This research responds to the challenge presented in Strand 1: Imagining Future Students,
Future Teachers because it crafts a new vision for teacher induction and the role of teacher
education institutions. To date, induction has largely been led by local districts. Limited
resources and time have often aborted these well-meaning projects. Higher education, working
in concert with local districts, can offer induction support that extends through the early years of
teaching in ways that benefit local schools, individual novice and veteran teachers as well as
university faculty.
C. Relevance
A teacher education-led collaborative will influence policy and practice within colleges of
education and local school districts. Greater knowledge and understanding of the real needs of
teachers, particularly in urban areas, will strengthen the programs offered to preservice and in-
service teachers. Local schools will gain a greater understanding of the needs of novice
professionals as well as the professional development necessary for veteran teachers. The
research presented here offers a model of a university-led teacher induction program that
supports novice and renews veteran mentor teachers and university faculty.
D. Implication for Action
Colleges for Teacher Education will benefit from learning about this model of university-led
teacher induction in ways that will influence existing programs. The information base on teacher
induction is growing dramatically. The new paradigm presented here adopts the assets model by
asking: what are the strengths among university faculty that contribute to mentor and beginning
teacher success? This research joins others in reinforcing that the pivotal role of teacher
educators in working with mentors in helping novices be successful in their early years of
teaching. The implications for this research for teacher education programs are significant.
Teacher Education programs may want to consider the importance of working with local
school mentors to improve new teacher success. In addition to improving the retention rate in
hard to staff schools, colleges and universities gain a better understanding of the needs of their
graduates both at the pre-service and in-service levels. These findings hold particular promise for
those colleges and universities that prepare teachers for urban schools and guarantee their
graduates. It is important to note that veteran mentor teachers in this study became involved in
graduate classes, pursued certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching
Standards and continued professional development in other ways. In teacher education, we have
much to learn from closer work with urban schools on the needs of their beginning and veteran
teachers. To our knowledge, no research studies have investigated the impact of a university-led
teacher induction.
Section II: Outcomes and Methods
A. Learner/participant outcomes: Participants will engage in a dialogue regarding one
teacher induction program led by a teacher education institution in an urban setting. Particular
attention will be paid to issues particular to urban environments, both in higher education and in
public schools. Participants will consider their own programs and the relevance of the teacher
induction model presented here.
B. Methods: Presenters will engage participants in a lively interactive discussion of the
2
Convention