Meeting the Needs of New Teachers: A Progress Report

             It is evident that recruiting and retaining quality teachers is a national problem. Twenty to fifty percent of teachers leave the profession in the first years of teaching (Darling Hammond and Sclan, 1996) and almost ten percent do not even finish their first year (Fideler & Haselkorn, 1999).  Five-year attrition rates are even more staggering, with estimates ranging from thirty-five percent in suburban areas to fifty percent in urban and isolated rural areas (Danielson, 1999; Moir & Gless, 2001). A contributing factor to teacher attrition is the stress experienced by novice teachers during their induction years into the teaching profession.  The kind of teaching reflected in current standards for students and teachers is a complex process that may also contribute to teachers’ need for increased support and guidance (Kauffman, Johnson, Kardos, Liu & Peske, 2002).  Feiman-Nemser (2001) argues that this kind of teaching requires a continuum of learning experiences that connect teacher preparation, new teacher induction, and professional development.  She argues that school/university partnerships can offer promising programs that provide the necessary continuum of “serious and sustained professional learning opportunities for teachers” (p. 1055). 

In this article, we explore a small part of the larger issue of retaining quality teachers in elementary schools.  We base this exploration on our study of beginning teachers’ needs and desires as they work in a standards-based reform environment.   Simultaneously we studied teachers’ perceptions of a pilot induction program designed to facilitate their work in our current standards-reform environment. We want to better understand how new teachers experience teaching in the current standards-based reform environment.  We believe teachers’ perspectives can guide us in improving our teacher preparation and induction programs. The purpose of this report is to share the results of our efforts to improve teachers’ ability to teach in a standards-based environment and to improve our university-based teacher induction program.

Literature Informing our Work

Our work is framed by the literature on induction and standards-based reform. Berry, Hopkins-Thompson, and Hoke (2002) defined induction as “a structured process of teacher learning, conducted on-the-job, where novices are prepared in stages over the first few years of teaching” (p. 6).  Induction programs take on many structures including, but not limited to, short-term orientation programs, mentoring programs, staff development sessions, and multi-year programs that address the ongoing challenges of teaching (Fideler & Haselkorn, 1999). Without a universally agreed-upon format, programs are typically defined by common goals and program emphasis (Serpell, 2000).  Typical components of most induction programs include goals of the local school district, details of the delivery system (such as the mentor selection process, mentor training, and financial, physical and personnel resources), and the needs of the novice teachers along with the needs of the mentoring teachers.  In her review of the literature, Serpell (2000) found that most induction programs typically share one or more of the following goals: socializing teachers into the school culture and community, improving teacher skills, resolving teacher fears and anxieties, and beginning teacher professional development.  Huling-Austin (1992) also identified two additional goals that were highly influenced by educational policy.  These include increasing the retention of beginning teachers and satisfying mandated requirements.

 

Several authors (American Federation of Teachers, 2001; Berry et al., 2002; Feiman-Nemser, 2001) suggested the importance of induction programs, noting that pre-service teacher education programs can never completely prepare teachers for teaching, and recommended that induction programs include cooperative efforts that include universities and school systems.  The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) recognized the need for induction programs, citing retention of new teachers as a primary objective of such programs. They indicated that novice teachers leave the profession for various reasons; however, they indicated that the lack of support was the most cited reason for leaving the profession. The AFT report suggested that induction programs enable new teachers to better link theory to practice, thereby facilitating better prepared teachers who are confident and, therefore, more likely to remain in the profession.  Their recommendations also included that induction programs should include a cooperative effort between school systems and teacher education programs at universities (2001).  Similar recommendations were made by the National Commission on Teaching & America’s Future (2000) that induction programs be collaborative, that they involve careful mentor selection, and that the emphasis of such programs be on teacher development and assessment of teacher skills.

The focus on standards-based reform means that teachers must be able to use standards for planning their instructional strategies and classroom activities. Teachers have national standards to which they must adhere, as well as state and local standards. As Berry, et al. (2002) stated:

Teachers must know not only their subjects, but also how to plan standards-based units and lessons and translate subject matter knowledge into curriculum appropriate for students. They must be able to assess students’ progress continuously, while accommodating individual, language, and cultural differences. To make matters more complicated, beginning teachers must know how to do all of this while learning school and district policies, figuring out the basics of classroom management, and fitting into the school organization in which they find themselves (2002).

Cohen and Hill (2000) suggested that the existence of standards and assessments does not guarantee that classroom teachers would be familiar with them or that classroom instruction reflected standards, a determination that we are particularly aware of in our programs.  A study of 50 first and second year teachers (Kaufman, Johnson, Kardos, Liu and Peske, 2002) showed that despite a state’s extensive development of standards and statewide assessment, beginning teachers struggled with curriculum (what to teach and how to teach) and received little or no guidance in their struggles.  A review of the literature by Wang and Odell (2002) provided additional evidence of the need for support for preservice and beginning teachers in learning standards-based teaching.  Their review provided a comprehensive description of the teaching practices expected by the standards-based movement, what novices are expected to learn, and the role that support can play.  This confirmed our concern that there is an urgent need to reconsider the support we provide to new teachers related to teaching in a standards-based environment. 

Research Questions

We wanted to ensure our graduates feel confident in their ability to perform well in their first year in a standards-based environment, so we decided to investigate how Georgia State University (GSU) might better meet their needs, thereby facilitating their smooth transition into the classroom and, ultimately, helping to retain them. Therefore, for this study, the research questions were identified in two categories:

1.  The needs of beginning teachers

What are the needs of beginning teachers?

How does what we do in teacher preparation facilitate (or constrain) what teachers encounter and need in order to teach in a standards-based reform environment?

 

2.  Methods of support for beginning teachers

What can we do to help teachers function better in a standards-based environment?

What guidelines can we suggest to better prepare teachers for a standards-based reform environment? 

Context

Faculty and staff from GSU, a large urban institution in the southeast, and the four largest school districts in the metropolitan Atlanta area (Atlanta City, DeKalb, Gwinnett, and Fulton Counties), along with the Georgia Association of Educators, created a consortium to develop an induction program that took into account teachers’ ability to use standards to guide instruction. GSU designed an induction program that would enhance the individual system programs. The consortium met regularly to refine the GSU program, to discuss issues affecting the program, and to develop strategies for assessing teachers’ needs and the effectiveness of the induction model.

Another aspect of new teacher preparation addressed by the consortium is that of enabling new teachers to teach in a standards-based environment. Berry, Luczak, and Norton (2003) found that, in the southeast, teachers are more likely to use standards than in other areas of the nation, but they also noted that teachers here are less likely to receive results or use them to guide their instructional planning. With national, state and local standards to address, all of which must be incorporated into our teacher education curriculum and P-12 instructional curriculum, the increased emphasis on standards compels teacher education program faculty and students alike to address how best to incorporate standards into the classroom.

The Induction Pilot Program

            Faculty at Georgia State University, in conjunction with local school system representatives, developed several avenues for assisting new teachers with their transition into the classroom. In addition to the faculty support provided to undergraduate students in education programs through student teaching and other internship activities, additional support was provided to ensure that the teachers educated at our university were well prepared for teaching in a standards-based environment and had the induction support needed to ensure their classroom success and ultimate retention as teachers in Georgia schools.

GSU’s induction program addressed both support and professional development for teachers. The support offered included personal contact, group contact, and technological contact. A faculty representative from each teacher education program was assigned as a contact person. This person was available to new graduates by e-mail, telephone, or appointment for an in-person conference or visit to the teacher’s classroom to discuss any problems the new teacher was experiencing. As needed, the faculty contact would refer teachers to appropriate faculty members to ensure that the problem was addressed. Group contact was available to new teachers through voluntary seminars held for GSU graduates. The topics for these seminars were based on teachers' needs. Technological contact was facilitated through the establishment of a technology infrastructure that included a public website to share information about induction and support and a website with password protection to facilitate graduates’ participation in chat rooms, threaded discussions, and links to resources online.  To determine the effectiveness of this model and what those who participated believed we could do to improve our induction program and their ability to teach in a standards-based environment, the following methodology was developed.  

Methodology

A qualitative approach was taken to evaluate our progress in meeting the classroom needs of our graduates. This approach was deemed to be more useful for generating the types of data needed to answer the research questions. Qualitative means of data collection, including surveys, phone interviews, focus groups, and document analysis, were tools used to collect data. An overview of the participants, instruments and timeframe for data collection are summarized in Table 1.  A description of the design of the formative evaluation follows.

Beginning Teachers Needs/Concerns

 

Data for this component of study included two different strategies:  written surveys and focus group interviews.  This line of inquiry began in May 2001 with the first survey of all student teachers (P-12) who were graduating that semester.  The Beginning Teacher Needs Survey (BTNS), a 14-item questionnaire, was developed based on the work of Veenman (1984), who conducted a meta-analysis of 91 studies of the perceived problems of beginning teachers. The instrument was adapted and piloted with student teachers following their final internship. This survey asked these graduating students how much help they believed they needed and how they typically addressed issues such as classroom management, relationship with parents and school professionals, time management, lesson planning, and technology use.  Student teachers were asked to respond to their “degree of needs” and “their potential sources of support” The BTNS is currently undergoing a series of reviews and pilot testing for its content, scoring, and language.

The following March, another 20-item survey was distributed by school system principals to recent graduates (within the last three years) who were currently employed in the metro school systems.  This survey was designed to determine the perceptions of recent graduates (one to three years) about the extent of their needs during their first years of teaching and the effectiveness of their teacher education program to prepare them for standards-based work.   The survey included multiple choice, likert-scale and open-ended questions. Of the 466 surveys distributed, 133 were returned for a 28% return rate. Of the 133 respondents, only 116 were complete and used for analysis. Forty-three teachers shared their suggestions in response to the open-ended question.

Based on survey responses, university faculty conducted focus groups with self-selected teachers (also recent graduates) to discern their understandings of standards, identify their preparedness to teach to standards, and describe their needs as beginning teachers.  Two university faculty met with groups of between 2-8 teachers (P-12, including special education) for approximately one hour.  The conversations were audio-recorded and transcribed. Teachers responded to questions about their preparation to teach in a standards-based environment, including planning for and teaching to standards, resources available, and student assessment.  They were paid $75 for their participation.

Evaluation of Induction Efforts

This component of the study involved determining beginning teachers’ views of the induction program.  In May 2002, twenty graduates who participated in the induction program during their first year of teaching were recruited to provide a representative sample of the graduates in terms of ethnicity, subject and level of teaching. Fourteen of the 20 graduates were accessible and agreed to participate in the study; all 14 participated in the phone interview and nine completed the survey. The participants were paid $200 for full participation or $50 for partial participation. Ideally, the participants would complete all surveys, attend at least one seminar, review the web site and evaluate it, and participate in one chat room discussion. Only two participants participated in all activities; five participants were involved in all but one activity, and one person participated in only one activity. We attributed the poor participation to the timing; the work was completed at the end of the school year, when teachers are heavily involved in testing and other end of the year activities.

After participating in the components of the induction program (chat room, website, seminars), these first year teachers were asked to evaluate their experiences in these activities using a 24-item, likert-scale questionnaire. Survey questions inquired about their expectations for the activity, the activities they found most useful, the changes they would suggest for future programs, and additional comments about their experience in these activities. Follow up phone interviews were conducted with 14 beginning teachers to assess their use of the website and resources, their interest in the seminars, and their willingness to maintain personal contact. 

Data for analysis included results of the three surveys (May 2001, March 2002, and May 2002), phone interviews, and field-notes and transcriptions from focus groups.  Data were analyzed separately depending on the nature of the data, then combined and coded.  The data from the survey of beginning teachers and the focus groups were categorized using the INTASC standards (a component of GSU’s conceptual framework) to organize the data and make recommendations. 

Findings

The Needs of Beginning Teachers

 

            The needs assessment instrument asked teachers how much help they believed they needed and how they typically addressed such issues as classroom management and discipline, relationships with parents and school professionals, time management, lesson planning, and technology use. The results of the survey indicated that our students felt well prepared and believed that they had few needs as they made the transfer from the university to a classroom of their own. In addressing their needs, they indicated that they believed school mentors played a strong role in helping student teachers address their needs, while university faculty were rarely viewed as a resource. These findings indicate a need for faculty to encourage their graduates to access the resources available to them through the university.

The following findings were based on analysis of survey data from practicing teachers reflecting their beliefs and feelings about their preparation now that they are teaching.   There were 20 survey items: 4 questions related to demographics (e.g., years of experience and area of certification) and 16 Likert-scale evaluation items related to teachers’ preparation to teach in a standards-based environment. For each of the 16 Likert-scale items, teachers chose one of these five responses: Not At All, Not Very Well, Adequately, Well, or Very Well. 

Table 2 provides descriptive statistics on the 16 evaluation items and provides more detailed information about ranges of responses.  The means varied from 3.05 to 4.03 falling into the “adequately” to “well” levels of the scales.  For many items, most teachers indicated they are well prepared.  Those items were: a) teach to standards, b) formulate effective standards, c) create content, d) develop and use assessment, e) develop rubrics, f) engage students, g) know standards, h) use many resources, i) analyze data from assessments, j) differentiate instruction, and k) organize lesson plans.  For all but four of the 16 evaluation items, the highest response frequency was at level 4, Well. For all but three of the 16 items, a combined 50% or more of teachers chose the responses Well and Very Well.

One survey item on which fewer than 50% of teachers responded Well and Very Well was “work with students to close the achievement gap between students who traditionally achieve poorly and those who traditionally achieve well”. The highest response frequency (31.9%) was at level 3, Adequately; a combined 46.6%--not a majority--answered Well or Very Well.

A second survey item for which the combined frequencies of the responses Well and Very Well did not represent a majority of responses was “involve parents in child’s education”. The single highest response frequency was Well, representing 30.2% of responses. Less than half, or 40.5% of teachers, chose Well or Very Well. Almost the same percentage reported being prepared Not At All or Not Very Well for involving parents. 

The third survey item for which less than a majority chose the responses Well and Very Well was “use the community as a resource for meeting standards”. Responses on this item were dispersed fairly evenly among the bottom, middle, and top thirds of the Likert scale. A combined 37.1% of respondents answered that they were prepared Well or Very Well for this task. The highest single response frequency on this survey item, at 30.2%, was Adequately. Similarly, 32.8% of teachers responded that their GSU teacher education program prepared them Not At All or Not Very Well to use the community as a resource for meeting standards. 

The response Not At All did not occur at all on four evaluation items: knows appropriate standards, able to teach to standards, use assessment to inform instruction, and uses resources to meet standards.  This response (not at all) occurred most frequently—in 9% and 10% of the sub-sample respectively—on two items, “involve parents in child’s education” and “use community as resource to meet standards”.  The next highest frequency of the response Not At All was nine occurrences, or 8%, on the item “communicate with parents”.

Overall, survey data indicated that our teacher education programs were providing adequate preparation in teaching to standards.  Data also indicated that within some areas of certification and for some teacher tasks (closing the achievement gap, developing knowledge of appropriate standards, using the community as a resource, and communicating with and involving parents in students’ education), improved preparation might benefit our students. 

In the open-ended questions on the survey and in the focus group discussion, teachers were asked to talk about standards-based teaching and identify concerns and offer suggestions regarding preparation for teaching in a standards-based environment.  Overall, teachers spoke hesitantly about their familiarity with and implementation of standards.  However, they spoke strongly and harshly about their view of standards as an infringement on their professional autonomy because standards are directly linked to standardized testing.  They reported that they see little connection among standards and testing and improving classroom teaching and learning processes.  They struggled to articulate what a standards-based environment means to them and suggest they need mentoring to improve.  They are concerned with their opportunities for growth, given that they have little control over their professional development.

Analysis provided eight more specific categories of concerns and suggestions emerging from the teachers’ responses.  These were: a) curriculum, b) field experiences, c) classroom management, d) assessment and testing, e) parental and community involvement, f) the realities of teaching, g) diversity, and h) technology.  We organized them in order of the frequency of responses with the last three categories (realities of teaching, diversity, and technology) having five or fewer responses.

Curriculum

Forty-four comments from the survey related to curricular issues, and 24 of those referred to teachers being unfamiliar with the nature and variety of standards they must use, for example, the state Quality Core Curriculum standards, the local school system’s standards, and content standards such as the National Council of Teacher of Mathematics (NCTM) Standards.  In addition, teachers asked for more assistance in using standards to plan for instruction to meet the needs of individual children. In talking with teachers, they struggled to describe a standards-based environment and acknowledged their confusion in applying what they view as a multitude of standards to their practice.  They articulated their concern that the emphasis on standards pushed them to focus on the achievement of children, leaving little time to consider the “whole child” or children from diverse backgrounds.  Another concern they shared is their perceived need to cover all standards in a short period of time.  Teachers shared that they have many resources to assist in their planning and teaching but suggest that aligning them with standards is necessary.  As researchers/observers we found a noticeable absence of attention to children’s individual needs in the discussion on standards congruent with teachers’ concerns that they are not adequately prepared to teach standards based on individual learning styles of students. 

Assessment and testing

There were 18 suggestions made by respondents about assessment and testing.  These suggestions indicated that more instruction was needed to prepare candidates in how to assess their students’ progress and how to use those results to inform their teaching and planning.  They wanted more exposure to a variety of assessments, formal and informal, and how to interpret the results of assessments.  In conversations with the teachers, assessment also was a recurring concern.  They acknowledged a strong emphasis in their schools on academic achievement as demonstrated by performance on standardized tests despite their knowledge that “there is more to a child than what he or she demonstrates on these tests”.  They stated that they would like more instruction and experiences on how to design and use a variety of assessments, how to interpret results, and how to use those results to inform their teaching. 

Field experiences

In the open-ended questions of the survey, respondents shared 17 comments related to their field experiences, primarily regarding better communication and understanding between GSU and school administrators about what GSU requires of teacher candidates.  In the focus groups, for example, they reiterated their need for more exposure to the assessment process, including sharing student progress with parents.  They requested opportunities to discuss their struggles with curriculum and assessment issues and problem solve with colleagues and faculty in the context of field experiences.

Parental and community involvement

Respondents offered 13 suggestions related to parental and community involvement. Teachers expressed concerns related to involving the community and parents in the classroom in school activities, creatively and effectively.  They needed additional guidance in how to conference with parents and how to communicate with parents, particularly when parents are upset or angry. In conversations with teachers, they acknowledged their discomfort in working with parents, often feeling intimidated or ignored.  They would like more assistance in how to develop relationships with parents and utilize the community as a resource.   

Realities of teaching

Comments related to the realities of teaching (N=5) reflected teachers’ concern that candidates were not “aware of or prepared for what they are getting into”, especially “the heavy paperwork”.  They were concerned about the many “non-student” related responsibilities and the out of class expectations that seem so overwhelming, particularly as related to standards and assessment. 

Classroom management, diversity and technology

Four comments suggested that there was a need for more instruction on and experience with effective classroom management strategies.  There were three suggestions for more instruction in working with diverse groups of children, including non-English speaking students. Two comments were made about the need for more technology training.  In conversations with teachers, they reiterated their need for help in differentiating instruction for learners. They also suggested that while they have had a lot of technology training, they are not proficient in using it to enhance instruction. Given that these three areas were heavily emphasized goals in our programs, the small number of identified concerns is viewed as improvement but not realization of our efforts. 

            For this data to be useful in informing university faculty and school partners we chose to develop a framework to organize the data and guide future work.  Since GSU uses the INTASC standards as one component of its conceptual framework, we used these ten standards for organizing the concerns and suggestions.  This framework (a lengthy document available by contacting the first author) illustrates the issues and guidelines that educators need to consider as they encourage and instruct teacher candidates to practice in a standards-based environment.

Evaluation of Induction Efforts

            Two seminars dealing with parents and classroom management were offered. One participant attended the seminar on dealing with parents, while 7 participants attended the classroom management seminar. The participant who attended the seminar on dealing with parents indicated having learned “ways to communicate effectively with parents” and came away with “excitement and good ideas.” There were mixed responses in the classroom management seminar as to whether needs were met. Two participants indicated that their needs had not been met. One of these participants revealed the desire for sessions to incorporate “several experienced teachers” and a “larger audience.” The other participant whose needs were not met indicated the desire for more specific classroom management techniques. The rest of the participants in this seminar indicated that they now had “better ways to keep kids under control” and that the seminar had “opened a forum for discussion and to pick up new methods.” The strengths of the seminars, they noted, included the “organized, concise, useful, relevant … specific strategies,” the shared ideas and experiences, the relaxed atmosphere, and the opportunity to get their questions answered. Several suggestions for improvement were also made.

  • Seminars should be held at some other time than 4:30 in their school system for easier access.
  • Participants should be grouped by grade level.
  • Three of the participants stated that they had no need to attend such seminars at the beginning of the school year, as they did not yet have enough experience to know what their needs were.
  • The other participants indicated that a seminar at the beginning of school might be helpful, but, as one participant shared, another seminar at the end of the first year would also be helpful to enable them to share experiences and reflect on their own experience. All but one participant indicated the desire to participate in another seminar; the one who did not wish to do so stated that the county system offers similar classes and assigned mentors.
  • Some of the topics they suggested for future seminars related to teaching students with varying ability levels, making lessons interesting for both students and teachers, grade specific information, survival courses in school law, security/safety, Spanish, assessment, discipline, dealing with colleagues, and classroom organization.

 

The chat room provided participants with opportunities to discuss the topic of dealing with parents and of classroom management. No one participated in the chat room dealing with parental involvement, and three participants interacted in the chat room on classroom management. The three who participated found the experience helpful in terms of providing a venue for sharing ideas in a friendly manner that is easily accessed from home. One participant suggested that it be more organized, while the other two noted no changes needed. Two of the three indicated they would find the chat room useful at the beginning of the school year, while the other participant suggested that one needed more experiences to reflect on. All participants indicated that they would participate again in the future. They specifically noted the desire for grade or subject specific information, classroom organization information, or undirected opportunities to share ideas and concerns. Their concerns regarding access to the chat rooms revolved around problems with logging in or missing the scheduled time(s) for chat room discussions. They all found the venue comfortable for discussion.

General evaluation questions about the various aspects of the program asked about additional support participants would like to see included in the program. Their responses included increased contact with mentors and experienced GSU graduates and information on gangs.

As part of the induction program, GSU faculty members volunteered to be a contact person for graduates of each program to provide such services as e-mail communication about problems and issues, seminars for small groups specific to that program, and classroom visits. Additional ideas participants shared for this relationship were to provide additional information on handling difficult situations with students, faculty, and legal issues and to provide follow up feedback.

Their survey responses about which aspect of the induction program was most helpful were evenly divided between the web site and the seminars. Of the seven who responded to this question, three of the participants indicated the web site as being most helpful and found the links and autonomy in use of the web site to be strengths, while three others who found the seminars to be most helpful focused on the opportunity to share their own experiences and learn from others’ experiences. One participant stated that all of the venues were helpful, as they met different needs.

The website survey asked questions about the ease of use of the website and about the usefulness and importance of the information provided on the website. Topics addressed on the website included information about teaching methods and resources, classroom management, working with parents and with students with special needs, assessment and testing, teacher certification, graduate education, mentoring, sharing of ideas, and professional growth. Participants responded that the website was easy to log into and use, and they liked the simple layout. They rated the site high on whether it was useful and high to moderate its importance to them. Several participants indicated that they had difficulty finding the information they needed, as the directions for using the WebCT were unclear to them. The content section was, for the most part, rated high to moderate on its usefulness and importance; very few participants rated this section low to moderate.

The phone survey of participants yielded additional data regarding the induction program. From these phone interviews, we found that some participants were unfamiliar with the website, did not always know who their contact person was at GSU, and would welcome personal contact from GSU faculty.

These results are being viewed as formative evaluation findings to be used to make changes in our induction program. Some anticipated changes include holding seminars at alternative locations, being more proactive in contacting our graduates, and increasing awareness of the website earlier in the program.

Suggestions for Continuing Induction Work

The variety of data collected and the amount of information amassed is helpful in understanding the concerns of new teachers currently practicing in a standards-based environment.  The findings indicate that, while our beginning efforts have been helpful to the teachers who participated in the program, more work is needed. Based on their feedback, it is apparent that a more organized effort is required that includes better communication with our graduates. The results of both aspects of this study mirror the statewide findings in the 2001 Georgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC) study on teacher retention. Teachers need to be made aware of the resources available to them through the university and community in general. The mentoring of these participants by university faculty to address needs of new teachers is one area that needs to be strengthened. Better communication and publicity of how GSU can work with its graduates for induction purposes would facilitate increased usage of the website, chat rooms, and seminars. Holding seminars on a variety of topics at school sites, rather than at GSU, may also increase participation. Issues to be addressed might include parental involvement, classroom management, grade or subject specific information, diversity (addressing the needs of non-English speaking students), social development/safety issues, various aspects of working in a standards-based environment, closing the achievement gap, and seminars specifically designed to teach technology skills to access the website and chat rooms.  An effort also must be made to encourage more university faculty and beginning teachers to participate. Providing reduced teaching loads for faculty and beginning teachers is one possibility supported by the literature (Berry et al., 2002). While all of these are excellent ideas for improving the program, they are costly. No new monies have been made available for such purposes; hence, we will have to be creative to be able to provide such services. As suggested by AFT (2001), faculty in GSU’s teacher education program have begun to collaborate with local school systems, but a more cohesive, cooperative effort is needed. By combining efforts, we can reduce the costs of duplicating services and share resources to bring about the development and implementation of an induction program that truly meets the needs of new teachers in Georgia’s schools.

We are optimistic that the combined focus of assessing new teachers’ classroom needs about how to teach in a standards-based environment and the provision of continued induction support can enhance the retention of new teachers. Improving our induction strategies and assessing the retention of our graduates are next steps in our continuing efforts. 

 

 


 

Table 1.  Overview of data collection over time

Beginning Teachers’ Needs

May 2001

March 2002

May 2002

Participants

All student teachers (P-12) graduating Sp 02

116 self-selected beginning teachers/graduates with 1-3 years experience

 15 self-selected

beginning teachers/graduates with 1-3 years experience

Instrument/method

14-item Beginning Teacher Needs Survey (BTNS) focused on teachers’ perceived needs and their choice of support

20-item Standards-Based Teaching survey with likert-style and open-ended questions focused on their needs for teaching in a standards-based environment

Focus groups with 8 question protocol focus on their needs for teaching in a standards-based environment

Evaluation of Induction Efforts

 

 

 

Participants

 

 

8 first year teachers/graduates

Instrument/method

 

 

24-item likert-scale survey of induction website;

 

Phone interviews with10 items related to induction components:  seminars, web page, personal contact

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table 2.  Descriptive Statistics on the 16 Evaluation Items

 


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Meeting the Needs of New Teachers:

A Progress Report

 

 

Julie Rainer Dangel

Barbara Kawulich

Edi Guyton

Georgia State University

January 2004