Mentoring & Induction

Why It Matters
Well-crafted induction programs can improve teaching quality, stem high rates of teacher attrition, and in doing so, decrease the overall costs of teacher recruitment and retention and increase student achievement.

Mentoring is a formal coaching relationship in which an experienced teacher gives guidance, support and feedback to a new teacher. High quality mentor programs fully train mentors, pair first and second year teachers with mentors in similar grade and subject area, and provide release time and common planning time for mentors and mentees.

Induction goes beyond mentoring to provide an extensive package of supports, professional development, and standards-based assessments and evaluations. Comprehensive induction programs vary in their particular design, but essential elements include a high quality mentor program, on-going professional development, access to an external network of beginning teachers, and a standards-based evaluation of beginning teachers and the program itself.

What We're Doing:
The Center for Teaching Quality endeavors to improve new teacher mentoring and induction through the following efforts:

Mentoring in Urban Schools

New Teacher Mentoring in Virginia

Virtual Mentoring for Math and Science Teacher Support in North Carolina