Used data on New York state teachers to determine how much variation in the average attributes of teachers exists across schools, identify schools with the least qualified teachers, assess changes in the distribution over time, and determine how the distribution of teachers is affected by attrition, transfer, and the matches between teachers and…

Identified differences and similarities in a sample of 1,700 entry-level teachers among those who started their careers in racially/ethnically diverse schools and those who taught in schools with low levels of racial/ethnic diversity. Findings highlight the complexities of teaching in schools of high diversity. (SLD)

An account of an assistant principal's efforts to assist new and inexperienced teachers to remain in education, focusing on solving the problems of 3 basic types of new teachers: (1) the scared to death, but tries to teach them anyway teacher, (2) the managerial efficiency teacher, and (3) the idealistic teacher. (EH)

Urban Impact is a Title II Teacher Quality Enhancement Act partnership grant supporting the development of new strategies and structures to strengthen the preparation and development of beginning teachers in urban settings in Tennessee. This study evaluated the success of Urban Impact in restructuring university coursework and university/school…

To examine the role of mentoring in urban school settings, conceptions of "urban schools,""mentors," and "mentoring" are explored. The most critical component of successful mentoring is a shared philosophy of the ways students learn and the possibility of learning. Strengthening the ability of mentors to exchange information is essential. (SLD)

Four main considerations are basic to developing a program to prepare urban teachers: the degree to which the program is individualized, the nature of the personal models exerting influence on prospective teachers, the degree of freedom offered prospective teachers in their professional laboratory experiences, and the nature of the help received…

Offers suggestions for using modeling and mentoring in urban teacher education in the belief that the power of models and mentors resides more in their being and behaving than in the finished products. Good role models live their ethics and beliefs personally and professionally. (SLD)

Seven higher education institutions in Massachusetts collaborated to develop and implement Project QUEST (Quality Urban Education and Support for Teachers), a support program for beginning urban teachers. Motivated by both the need to retain beginning teachers beyond the first few years of teaching and the desire to increase urban school…

Reviews the literature on mentoring teachers, focusing on bilingual and bicultural education and emphasizing issues relevant in urban settings. An interactive model of mentoring is proposed in which bilingual teachers, whether mentors or new teachers, can share perspectives sorely needed in this age of increasing cultural diversity. (SLD)

As dispensers of information, mentors can support teachers through career stages from recruitment to retirement. This article explores mentorships as transferable transactions. This concept is particularly valuable in urban areas, where teachers unacquainted with physical and cultural conditions may replicate the practices of seasoned mentors.…

Faced with an acute shortage of teachers in the United States, New York City has initiated an alternative teacher induction program called the Teaching Fellows (NYCTF). This study, focusing on the verbal and written narratives of 38 participants, examines the various foci of these new teachers through their first year of teaching. The participants…

Teacher mentors in urban schools need particular characteristics to promote development in beginning teachers because the urban school is a unique environment. Urban mentor teachers need to be able to articulate their beliefs and practices, and they need well-developed coaching skills. (SLD)

The attitudes of 193 teacher candidates at a rural university toward teaching in urban schools were studied. In spite of their lack of experience and preparation for teaching urban students, many were willing, although not eager, to teach in urban schools in order to have a job. (SLD)

Studies problems of 69 traditionally prepared and 162 alternatively certified first-year elementary school teachers in Houston (Texas). Results show that alternatively certified teachers appear to have more problems after two months, but differences disappear by eight months, supporting the utility of alternative certification. (SLD)

Urban public schools and their teachers are under siege. From increased standardization, privatization and testing to a growing number of students whose needs are not being met by schools, urban public school teachers face a daunting task. Without a space in which to critically examine their daily experiences within schools, many well-intentioned…