Putting It All Together
Teacher Induction, Retention and Shortage
The statistics are staggering.
The implications are sobering.
More than
50% of teacher education program graduates
never even enter the teaching profession.
More than 50% of new teachers
leave the profession in the
first five years.
School
districts invest substantial resources
to provide support for novice teachers, yet lose
50% of their
investment.
The cost
to a district every time a teacher leaves is well
over $100,000. Maryland loses
nearly 7,000 teachers
each year.
In Maryland,
teacher education programs produce
less than 50% of teachers
needed each year
to fill vacancies.
The shortage
The reality of the teacher shortage makes headlines every summer and
fall. One of the results of the shortage is the rise in alternative
routes to teacher certification like the Resident Teacher Certificate
Program
and the American Board Certification of Teacher Excellence, which
eliminate so-called "barriers" * to entering the teaching
profession.
Why do they leave?
Compensation is only one of many reasons; the primary reasons had more to do with the working conditions of new teachers.
Another consequence of the teacher shortage is that Maryland must aggressively recruit teachers from out of state—a difficult task made worse by the fact that Maryland teacher salaries and pension lag behind neighbors like Pennsylvania, where retirees receive nearly twice the pension benefit of Maryland veterans.
The shortage is felt everywhere. Parents need only visit their child’s overcrowded classroom in even wealthy, suburban districts or meet an English teacher assigned to a biology lab to see the length districts must go to provide the education their children count on and deserve. Nowhere, however, is the sting of the teacher shortage more distracting, or more serious, than in our high-need urban districts.
The solution to the teacher shortage problem is to solve the teacher retention problem. Solving the retention problem lies squarely with providing high quality induction programs for new teachers. A greater investment in such programs clearly results in higher rates of retention. The cost-benefits of this investment are clear, including a higher quality teaching force and better learning environments for students.
At a recent NEA symposium, several scholars, including Larry Dolan, a school reform specialist at MSTA, gathered to discuss teacher quality, teacher retention, and closing the opportunity and achievement gaps. "We analyzed the question of why teachers leave the profession in such large numbers during their first years and what we can do about it." said Dolan. "Every time a teacher leaves the profession, children and their academic achievement are compromised. "
Induction: A rough first year
Paul Bockius, 23, whose first year at Cecil
County’s Bohemia Manor
MS consisted of teaching 6th, 7th and 8th grade math out of a floating
cart, said the support of his colleagues and principal, Joe Buckley,
made an undoubtedly tough year bearable.
Every time a teacher leaves the profession, children and their academic achievement are compromised.
Larry Dolan, MSTA school reform specialist
"I was the only teacher who taught cross grade," Bockius said, "so I didn’t belong to a team, which was tough. And because I had no permanent room, I was excluded somewhat simply because no one knew where I was.
"I thought it was a rough year, but what made it go well was the administration, "Bockius said. "Mr. Buckley was 100 percent behind me matter what went wrong. My colleagues were excellent. A lot of them said they didn’t know how I did it. After all, I got the assignment because no one else wanted it!"
Though Bockius fared well and is committed to the profession, two of his colleagues at Bohemia Manor didn’t stay. One was let go by the district and another left for Pennsylvania where the base salary is higher and the pension benefit nearly twice that of Maryland.
The problems
Drawing on the research of experts in teacher retention issues, the NEA group analyzed surveys and exit interviews of teachers who decided to leave the profession. The responses were multifaceted. "Compensation is only one of many reasons," Dolan said. "The primary reasons had more to do with the working conditions of new teachers.
"MSTA members, who are at the frontline in schools and worksites across
the state, know that the same issues that frustrate an experienced
educator can be unsettling, discouraging and even a deal-breaker for the novice."
Consider the following:
Administrative support for new teachers New teachers do not feel involved in school- based decision making.
Difficult teaching assignments New teachers are often asked to teach out of their content area, are assigned to grades that have high stakes assessments, and have multiple preparations per day. New teachers are frequently assigned to hard-to-staff schools.
Inadequate behavior management skills New teachers did not feel prepared to deal with poor student behavior. They felt little consistency in the behavior rules and standards across classes and grades. They also stated that they had to deal with too many classroom disruptions that affected quality teaching.
Lack of support from other teachers Teachers felt they needed more support from more experienced teachers, particularly within their content areas. They felt isolated and without the time and opportunity to make such connections.
Little transition time Teachers stated they needed more time for planning and professional development when starting their teaching career.
Retention
High need schools often experience an even higher share of these concerns. A recent report by The Learning First Alliance, A Shared Responsibility: Staffing All High Poverty, Low Performing Schools with Effective Teachers and Administrators, outlined some possible solutions.
Research suggests that with high quality induction programs the retention rates can increase significantly—from 50 percent to 80 percent in over five years.
According to Learning First, characteristics of high quality induction programs equally applicable to low and high need schools include:
Strong administrative support Effective leadership is key and is characterized as creating a supportive staff environment where teachers feel part of the decision making and building leadership.
Mentoring and coaching Mentoring should be supported with adequate time and resources. Quality mentoring provides time for observation and feedback from an experienced teacher within the content area of the novice teacher. Increasingly, local education associations are involved in the development of these support structures.
Working conditions Reduced work loads so that teachers have more time for planning, mentor interaction, and professional development. New teachers should not be given placements out-of-field, large class sizes, or too many preparations.
Collaboration among teachers New teachers need opportunities to learn from other teachers and to feel part of the teaching community. Teachers need to feel a sense of "connectedness" with their staff colleagues. Opportunities for teacher-to-teacher interactions, observations, and reflection should be made available.
Improved hiring practices These would include clear applicant process flow, more timely hiring decisions, and notice teacher professional development programs.
School-wide policies New teachers benefit from clear and consistent student behavior policies and they receive support to implement them. Schools where there is a clear academic vision that is supported by instructional program coherence give the novice teacher a sense of their contribution to the overall school mission.
Good working conditions lead to good learning environments for students
Of course none of the above solutions to the teacher retention comes without time and resources and money. But research suggests that retention rates are directly related to the quality of the induction programs. When you consider that associated costs to high teacher turnover exceed $100,000 per teacher, the investment seems prudent.
Good salaries, benefits, and incentives for difficult assignments are clearly the critical foundation for maintaining a stable teaching force. However this foundation is not enough. It must be supported by positive working conditions, administrative support, and a climate where teachers feel connected with a common purpose.
*Read ABCTE: Creating a Teacher Mill
