Date of Award
2004
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services
Advisor
Phyllis Tucker-Wicks
Committee Member
Donna Blaess
Committee Member
Maryellen Maher
Keywords
assessment, behavior management, beginning teacher induction, beginning teachers, classroom procedures, communication with parents, curriculum planning, curriculum and lesson planning, entry year assistance, faculty development, first year teachers, instructional strategies, induction programs, mentoring, orientation, peer support, private high schools, professional development, school logistics, school support systems, teacher needs assessment, teacher retention, teacher support, technology integration, University School, University School of Nova Southeastern University, upper school teachers, veteran teachers
Abstract
This applied dissertation was designed to improve the support of beginning teachers at University School of Nova Southeastern University, a private high school. Veteran teachers, administrators, and support staff were not adequately prepared to integrate the beginning teachers who were rapidly leaving for employment elsewhere. There had been no attempt to identify their needs or evaluate their support system. Therefore, school leaders did not have the information necessary to address the retention problem.
The project identified beginning teacher needs and determined if the school was meeting those needs by answering the following questions: (a) What do beginning upper school teachers at University School identify as their primary needs? (b) To what extent does the beginning teacher program at University School meet the needs of beginning teachers? and (c) What changes or improvements should be recommended to the University School’s upper school teacher retention program?
Twelve beginning (3 years of experience or fewer) teachers completed a 2-part survey. The survey listed areas of need based on recommendations from literature, the school director, and the assistant director for faculty development. The teachers rated the importance of these needs as high or low using a Likert scale. Then teachers filled out a 2nd survey where they rated, on a scale of 1 to 5, the level of support provided in each area of need.
Teachers rated curriculum and lesson planning, school logistics, orientation, instructional strategies, peer support, classroom procedures, technology, assessment, behavior management, and communication with parents as highly important. They indicated the school provided adequate support in school logistics, orientation, peer support, and technology but concluded there is a need for increased support in curriculum and lesson planning, instructional strategies, classroom procedures, assessment, and behavior management.
Recommendations included increasing interaction between veteran and beginning teachers, gearing training specifically to teaching techniques, and providing new teachers with materials as early as possible. Research supported these recommendations. “Comprehensive induction programs should provide new teachers the necessary models and tools for beginning their teaching careers, as well as the mentors and support groups to guide them through curriculum planning” (U.S. Department of Education Archived Information, 1998, p. 33). “Losing a teacher means administrators must spend precious energy finding a replacement and bringing him or her up to speed” (Johnson & Birkeland, 2003, p. 21). Implementing the recommendations from this study could create a more consistent and productive school program.