Creating a Meaningful New Teacher Induction Program in the Baldwin-Whitehall School District

Historic decreases in teacher preparation program enrollments across the nation and in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are resulting in school districts experiencing difficulty in attracting and retaining new teachers. This crisis highlights the importance of a meaningful and effective New Teacher Induction Program (NTIP) to support and retain newly hired professionals in a school district. This mixed methods study examined the NTIP in the Baldwin-Whitehall School District (BWSD) from the perspective of 22 past NTIP participants and 35 former mentor teachers from August 2016 through January 2021. Through the collection of survey data, it has been determined that the current BWSD NTIP is beneficial and helpful to new teachers, but revealed significant room for improvement in areas that are more focused on the individualized needs of the new teacher to make the NTIP more meaningful. Findings also highlighted the importance of a mentor teacher in the development and support of a new teacher during their first year of teaching. The implications of this study resulted in the recommendation of creating a two-year induction program in BWSD that provides another year under the guidance of a mentor teacher, the opportunity to participate in small group sessions addressing learners with special learning needs, and additional peer observation time. Additionally, the research brought to light the need for a mentor teacher training camp to better serve the mentor teachers who support the new teachers in the program.