A certain level of turnover can be expected in any well-managed organization; however, the alarming attrition rate facing the educational system requires national action. Organizations generally do not strive to attain zero turnover because a small amount of turnover is expected due to retirement and those who sincerely believe they are not a match for the profession. Therefore, school districts should consider aggressive recruiting, implementing an effective induction and mentoring program, and providing incentives and funding to retain beginning teachers.
The current study employed mixed methods within a quasi-experimental research design to determine if participation in a Beginning Teacher Induction and Mentoring (BTIM) program for a second year impacts teacher attrition. Specifically, the research examined archival data from the school district to determine if an additional year of participation in a BTIM impacted teacher absences, contract renewals, and perceptions.
Third-year secondary teachers from the same district were a valuable component in this study because they did not receive mentoring during their second year of teaching. For the purposes of this study, teacher absences and contract renewals from third-year secondary teachers were compared to second-year secondary teachers who participated in the BTIM program to assess if having a second year of mentoring increases teacher retention. To gain insight on teacher perceptions, a Beginning Teacher Questionnaire was given to participants of the two-year BTIM program and their responses were analyzed.
After analyzing the number of absences between second- and third-year secondary teachers, there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups, however the BTIM program did not make an impact. There was not a statistically significant difference in the number of teachers who signed a contract to return to the classroom in the same district. However, based on the responses from the three central questions that emerged on the questionnaire, participation in a two-year BTIM was able to influence second-year secondary teacher perceptions about their career. Although not all participants were influenced by the program to stay in the classroom, their responses provided insight into the reasons influencing their perceptions about their career.