Setting
The New Teacher Center (NTC) implemented its induction model in three sites: Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) in Florida, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) in Illinois, and the Grant Wood Area Education Agency (GWAEA), a consortium of rural districts in Iowa. There are two sub-studies: a randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted in BCPS and CPS and a quasi-experimental design (QED) conducted in GWAEA.
Study sample
Teachers in the RCT districts are primarily White (49%), Black (26%), or Hispanic (16%). Almost half of the teachers are female (49%).
Students in the achievement analysis for the RCT districts are primarily Black (37-48%) or Hispanic (35-49%). Close to half of the student sample is female (48-49%). Most receive free/reduced-price meals (86-90%). A small proportion of the students are in special education (18-19%).
(Sample characteristics for the QED study are omitted as the study did not meet standards.)
Intervention Group
The New Teacher Center (NTC) used this validation grant to implement teacher induction strategies, which aim to provide novice teachers with support as they first transition to the classroom. Through the grant, NTC formalized four key components of its comprehensive induction model: (1) build the capacity of districts and school leaders to support the mentoring program, (2) select and assign full-time release mentors to caseloads of no more than 15 teachers each, (3) provide mentors more than 100 hours of intensive training through institutes and in-field support from lead coaches, and (4) provide regular, high-quality mentoring to first- and second-year teachers using a system of NTC-developed online formative assessment tools.
The NTC mentors supported first- and second-year teachers in multiple schools at a ratio of 15 beginning teachers to 1 mentor. New teachers received 2 years of coaching, meeting with their assigned mentors weekly for a minimum of 180 minutes per month. Mentors and teachers worked through a system of NTC-developed online formative assessments, including tools to guide observation cycles and to develop teachers’ skills in planning lessons and analyzing student work.
Comparison Group
For the two RCT sites, the teachers in the comparison group received business as usual supports.
(A description of the comparison condition for the QED study is omitted as the study did not meet standards)
Support for implementation
Mentors received a series of 12 professional learning days over 2 years. These sessions covered a broad array of topics related to coaching (e.g., taking a collaborative stance with beginning teachers, focusing on equitable instruction), mentoring (e.g., observing and giving feedback), and formative assessment tools intended to aid mentors. The purpose of the training was to develop mentors’ expertise in identifying effective teacher practice, using data to inform instruction, creating classroom conditions to foster equitable learning, supporting language development, and differentiating instruction for diverse learners. Monthly Mentor Forums provided additional opportunity for mentors to reflect on their practice.
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