Abstract
Statement of Problem
Nearly 50% of new teachers leave teaching by the end of the fifth year and over 10% of beginning teachers leave after the first year (National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, 2003). These unsupported new teachers don't stay in the classroom long enough to become competent in their practice. Participation in an induction program like California's Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment (BTSA) program can reduce new teacher turnover by half, thereby giving new teachers a greater span of time in which to professionally develop their skill set and practice, become more effective teachers and positively impact student achievement (Villar 2004). Creating a purposeful BTSA-aligned teacher induction program in charter schools that serve underperforming students from traditionally low-income areas becomes an administrational challenge for the leadership of these schools that are often already stretched to the limits of capacity and resources. Therefore, this project will culminate in a scripted, BTSA-aligned curriculum that would serve as a guide for new teacher induction at the district, Charter Management Organization, or school level.
Sources of Data
Information was obtained through program coursework as well as research of the related literature. Other lesson samples were collected from Teach For America's Summer Institute Core Curriculum Sessions, The KIPP School Plan, and The St. HOPE staff reading guide.
Conclusions Reached
Evidence suggests that comprehensive induction cuts attrition rates in half and helps to develop novice teachers into professionals who improve student achievement (Villar 2004 ).