Retaining Effective Teachers Policy
Tennessee requires that all new teachers receive mentoring. New teachers must participate in a mentoring program throughout their first year of employment. Programs include experiences in school settings such as classroom observations and in-service seminars, as well as "regular and frequent contact with teacher mentors throughout the school year."
Set more specific parameters.
To ensure that all teachers receive high-quality mentoring, Tennessee should specify a timeline in which mentors are assigned to new teachers soon after the commencing of teaching, to offer support during those critical first weeks of school. Mentors should also 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, Tennessee 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.
Tennessee recognized the factual accuracy of this analysis.