Retaining Effective Teachers Policy
Idaho grants local districts the authority to "provide support for teachers in their first two years in the profession in the areas of.....mentoring." In January 2009, Idaho developed Mentor Program Standards as a guideline for designing an effective mentor program.
Set more specific parameters.
To ensure that all teachers receive high-quality mentoring, Idaho should set a timeline in which mentors are assigned to all new teachers throughout the state, soon after the commencing of teaching, to offer support during those first critical weeks of school. Mentors should be required to be trained in a content area or grade level similar to that of the new teacher, and the state should mandate a method for performance evaluation.
Require induction strategies that can be successfully implemented, even in poorly managed schools.
To ensure that the experience is meaningful, Idaho should guarantee that induction includes strategies such as intensive mentoring, seminars appropriate to grade level or subject area and a reduced teaching load and/or frequent release time to observe other teachers.
Idaho recognized the accuracy of this analysis.