Date of Award
2004
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services
Advisor
Peter K. Mills
Committee Member
Linda Gaughan
Committee Member
Barbara Packer
Keywords
attrition rates, beginning teacher induction, beginning teachers, buddy mentors, collegiality, Cook County School District, Cook County School System, development methodology, effective mentoring programs, evaluation, experienced teachers, faculty, Georgia, implementation plan, induction program, interprofessional relationships, internal interviews, literature reviews, mentor certification, mentor certification program, mentors, mentoring program, new faculty, peer coaching, professional development, protégé teachers, school administrators, student teachers, surveys, teacher attrition, teacher support specialist, teacher support specialist mentor certification program, teacher induction, teacher mentoring, telephone interviews, trusting relationships, Valdosta State University, VSU
Abstract
The problem under investigation was the current mentoring program in the Cook County School District in Georgia. The mentoring program was not providing support and guidance to student teachers, beginning teachers, and colleagues in establishing peer-coaching relationships. At present, mentorship is left up to each school-based administrator. The concern was that there was not enough consistency in relation to a true systemwide mentoring program in the Cook County School District. Within the project, 7 questions were addressed: (a) status of mentor and teacher induction program within Cook County School District, (b) attrition rates for new teachers in the district, (c) what schools nationwide have effective mentoring programs, (d) essential elements of an effective mentoring program according to the faculty, (e) most appropriate mentoring program to meet the needs of new faculty in the Cook County School District, (f) implementation plan for the Cook County School District’s mentoring program, and (g) an evaluation of the Cook County School District’s mentoring program. These 7 questions were answered through literature reviews, telephone interviews, internal and external interviews, and surveys. Once the questions were answered using the development methodology, the researcher developed a mentoring program for the district based on the information collected.
Recommendations included having more teachers trained in the Teacher Support Specialist (TSS) Mentor Certification Program offered through Valdosta State University (VSU) and having VSU set up a TSS Mentor Certification Program in the Cook County School System to eliminate time and the long drive. It is recommended for experienced teachers to be assigned a buddy mentor on an as needed basis only, and the coordinators to encourage all mentors to push toward establishing trusting relationships with protégé teachers. The recommendations led to a developed mentoring program that is tailored to meet the needs of the Cook County School District.