This newsletter presents articles on: preparing, recruiting, and retaining the best teachers; the RAND project designed to examine the need for high quality programs that impact classroom practice (focusing on mathematics and reading); accountability reform (whether accountability policies improve student achievement); organizational and…

This study investigated the relationship between several components of teacher burnout and various professional factors. Professional factors included professional qualifications, teaching level, professional growth, professional commitment, and role efficacy. Components of teacher burnout included development of negative attitudes toward students…

In fall 2000, all 3,506 superintendents in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin received a survey that asked them to report on the strategies they had implemented to attract and retain teachers and on how effective those strategies had been. The survey was designed to collect basic information about a variety of…

This first section of this report profiles the first five Alternative Routes to Certification (ARTC) cohorts (1997-98 through 2001-02), including patterns of district and school participation and characteristics of all 164 candidates enrolled by district during the first 5 years. It addresses the question of who participates in ARTC. The second…

The constant state of "simply making it through the day" for many beginning teachers affects their physical and mental well-being, and impacts their decision to stay in the field of education. Given the seriousness of teacher burnout, it behooves school systems to provide an induction experience for beginning teachers that will contribute to their…

This book surveys the Career in Teaching (CIT) initiative launched in Rochester, New York, looking at its impact on the district since 1987. CIT incorporates support for new teachers, provides opportunities for highly accomplished teachers to share their skills, and offers peer review and assistance to teachers experiencing problems in their…

Utah is experiencing chronic, critical, special-educator shortages in all positions and disability areas, including speech and language pathologists and school psychologists. The Utah Attrition Study found that the most common reason for special education professionals leaving positions was "moving out of state," followed by personal…

This paper reports on a longitudinal case study of an elementary teacher during her transition from preservice to inservice teaching. Bandura's (1995) concept of self-efficacy belief is used as a framework for presenting the findings of the study. The subject's experiences in science teaching provided information about her competency as a teacher,…

Elementary teachers' attitudes towards science and their confidence to teach it have for some time been identified as important in determining both the quality and quantity of science taught to children. Attitudes and confidence are influenced greatly by the teachers' own experiences as learners of science. This paper reports on a longitudinal…

In interviews with 86 rural special education teachers, issues of mobility and opportunity were cited most often as reasons why teachers left their jobs. Although results indicated that both leavers and stayers were dissatisfied with employment conditions, teachers who chose to extend their teaching contracts were more closely tied to the…

Describes, from one teacher's experiences, the difficulties of teaching Shakespeare in a Chelsea (Massachusetts) high school and how these problems were eventually overcome. The narrative presents students' reactions. (GR)

Addresses issues related to attracting and keeping qualified teachers in rural schools. Discusses advantages and disadvantages of teaching in rural areas, preparation of rural administrators for dealing with elevated attrition levels and special needs of new teachers, ideal teacher requirements for rural positions, orientation and support services…

Describes a Los Angeles collaborative university-district teacher induction program which focused on retaining alternative certification teachers in difficult urban schools. The collaboration increased teacher retention, providing systematic support and assistance and reducing feelings of isolation through cooperative planning. After three years,…

The degree to which teachers' sense of efficacy and other hypothesized influences on commitment to teaching predicts responses to the question of whether they would enter teaching again was studied for 170 elementary school teachers. General and personal efficacy were the two strongest predictors of commitment to teaching. (SLD)

This study of 92 special educators and related service providers evaluated two interventions (a series of stress management workshops and a peer-collaboration program) on factors correlated with turnover (burnout, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment). The interventions showed promise as a means of providing on-the-job support for…