Introduction

| In Context |

Talk to almost any teacher about his or her first years in the classroom, and you are likely to hear a similar story. The first few years are consumed with keeping their head above water: struggling to learn a new curriculum, develop lesson plans, deal with behavioral issues, track down supplies, and respond to the various needs of students, parents, fellow faculty members, and administrators (Moskowitz & Stephens, 1997). Lacking the seniority of veteran educators, most new teachers also start with the most difficult assignments: remedial classes, multiple preps, and the students with the most diverse and challenging needs (DePaul, 2000; Gordon, 1991; Halford, 1999; Kestner, 1994).

It should be no surprise, then, that 20-30 percent of new teachers leave the field within the first three years (DePaul, 2000; Moir, n.d .); 9.3 percent don't even make it through their first full year (Weiss & Weiss, 1999). And, after five years, roughly 50 percent of beginners have left teaching (Anderson, 2000; Kestner, 1994). Undoubtedly, some of these new teachers discover they aren't well-suited for the job, and go on to pursue careers that better match their interests and skills. Others leave due to low pay, and still others to raise children of their own. This does not account, however, for the vast number of promising teachers who leave because of exhaustion, disillusionment, lack of confidence, and inadequate support (DePaul, 2000).

Since the 1980s, interest in ways to improve teachers' first experiences in the profession has grown steadily, spurred on by teacher shortages, ever-increasing student populations, and the alarming numbers of new teachers who leave education to find jobs in other fields. This booklet provides an overview of the wealth of information on supporting and retaining beginning teachers that has been produced during the last two decades.

Designed with teachers, administrators, and policymakers in mind, this booklet provides a synthesis of recent research, describes programs to support beginning teachers, and offers tips for helping new teachers thrive. We have also identified resources for beginning teachers, and for readers interested in developing programs of their own.

In Context

Finding ways to support and retain new teachers is an issue with implications for students, parents, veteran teachers, administrators, teacher educators, policymakers, and taxpayers, not to mention the new teachers themselves. High teacher turnover leads to less stable and less effective learning environments for students; places greater demands on teachers and other school staff members; and increases the amount of money and time that must be spent recruiting, hiring, and training replacements (DePaul, 2000). It also limits schools' ability to carry out long-term planning, curriculum revision, and reform, which may in turn have a significant impact on school funding (Halford, 1999).

Developing effective means of supporting and retaining new teachers is especially crucial when it comes to bilingual teachers and teachers of color (DePaul, 2000; Kestner, 1994; Torres-Guzman, 1996). A 1997 Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory report projected that minority student enrollment will reach 22 percent by 2005, while the number of teachers of color will reach only 8.6 percent (NWREL, 1997). At the same time, the number of English-language learners (ELL) is also steadily increasing, creating an ever-greater demand for qualified teachers sensitive to the needs of non-native speakers and students from diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds (Lenhardt, 2000; Moir, n.d.).

Other areas in which many schools face serious teacher shortages are math, science, and special education. Because of the abundance of better-paying private sector jobs for people with math and science backgrounds, districts must work even harder to make teaching a positive and rewarding experience for new science and math educators. Beginning special educators, as well, must be offered all the support and encouragement possible if the number of vacancies in special education programs across the country is to go down.

Clearly, if we are to keep up with school reform movements, increasingly diverse student populations, and the growing demand for quality educators, we must find effective ways to retain the promising new teachers we have (Geringer, 2000).