1972) guided the research. This theory states the induction programs should follow pre-service preparation,…

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to develop a deeper understanding of the lived experiences of novice teachers who remain teaching in high-poverty, high-minority rural schools in South Carolina in relation to the administrative support they received. The research questions guiding this study are: (1) How do novice…

Catch and release is a practice within recreational fishing intended as a technique of conservation. After capture, the fish are unhooked and returned to the water before experiencing serious exhaustion or injury. This prevents a shortage in the supply and sustains a supply of fish. However, in field of education there is a strong need to…

Retaining effective teachers is a challenge in every classroom, but nowhere more than in special education classrooms. The purpose of the study was to conduct a program evaluation using archival data that were collected as a part of the Special Education Advanced Mentor Training (SEAMT) in South Carolina. Drawing on Erikson's Intimacy vs.…

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…

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…