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Story posted October 16, 2008; Results updated March 26, 2013

Results:
• A 17% turnover rate for teachers with fewer than five years of experience in 2011.*
• In 2011, the district outperformed state proficiency levels in all grades across all subjects.

Like many small rural school districts, the Springville-Griffith Institute Central School District in Western New York faces challenges in hiring and retaining teachers. Home to rural farms and small manufacturing facilities, the district serves a diverse population of about 2,500 low- to middle-income students. Many district teachers are nearing retirement, potentially exacerbating teacher retention woes. District leaders worried that high turnover rates would impede student learning.

Six years ago, Springville-Griffith educators took action. The district and the local teachers union, the Griffith Institute Faculty Association, collaborated on a comprehensive and innovative mentoring and induction program that has improved teacher retention and likely contributed to steady improvements in student performance.

In 2002, the district initiated one-on-one mentoring for first-year teachers by tapping into resources from the state's Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), a partnership of small school districts. The mentoring program was so successful and popular that it has expanded to include supports for second- and third-year teachers as well.

First-year teachers in Springville-Griffith's program receive comprehensive and on-going support. New hires start the year with an orientation day conducted by the district's mentor coordinator, where they develop a script for their first day in the classroom. Each new teacher is also paired with a "teacher mentor" who will work with him or her throughout the school year. New teachers and their mentors attend three half-day training sessions on important topics and complete periodic, informal classroom observations to improve their understanding of effective instruction. During these observations, they compare what they see with the New York State Commissioner's Criteria for Effective Teaching.

New teachers also attend two days of training in classroom management and communication, keep a reflection journal on their own experiences, and maintain a formal record of their mentoring and professional development activities. They receive feedback from three formal observations of their classroom teaching and develop a portfolio of lesson plans, assignments and other evidence of their teaching practice.

The district makes sure that teacher mentors are well prepared to support their new colleagues. Mentors attend a training session and new teacher orientation day. They receive a monthly checklist with topics to discuss with their mentees, and they keep a formal log of their mentoring activities, which add up to a minimum of 15 hours per year. They also attend three half-day training sessions on essential areas including peer coaching, supervision, adult learning styles, collaboration, performance review, and professional development plans. In exchange for their services, they receive an annual stipend of $588, and first-time mentors receive an in-service credit for training.

Support for new teachers does not stop once they reach their second year. They no longer work with a single teacher mentor, but they do attend six after-school sessions covering important topics such as professionalism, classroom management, lesson design, assessment, collaboration and goal-setting. As in their first year, they receive training on effective teaching, get feedback on three formal classroom observations, and maintain a portfolio of their teaching practice.

Third-year teachers also undergo three formal classroom observations, and they submit their portfolios to district administration for evaluation. If they perform well enough on this evaluation to receive tenure, these teachers work with "building mentors" to develop "action research projects," where they test new strategies, record their results and share what they have learned with their colleagues.

Second- and third-year teachers also receive on-going support from these "building mentors." Every school has such a mentor, who trains and oversees teacher mentors and serves as a liaison between new teachers, mentors, and administration. In exchange for their services, Building Mentors receive stipends of $2325 each.

Mentors are quick to assert that they're not in this work for the money alone. As one mentor puts it, the program offers "a wonderful opportunity for me to be kept abreast of new ideas and skills...and to take advantage of my mentee's many strengths."

Springville-Griffith's teacher support program is paying dividends in both teacher retention and student achievement. Despite its overall 25% turnover rate, the district has retained 88% of its probationary new hires since 2003. In addition, students' state assessment scores and graduation rates have improved steadily over the past five years. The district's far-reaching mentoring and support program has been an essential ingredient of its success.

*2011 testing data is the most recent available on the New York Department of Education's website.

Further details about this story can be found on Springville-Griffith's Mentoring Program's webpage.

For additional information, please contact:
JoAnn DePue
Mentor Coordinator, Springville-Griffith Institute Central School District
JDePue@springvillegi.org

This story came to LFA's attention as a winner of the 2008 NEA-Saturn/UAW Partnership Award for Teacher Induction Programs.

Story adapted with permission from NEA and Springville-Griffith Institute Central School District.

NEA Award photo names from L to R JoAnn DePue, Mentor Coordinator; Debra Pritchard, Colden Elementary Building Mentor; Kathleen Bugenhagen, Middle School Building Mentor; Besty Goodridge, Springville Elementary Building Mentor; Nancy White, High School Building Mentor; Michelle Claus, Retired Building Mentor; Paul Aroune, Springville Faculty Association President