Ian Chisholm ED776 Literature Review Research indicates that new teachers throughout the United States are leaving the profession at a high rate. Zembytska (2016) stated that 14% of new teachers had left the profession by the end of their first year, 33% left within their first three years, and 40%-46% left within their first five years. Further evidence from Carroll (2007), reported a cost of over $7 billion a year in new teacher recruitment, hiring, and training (Zembytska, 2016). Similarly, Cross and Thomas (2017) found that research indicated between 17% and 50% of teachers left the education field within the first five years of their careers. Moore (2016) suggested that the problem was even more severe in some areas, like Springfield Public Schools in Missouri, where 70% of the teachers had resigned by the end of their third year. This high rate of new teacher attrition is exacerbating the complex problem of teacher shortage in the United States. According to Sutcher, Darling-Hammond, and Carver-Thomas (2019), after analyzing national databases, it was predicted that the U.S. would face a shortage of 112,000 teachers in the academic year 20172018. This projection was substantiated by evidence obtained form 2017 state workforce reports which identified approximately 109,000 uncertified teachers practicing in classrooms throughout the nation (Sutcher, Darling-Hammond, and Carver-Thomas, 2019). Overall, the literature indicates a high rate of teacher dropout, resulting in a lack of qualified, effective teachers throughout the United States. Mentoring and New Teacher Induction In response to this trend, a significant amount of research has been conducted to determine how to increase teacher retention while improving teacher effectiveness and reducing the rate of new teacher attrition and the resulting teacher shortage. A number of these studies have indicated a positive correlation between thorough new teacher induction with a focus on Ian Chisholm ED776 mentoring, and new teacher retention and increased performance. Multiple national education agencies, including the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the National Commission on Teaching & America's Future (NCTAF), the National Education Association (NEA), and the New Teacher Center (NTC), all stated that the most efficient and cost-effective measures to help retain new teachers were mentoring and induction programs (Zembytska, 2016). Moore (2016) cited the success of the two-year mentoring cycle of the STEP-UP new teacher induction program implemented in Missouri, cutting the rate of teacher attrition to 26% within the first three years, saving over $900 thousand annually in new teacher recruiting costs. Similarly, Sunde and Ulvik (2014) showed that school leaders also saw mentoring as a key factor in teacher retention. This perspective has been echoed by teacher perception. Martin, Buelow, and Hoffman (2016) found that supports perceived as beneficial by new teachers included mentoring by a trusted educator, as well as professional development opportunities, such as coplanning and student work analysis. Martin, Buelow, and Hoffman (2016) further reported that first-year teachers also cited the need for greater structure in the new teacher induction process, including well-prepared mentors dedicated to the job of nurturing the growth of middle school educators. Building Relationships In the review of existing literature, trends emerged when considering how mentors could effectively support new teachers. Sowell (2017) identified key components of effective middle school mentoring for new teachers, the first of which was mentors forming trusting relationships with their mentees. Sowell (2017) also identified the importance of mentors receiving ongoing professional development regarding relationship building to maintain and improve their own levels of effectiveness when supporting new teachers. Similarly, Martin, Buelow, and Hoffman Ian Chisholm ED776 (2016) cited new teachers’ emphasis on the importance of their mentors building a relationship founded on trust. With consideration for the fact that mentors may provide feedback used for evaluative purposes, Israel et al. (2014) concluded most new teachers did not feel that the evaluation process adversely affected their relationships with mentors because emotional supports were delivered in an interrelated fashion with professional supports. Furthermore, researchers discovered that there was a positive relationship between mentoring and new teachers’ feelings of self-efficacy with regard to job satisfaction (Renbarger and Davis, 2019). Thus, mentors’ ability to build positive relationships with the new teachers they mentor is a critical component of new teachers’ success. Improving Instructional Strategies A second commonly identified component of successful mentoring of new teachers identified in existing research is the ability of mentors to provide guidance and coaching with regard to best practices for teachers concerning classroom instruction. Sowell (2017) reported the importance of mentors guiding new teachers in how to implement effective instructional strategies within the context of their own classrooms. Sowell (2017) also cited the need for mentors to engage in continuing professional development focusing on classroom management and instruction to coach new teachers effectively. Similarly, Gholam (2018) identified a new teacher’s perceptions of how having a mentor was beneficial to the process of improving instructional strategies and classroom management techniques. The importance of this component of new teacher development is underscored by its presence in commonly utilized evaluation rubrics, such as the Danielson Framework for Teaching (FFT). Used as a means of measuring teacher proficiency, the FFT provides an analytical data evaluation tool for documenting teacher growth in four domains: planning and preparation, classroom environment, Ian Chisholm ED776 instruction, and professionalism. According to Dodson (2017), 1,142 principals who responded to a 2016 survey reported that the FFT had improved instruction. Multiple studies have also demonstrated a relationship between teachers’ feelings of self-efficacy and job retention, both of which can lead to increased retention rates of teachers. Renbarger & Davis (2019) also related job satisfaction to the ability to retain new teachers. These feelings of job satisfaction were a direct result of increased perceptions of effectiveness among teachers receiving instructional coaching from mentors (Renbarger & Davis, 2019). Gholam (2018) also identified the mentee’s perceptions of benefits provided by a mentor, including becoming more reflective about strengths and needs and improving instructional strategies and classroom management techniques. In short, mentors providing new teachers with coaching in instructional strategies has been beneficial to teachers’ sense of self-efficacy and improved teacher retention. Conclusion In facing a teacher dropout and shortage of unsustainable proportions, research has identified mentoring as a key component in improving teacher performance, reducing new teacher attrition, and helping to save dwindling funds earmarked for education. While research has identified positive relationship building among mentors and new teachers, as well as supporting teachers’ growth in understanding and implementing effective instructional strategies, there is a gap in the current understanding of how to best coach teachers in how to improve instruction. This study seeks to examine the relationship between providing new teachers with research-based best instructional practices and teacher performance as measured by the Danielson Framework for Teaching as well as teacher retention.
