Teacher retention continues to be a challenge across the United States. This study investigated the practices and perception of elementary school principals in Virginia on new teacher retention. In this qualitative study, a sample of elementary school principals from around the state of Virginia participated in focus groups and individual…

The purpose of this qualitative, multiple case study research project was to explore the structures of different beginning teacher mentoring models and their effectiveness at retaining new teachers into the next school year. The focus is on the perspective of the program administrators, not on the perspectives of the teachers involved. The cases…

School districts consider many qualifications when deciding whether to hire an individual to teach its students. One qualification is the type of license the applicant holds. The strictness of the eligibility requirements vary across the license types (e.g., level of educational attainment, whether a student teaching experience was completed).…

With an estimated 40 to 50% of teachers leaving the classroom within their first 5 years (Arnett, 2017; Haynes, Maddock, & Goldrick, 2014; Ingersoll, 2012; Neason, 2014; Phillips, 2015; Riggs, 2013), some have espoused that a well-conceived and well-implemented teacher induction program with a strong emphasis on mentoring will not only…

The mobility rates within the Kindergarten-Grade 12 teacher workforce are distressing, and the teaching profession has a relatively high turnover rate compared to other occupations. The Commonwealth of Virginia encounters many challenges when attempting to retain highly qualified teachers in schools. Despite the state's efforts to staff all…

Recent school reform initiatives and state mandates dictate increases in teacher accountability with teacher performance based on the results of standardized test scores. Although the number of teachers who choose to leave the profession is distressing, there are those who choose to remain for the long term. Utilizing the modified van Kaam method…

This study explores the relationship between the length of student-teaching experiences and new teacher efficacy. Each year thousands of prospective new teachers endure the interview processes to be hired, complete induction programs, and begin their careers only to determine that the teaching profession is not what they assumed it would be. Local…

For five years running, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) has tracked states' teacher policies, preparing a detailed and thorough compendium of teacher policy in the United States on topics related to teacher preparation, licensure, evaluation, career advancement, tenure, compensation, pensions and dismissal. The "2011 State…

This report presents the Virginia 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…

This applied dissertation was designed to examine the influence of a mentoring program on novice elementary school teachers in several suburban elementary schools in the Tidewater area of southeastern Virginia. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between mentoring programs and the attrition and retention rates of novice…

This applied dissertation was designed to examine the influence of a mentoring program on novice elementary school teachers in several suburban elementary schools in the Tidewater area of southeastern Virginia. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between mentoring programs and the attrition and retention rates of novice…

Teachers join the profession hoping to inspire students, but their training does not fully prepare them for the realities of the classroom. What is more, the lifelines administrators provide to new hires are not always reliable. Most veteran teachers mandated by state or local officials to serve as mentors are not given time or money to provide…

Thus, this study examines two beginning teachers' perceptions of a high-stakes test in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Data analysis revealed that the teachers' perceptions towards the test had changed during their first year of teaching. This issue is important because how first-year history teachers perceive and respond to the high stakes tests…