Retaining Effective Teachers Policy
Wisconsin requires that all new teachers receive mentoring. The local school district is required to provide mentors to all new teachers for a period of less than five years and to support seminars that "reflect the appropriate standards...and mission and goals of the school district." Mentors must hold professional or master education licenses and participate in training to provide support and assistance. Wisconsin does provide general induction guidelines for districts to follow.
Set more specific parameters.
To ensure that all teachers receive high-quality mentoring, Wisconsin should specify how long the program lasts for a new teacher, who selects the mentors and a method of performance evaluation.
Require induction strategies that can be successfully implemented, even in poorly managed schools.
To ensure that the experience is meaningful, the state 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.
Wisconsin recognized the factual accuracy of this analysis.