Research studies have documented a strong link between perennial high rates of beginning teacher attrition and teacher shortages that impact teaching, especially in the major urban areas of the United States. It is widely concluded that one of the pivotal causes of inadequate school academic performance is a teacher shortage and the resulting…

Problems and challenges faced by beginning teachers have been well documented in the literature and have created the need for teacher induction programs in all disciplines, including agricultural education. This paper used literature from inside and outside the agricultural education discipline to identify and describe best practices in teacher…

The revolving door appropriately describes the attrition among beginning teachers. Especially high attrition plagues our urban schools where highly qualified teachers are most crucial. Even though research over 3 decades has provided the basis for intricate induction programs, not all new teachers experience them. Effective mentoring has provided…

Although lack of professional support is usually cited as one of the main reasons for the high attrition rate among new teachers, evidence shows that even when such support is available teachers continue to leave the profession. Meanwhile, it is the lack of attention to the personal needs of the novice teachers that leads to frustration and it is…

Educational leaders are often asked how to reduce the alarming percentage of new teachers who leave the profession when their careers have barely started. But an equally important question--and one that is rarely addressed--is, What can be done to keep effective veteran teachers from retiring when schools need their wisdom, insight, and maturity?…

As a two-year "veteran," the author remembers well how much a little moral support and a smile can mean for a newly-minted teacher. It kept her going in those first few exhausting, confusing weeks. Building those connections is vital both for new teachers and for their profession. With so many new teachers leaving after just a few years (over…

With an inadequate supply of qualified teachers, education stakeholders continue to investigate teacher attrition issues and induction/mentoring practices to improve retention rates, especially in the critical first years of teaching. What types of support do beginning teachers value, and what do they actually receive? What types of support do…

Often viewed as a recruitment issue, the teacher shortage is better defined as a retention issue. This three-year study examines teacher retention through a professional learning communities framework. During the first year of data collection, 217 first- and second-year teachers in a small urban school district were surveyed to assess their…

The Teaching Fellows program in New York City (NYC) is an alternative certification teaching program. This study investigates a sample (n = 68) of Queens College Teaching Fellows' perceptions about their teaching experience. Results indicate that 29% of TFs intend to leave their current teaching positions at the end of their contract. Pearson…

This report reveals that the 16 member states of the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) are making progress in supporting new classroom teachers, but if effective, well qualified teachers are to be recruited and retained, even greater support needs to be provided. Teachers will need more and better training as many schools cope with rising…

In recent decades, federal, state, and local policies have demonstrated renewed efforts to address the concerns of both teacher quality and quantity, resulting in initiatives to attract, reward, and retain qualified people in the teacher profession. Initiatives to address the problems of teacher quality and quantity often take the form of…

Attributes success as first-year elementary teacher in inner-city school to her own stubbornness and the kindness of strangers--meaning the mentoring she received from experienced teachers. (PKP)

The new teacher attrition rate in the US schools continues to cause concern, and disconnect between the goals of new teachers and of those who shape public education is one important reason behind this problem. Suggestions are presented on how to let teachers connect meaningfully with their students thus giving these professionals the support they…

A shortage of quality teachers in high-risk urban schools has compelled school leaders to examine innovative methods of recruiting and retaining new teachers to hard-to-staff campuses. Principals must work aggressively to attract new teachers to their campuses by forming university partnerships for early recruitment, and initiating on the job…

America's urban public schools and their students are in dire need of a durable and committed corps of teachers, teachers who are willing to stay in education long enough to make a difference in the conditions of those schools, and most importantly, in student achievement. Many traditional teacher education programs critique alternative programs…