Published: July 5, 2004
by: Diana Strumbos
Event: Release of report, panel discussion
Organized by: Alliance For Excellent Education [1]
Where/When: Washington, D.C., June 23, 2004
A pressing problem in today’s education system is a lack of good teachers and according to a new report, “Tapping the Potential: Retaining and Developing High-Quality New Teachers [2]” released by the Alliance for Excellent Education, the problem is not recruitment, but retention. This study finds that almost 50% of new teachers quit the profession in the first five years of teaching; and the rate is even higher for those in high-need schools. The main reason cited by teachers for their departure is lack of support.
The Alliance for Excellent Education believes that in order to develop and retain high-quality teachers, beginning teachers must be given a long-term comprehensive induction into the teaching world. The induction period would be 2-3 years, and should include mentoring, common planning time and collaboration, ongoing professional development, participation in an external network of teachers, and a standards-based evaluation at the end.
These main themes were introduced by Susan Frost, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education and expanded upon by Tom Carroll, president of the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future [3] (NCTAF). Frost also discussed the federal policy recommendations that their two organizations along with the New Teacher Center [4] released in a statement that morning. The first recommendation is that the states and school districts use funds from Title II of the No Child Left Behind Act to provide comprehensive induction for all beginning teachers during at least their first two years of teaching. Title II currently provides $1.3 billion for teacher professional development. The second is that Congress, in considering the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA) amend Title II to require all grant recipients to provide the described comprehensive induction. This will allow those schools to serve as models for the rest of the country. The third recommendation is for Congress to provide an additional $500 million toward developing comprehensive induction; and to focus first on the highest-need schools.
Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the third speaker, discussed his 2004 Act – Preparing, Recruiting, and Retaining Education Professionals (PRREP) [5], which proposes to amend the Higher Education Act several ways, including provisions for better induction for new teachers. A presentation of the report by representatives from the Alliance for Excellent Education followed. Richard Ingersoll, an education professor at the University of Pennsylvania, presented findings from his research into effective induction programs.
Administrators, teachers and principals from districts with induction programs in place then took part in a panel discussion. Panelists stressed the important role of mentoring in their programs, and said results have been positive, with less turnover among new teachers.
http://www.connectforkids.org/node/592
Links:
[1] http://www.all4ed.org/
[2] http://www.all4ed.org/publications/TappingThePotential.pdf
[3] http://www.nctaf.org/
[4] http://www.newteachercenter.org/
[5] http://www.theorator.com/bills108/s2335.html