Report on the 2004-2005 Beginning Teacher Induction program in New Brunswick

COLLEGIAL PARTNERSHIPS: A REPORT ON THE 2004-2005 BEGINNING TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM IN NEW BRUNSWICK

This report is dedicated to Mark Holland, former chair of the Beginning Teacher Induction Program, and the retired District Supervisors, Principals and Mentors who worked with the program over the years.

Collegial Partnerships: a Report on the 2004-2005 Beginning Teacher Induction Program in New Brunswick

For the tenth consecutive year the Department of Education, in cooperation with the New Brunswick Teachers’ Association and the University of New Brunswick, organized the Beginning Teacher Induction Program (BTIP) in all nine Anglophone districts in the province. Three hundred and thirty-six (FTE) beginning teachers in 153 schools worked with experienced teachers who acted as mentors for the school year. This is the highest number of beginning teachers since the program’s inception with more than twice the number from the 1995-1996 program. The database for this report consists of survey responses from four groups of participants, (percentage returns in brackets): beginning teachers (59.9%), mentors (58.2%), principals (62%) and district coordinators (100%). Percentage return rates were lower than previous years. Contract negotiations delayed the distribution of the surveys and no surveys were distributed in one district.

Thirty-four percent of beginning teachers responding to the survey had previous teaching experience of ten months or more. This figure represents a slight decline over 2003-2004.

Four of the nine district coordinators were able to recruit more mentors after the program started, but four found the task difficult. Close to 25% of the principals also experienced difficulty recruiting mentors. Recruiting mentors is becoming a problem as more experienced teachers retire and more new teachers enter the system. Close to 90% of this year’s mentors indicated they would be willing to serve again but others commented they needed a break as they had served for a number of years.

Each district held a number of meetings for beginning teachers and mentors. Topics varied from district to district but most coordinators held an orientation meeting and a training session for mentors. Some planned closing celebrations were cancelled because of contract negotiations. The NBTA held a province-wide “Welcome to New Teachers” workshop in September 2004 and a number of sessions in school districts around the province. These workshops were well received.

The report analyses data on the participation of beginning teachers in “low-risk” and “high-risk” activities. There has been some improvement in participation in some areas and there is variation from district to district. This report also analyzes the relationship between non-participation in high-risk activities and whether these beginning teachers taught a different subject area or grade level than their mentors or identified “lack of time” as a problem.

All four participant groups supported the continuation of BTIP. Ninety-eight percent of beginning teachers responded positively to this statement, a five percent increase over the previous year. Ninety-six percent of mentors, ninety-nine percent of principals and all district coordinators indicated their support. Ninety-two percent of the beginning teachers felt they benefited from the program and ninety-two percent of their mentors agreed. Both beginning teachers and mentors identified a number of positive features of the program. Beginning teachers identified mentors, other teachers and district coordinators as supportive and expressed appreciation for the various program activities. Mentors indicated they had benefited from the program by sharing ideas and teaming, helping other professionals, having the chance to get to know another teacher and having the opportunity for reflection and rejuvenation. The ongoing problems of lack of time and differing teaching assignments from the mentors appeared again this year. Beginning teachers, mentors and principals identified lack of resources as a significant problem.

Principals responding to the survey supported the continuing of BTIP. Ninety percent felt they had received clear, comprehensive and timely information about BTIP and seventy-three percent felt recruiting mentors had been easy, though additional comments indicated the increase in the number of new teachers and the number of experienced teachers retiring could lead to problems in the future. Principals listed a number of ways they had been involved in the program including matching mentors and beginning teachers, providing overall support for the program, arranging for school visits, observing the beginning teacher and being available for consultation.

All the district coordinators felt they had received adequate professional support from the Department of Education, the New Brunswick Teachers’ Association, district offices and principals. One district coordinator pointed out how stretched the financial resources were and the need for more money to support the program. District coordinators listed a number of positive aspects of the program and identified concerns that needed to be addressed in the future. One district coordinator piloted an alternative delivery model in a small rural school where there were a large number of beginning teachers and few experienced teachers.

The report concludes by noting the many positive aspects of the program and identifying a number of issues that need to be addressed. The report also noted that a number of recommendations from the 2003-2004 report had been acted upon by the Department of Education.

1. Continue to explore alternatives to one on one mentoring for school sites where there are insufficient experienced teachers to provide a mentor for every beginning teacher. Assess the effectiveness of these initiatives and make successful models available to other districts.

2. Address the issue of mentor recruitment as a number one priority. Encourage teachers with five or more years of teaching experience to consider training as mentors for the future. Identify potential mentors and encourage them to participate in mentor training.

3. Hold face to face Steering Committee meetings at least twice a year, Fall and Spring with possible additional video/audio conferences at other times.

4. Encourage beginning teachers and mentors to make visits to other classrooms early in the year.

5. Make sure all principals are aware of what is needed to support beginning teachers. In-servicing of principals on what is needed to support beginning teachers.

6. Promote the recognition that beginning teacher induction is the responsibility of the whole school staff and every teacher plays a role in welcoming new teachers to the school. Consider what is needed to ensure a smooth beginning to a teacher in a new school environment.

Collegial Partnerships: A Report on the 2004-2005 Beginning Teacher Induction Program in New Brunswick

For the past ten years, since September 1995, the New Brunswick Beginning Teacher Induction Program (BTIP) has existed in all Anglophone districts of the province. This report is the tenth annual report prepared for the Department of Education in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. Previous reports are available from the Department of Education. In addition, the 1995-2002 reports (Scott, Smith & Grobe, 1995; Scott & Compton, 1996; Scott, 1997; Scott, 1998; Scott & Surette, 1999; Scott & Doherty, 2000; Scott & Mirchandani, 2001; Scott & Mirchandani, 2002) are available from the ERIC Database (Resources in Education). The reports since 2003 (Gill & Betts, 2003; Gill, 2004) are available online at www.unb.ca/centres/nbcea/publicas.html.

The purpose of this report is to present the results from the 2004-2005 survey of the Beginning Teacher Induction Program. The survey collected both quantitative and qualitative data from District Coordinators, Beginning Teachers, Mentors and School Principals involved in the program from eight of the nine Anglophone school districts in New Brunswick. This report includes comparisons with former years.

The New Brunswick Beginning Teacher Induction Program is coordinated by a Steering Committee, co-chaired in 2004-2005 by Mark Holland, a curriculum supervisor from the New Brunswick Department of Education and Nancy Roach, a representative from the New Brunswick Teachers’ Association (NBTA). The remainder of the committee consists of a member of the Faculty of Education from the University of New Brunswick and representatives from each of the nine Anglophone school districts, usually supervisors, who coordinate the program in their districts.

Funding for the program comes from two sources, the Department of Education and the New Brunswick Teachers’ Association. The Department of Education provides $500.00 for each pair of participants based on full-time equivalent (FTE beginning teachers). This money must be spent by March 31, the end of the budgetary year. District Coordinators allocate this money to beginning teacher/mentor pairs. This money is intended for the professional development of beginning teachers so they can participate in activities that focus on the skills, knowledge and attitudes required of them as teachers. Such activities might include release time to observe other teachers, for meeting with a mentor, for joint planning or preparing for upcoming events like parent interviews or report cards. This money is not intended for the purchase of school supplies.

The New Brunswick Teachers’ Association provides a fixed sum of money, $30,000, to be divided among each beginning teacher/mentor pair, based on FTE beginning teachers. The amount available to each pair varies from year to year. For 2004-2005 the NBTA supported 316.48 (FTE) beginning teachers so the allocation per pair was $94.79. These funds were sent directly to the district coordinators. (Personal communication, Nancy Roach, September 7, 2005).

In late May 2005 district coordinators received questionnaires to be distributed to all beginning teachers, mentors and principals involved in the Beginning Teacher Induction Program asking for feedback on their experiences. Contract negotiations between the New Brunswick Board of Management and the New Brunswick Teachers’ Federation lead to a delay in distributing the questionnaires for 2004-2005 and the cancellation of the Spring meeting of the BTIP Steering Committee. A number of planned activities at the district level were cancelled. These factors affected the distribution and return of the questionnaires overall. In one district the survey was not distributed. Table 1 shows the number and percentage returns for the survey. The Department of Education provided the numbers used to compile this table and these numbers differ slightly from those provided by District Coordinators. Not all beginning teachers were full time teachers and the Department of Education numbers are based on FTE. The number of mentors differs from the number of beginning teachers because these numbers are based on actual individuals involved and because at one rural school site the district coordinator initiated a pilot project to address the fact that there were more beginning teachers and insufficient experienced teachers to provide each new teacher with a mentor. A description of this pilot project appears later in the report.

beginning teachers mentors principals coordinators

# of participants 336.5 338 153 9

# of survey returns 202 197 95 9

% of returns 59.9% 58.2% 62% 100%

Table 2, based on the table presented in the 2002 report (Scott & Mirchandani, 2002, p.3), provides a comparison of the number of participants in each year since the Beginning Teacher Induction program became a province-wide initiative in 1995.

Table 2

A ten-year comparison of BTIP participant numbers

Beginning Teachers Mentors Principals/Schools Coordinators

1995-1996 156 147 96 12

1996-1997 125 125 78 12

1996-1998 210 210 108 12

1998-1999 240 240 130 12

1999-2000 266 263 150 11

2000-2001 300 300 134 9

2001-2002 261 261 130 9

2002-2003 260 260 125 9

2003-2004 278 278 131 9

2004-2005 336.5 338 153 9

Table 3 shows the distribution of beginning teachers in the program as reported by district coordinators.

Table 3

Distribution of beginning teachers among the Anglophone school districts

District Region # of participants

2 Moncton, Sackville, Salisbury 72

6 Rothesay, Hampton, Sussex 23

8 Saint John, St. Martins, Westfield 58

10 St. Stephen, St. Andrews, Grand Manan 29

14 Nackawic, Woodstock, Hartland, Perth-Andover 37

15 Bathurst, Dalhousie, Campbellton 17

16 Miramichi City, Rexton, Richibucto, Blackville 43.5

17 Oromocto, Chipman, Minto, Cambridge Narrows 29

18 Fredericton, Harvey Station, Keswick Ridge, Doaktown 28

Defining Beginning Teachers

The Beginning Teacher Induction Program is designed for teachers new to the profession. In responding to the question, “Have you taught previously for a continuous ten-month period?” 70 (34.7%) indicated they had. It is not possible to make meaningful comparisons with previous years because numbers for one district were not available. The largest numbers of beginning teachers indicating they had previous teaching experience were in District 8 (15: 31.9%), District 16 (13: 56.5%) and District 17 (14: 66.7%). Comments from participants who claimed previous teaching experience indicated they had experience as supply teachers or long term supply teachers, or they had taught several years ago, or they had taught in another province and one participant mentioned 26 years in an alternative education setting.

Mentor Recruitment

A Guide to the New Brunswick Beginning Teacher Induction Program: A Partnership That Builds Success assigns the responsibility for recruiting mentors to school principals in consultation with district coordinators. Sixty-nine (73.4%) principals indicated it was easy or very easy to recruit competent mentors in their schools. This number represents a solid percentage of principals who can recruit competent mentors in the province but in every district there were between two and four principals who found the task difficult or very difficult. Comments made by principals related to mentor recruitment indicated that in schools where teacher turnover was high from year to year, where there were a large number of teachers on “D” contracts or where most teachers had less than five years experience the problem was significant. This is a problem that must be addressed on an ongoing basis by the BTIP Steering Committee.

Due to teacher turn over. Staff of more than 5 years are few at the present [Principal, District 18].

It can be hard to find a teacher with the proper years of experience and interests in a small school [Principal, District 16].

Professional Activities Supporting the BTIP

District Coordinators take responsibility for organizing professional activities within each district. A Guide for the New Brunswick Beginning Teacher Induction Program lists six general goals for the program: orientation, support, acquisition and refinement of teaching skills, developing a philosophy of education, self-assessment and self-evaluation, and retention of beginning teachers. The district coordinators plan workshops and other activities to meet these goals. In addition, district coordinators are expected to conduct mentor training. The New Brunswick Teachers’ Association held a “Welcome to New Teachers” provincial workshop in September 2004, several sessions on Professionalism and the Teachers’ Association to BTIP groups in a number of school districts and a full day workshop for school administrators on “Supporting Beginning Teachers” in one district. The planned “Classroom Management Institute for Early Career Teachers” had to be rescheduled due to contract talks and will be held in October 2005. The NBTA also develops and distributes The Beginning Teachers’ Handbook to all beginning teachers. This handbook addresses such topics as becoming a professional, preparing for the first days of school, classroom management, the New Brunswick Teachers’ Association and the New Brunswick Teachers’ Federation and various contract and legal issues. Mentor training materials were also shared with a school district (Nancy Roach, personal communication, September 7, 2005).

Mentor Training and Initial Orientation

Seven of the nine district coordinators responding to the questionnaire specifically listed some form of mentor training session. Of the 140 mentors who attended these sessions 129 (92.9%) rated the workshops as either “useful” or “very useful”. Of the 196 mentors responding to the survey, 89 (45.4%) had served as mentors before and 107 (54.6%) were new mentors. Experienced mentors had experience ranging from one to twelve years. 175 (89.7%) mentors indicated they would be willing to serve as mentors again. Sixty-three mentors added comments to these questions. Thirty-four comments were positive, indicating how much they had enjoyed being mentors, for example:

Teaching for the first time is an overwhelming experience. I enjoy providing practical knowledge that might help the mentee’s experience be more positive. [Mentor, District 2].

Yes, I remember how many questions I had when I was a beginning teacher. I always felt comfortable asking my mentor. It was very helpful! [Mentor, District 14].

Mentors not wishing to serve again wrote comments indicating they had already been mentors a number of times before and wanted a break, were retiring, or had too many family commitments. One mentor found this year’s experience less than positive and would be reluctant to serve again. Eight respondents were ambivalent and stated they would only mentor a beginning teacher in a compatible teaching assignment.

There has been a trend over the past few years for a majority of mentors serving in the program in any given year to be new mentors. As more experienced teachers retire finding sufficient mentors for new teachers will be a continuing challenge, particularly in small schools and rural schools. Some of this year’s mentors indicated they had participated in the BTIP program as beginning teachers themselves some years earlier.

District Organized Activities for Beginning Teachers

District coordinators arranged a number of activities for the beginning teachers, mentors and principals in their districts. Topics varied from district to district but most coordinators held an orientation meeting. Other topics covered included cooperative discipline, classroom management, conferencing skills, use of technology, Department of Education policies and wellness. Not all district coordinators were able to hold their final celebration meeting because of contract negotiations.

Activities Organized at the Local School Level

The Beginning Teacher questionnaire listed fourteen different activities including meeting the mentor in formal and informal settings, student assessment, curriculum concerns, assistance with school policies, discipline issues, being observed while teaching and observing the mentor and other teachers. Beginning teachers were asked to indicate the frequency with which they participated in these activities. Tables 4, 5 and 6 show percentage participation rates in these activities. Percentages for the years 2001 and 2002 are listed as reported in the 2002 report (Scott & Mirchandani, 2002, p. 9) and percentages for 2003 and 2004 as reported in the 2004 report (Gill, 2004, 12).

Lower-risk Activities

Following the strategy used in previous reports, these activities have been divided into “lower-risk” and “higher risk” activities so comparisons can be made with previous years. It is disappointing to see there are still beginning teachers not participating in these lower-risk activities. In some areas, such as “making informal contacts with mentor”, “discussing teaching ideas and strategies” and “discuss classroom management techniques” there has been some improvement over the previous year. In other areas the percentage has risen. There has been a rise in the percentage of beginning teachers in the “0” column for “Discuss administrative policies or procedures”. This result could indicate that schools and school districts are doing an effective job of explaining policies and procedures in staff meetings and district workshops.

Table 4

A percentage comparison of beginning teachers’ participation for lower-risk professional activities during induction programs from 2001 to 2005

-------Frequency--------

Lower-risk Professional Activities		0	1-5	6-10	>10
1. Make informal contacts with mentor at school	2005	.5	14.4	14.9	70.2
	2004	1.1	9.5	12.6	76.8
	2003	0.6	10.1	11.2	78.1
	2002	3.1	10.2	22	74.5
	2001	0.5	6.5	10	83.5
2. Discuss teaching ideas or strategies	2005	1.5	20.9	27.4	50.2
	2004	2.6	16.9	27	53.4
	2003	1.2	21.9	26	50.9
	2002	2.6	21.2	27.5	48.7
	2001	1	16	24.5	58.8
3. Share or research teaching materials, books etc.	2005	5	28.4	23.4	43.3
	2004	7.4	27	19	46.6
	2003	4.1	30.8	23.1	42
	2002	8.2	31.4	20.1	40.2
	2001	6	28	18.5	47.8
4. Discuss curriculum or lesson planning	2005	7.5	28.4	26.4	37.8
	2004	6.3	24.2	26.3	43.2
	2003	7.2	26.3	24	42.5
	2002	7.8	32.6	20.7	38.9
	2001	5	24	28.4	42.8
5. Discuss student assessment or reporting	2005	7.5	33.8	24.9	33.8
	2004	6.3	31.1	21.6	41.1
	2003	8.3	29.6	25.4	36.7
	2002	4.1	39.4	25.4	31.1
	2001	3	29.9	26.4	40.8
6. Discuss classroom management techniques	2005	6.5	40.8	26.9	25.9
	2004	9.5	31.2	29.1	30.2
	2003	7.2	32.3	26.9	33.5
	2002	4.7	34.2	31.1	30.1
	2001	4.5	34	26.5	35
7. Discuss administrative policies or procedures	2005	11.4	40.8	22.4	25.4
	2004	8.7	36.8	22.1	32.1
	2003	8.4	34.8	28.1	28.7
	2002	9.3	41.5	28.5	20.7
	2001	6	36	28.4	29.1

Table 5 presents a district by district comparison of beginning teachers’ participation in lower-risk activities. The late Dr. Neil Scott designed this method of data reporting (Scott & Mirchandani, 2002) so districts could review specific data on frequency and percentages for their district and use the information as a guide for future planning and program development. The table is not intended for evaluative comparisons as the situation in each district is different.

Table 5

A district percentage comparison of beginning teachers’ participation in specific lower-risk professional activities during the 2004 BTIP

(Top numbers=individuals; bottom numbers=percent)

District #2 (N=42)

District #6 (N=12)

Activity Frequency

1-5

6-10

>10

1-5

6-10

>10

Make informal contact with mentor at school

2.4%

11.9%

21.4%

64.3%

16.7%

8.3%

75%

Discuss teaching ideas or strategies

35.7

33.3

8.3

16.7

58.3

Share or research teaching materials, books, resources etc.

2.4

28.6

35.7

33.3

8.3

41.7

Discuss curriculum or lesson planning

14.3

23.8

38.1

23.8

8.3

41.7

Discuss student assessment or reporting

9.5

35.7

23.8

16.7

41.7

16.7

Discuss classroom management techniques

11.9

40.5

28.6

8.3

66.7

16.7

8.3

Discuss administrative policies and procedures

16.7

35.7

23.8

8.3

16.7

(Top numbers=individuals; bottom numbers=percent)

District #8 (N=47)

District #10 (N=17)

Activity Frequency

1-5

6-10

>10

1-5

6-10

>10

Make informal contact with mentor at school

14.9%

21.3%

63.9%

23.5%

17.6%

58.8%

Discuss teaching ideas or strategies

12.8

27.7

59.6

35.3

29.4

35.3

Share or research teaching materials, books, resources etc.

4.3

31.9

10.6

53.2

47.1

35.3

16.9

Discuss curriculum or lesson planning

31.9

23.4

44.7

5.9

29.4

35.3

Discuss student assessment or reporting

4.3

31.9

46.8

5.9

29.4

35.3

29.4

Discuss classroom management techniques

2.1

27.7

36.2

5.9

29.4

41.2

23.5

Discuss administrative policies and procedures

12.8

38.3

23.4

25.5

11.8

47.1

29.4

11.8

(Top numbers=individuals; bottom numbers=percent)

District #14 (N=18)

District #16 (N=23)

Activity Frequency

1-5

6-10

>10

1-5

6-10

>10

Make informal contact with mentor at school

22.2%

77.8%

8.7%

4.3%

87%

Discuss teaching ideas or strategies

11.1

38.9

17.4

69.6

Share or research teaching materials, books, resources etc.

33.3

22.2

44.4

21.7

56.5

Discuss curriculum or lesson planning

38.9

22.2

38.9

4.3

21.7

60.9

Discuss student assessment or reporting

27.8

22.2

4.3

30.4

52.2

Discuss classroom management techniques

27.8

22.2

8.7

34.8

26.1

30.4

Discuss administrative policies and procedures

5.6

55.6

22.2

16.7

4.3

30.4

21.7

43.5

(Top numbers=individuals; bottom numbers=percent)

District #17 (N=21)

District #18 (N=21)

Activity Frequency

1-5

6-10

>10

1-5

6-10

>10

Make informal contact with mentor at school

14.3%

85.7%

9.5%

28.6%

61.9%

Discuss teaching ideas or strategies

23.8

57.1

9.5

28.6

42.9

Share or research teaching materials, books, resources etc.

4.8

28.6

47.6

23.8

9.5

23.8

42.9

Discuss curriculum or lesson planning

4.8

42.9

14.3

38.1

23.8

14.3

28.6

33.3

Discuss student assessment or reporting

9.5

38.1

33.3

14.3

28.6

Discuss classroom management techniques

9.5

33.3

38.1

4.8

57.1

4.8

33.3

Discuss administrative policies and procedures

9.5

47.6

14.3

28.6

14.3

38.1

28.6

Higher-risk Activities

Table 6 presents participation rates in activities described in previous reports as higher risk. These activities are those that frequently make one or both of the participants uncomfortable (Scott & Mirchandani, 2002). However, these same activities are essential to the growth of teaching competence in beginning teachers. Observing other teachers teach and being observed and receiving feedback are important strategies for developing teaching skills and strategies. Yet there is still a large percentage of beginning teachers not participating in these activities. Ironically, in a follow-up study of participants in the 2003 Beginning Teacher Induction Program, Mugglestone (2004) learned that these former beginning teachers wished they had been observed more and been given more feedback.

Table 6

A percentage comparison of beginning teachers’ participation rates in specific higher-risk professional activities during the 2001-2005 BTI Program

Professional Activities		0	1-5	6-10	>10
1. Met mentor in scheduled (formal) setting	2005	16.4	51.2	17.9	14.4
	2004	10.5	60	13.7	15.8
	2003	6.6	58.7	18	16.8
	2002	11.9	56.5	16.1	15.5
	2001	10.8	55.9	19	15.9
2. Received feedback about my teaching from mentor	2005	28.9	47.3	13.9	10
	2004	30.5	47.4	8.9	13.2
	2003	20.4	50.9	15.6	13.2
	2002	27.7	44.5	15.7	12
	2001	23.5	47.5	16.5	12.5
3. Mentor observed me teach	2005	42.3	42.8	7	8
	2004	42.1	45.8	5.8	6.3
	2003	29.9	55.7	7.8	6.6
	2002	44	38.3	9.8	7.8
	2001	48	40	6	6
4. Observed other colleagues teaching (not mentor)	2005	22.9	61.7	11.4	4
	2004	27.5	51.3	15.3	5.8
	2003	19.9	63.9	9.6	6.6
	2002	30.2	60.9	6.3	2.6
	2001	35	51.5	7.5	6
5. Observed my mentor teach in his/her own classroom	2005	39	47	6.5	7.5
	2004	41.1	46.3	5.8	6.8
	2003	36.5	52.1	6	5.4
	2002	45.5	41.7	6.3	6.3
	2001	39.5	44	7.5	9

But the 2005 BTIP survey also asked beginning teachers to indicate whether they taught the same subject level and grade level as their mentors. Taking the province as a whole, 80 (43%) indicated they did not teach the same subject as their mentors or taught the same subject only part of the time and 79 (42.9%) did not teach the same grade level or only taught the same grade level part of the time. Table 6a shows the percentage of beginning teachers who did not participate at all in these higher-risk activities who also did not teach the same subject and grade level as their mentors. It can be seen from this table that a large percentage, close to half, fell into this category. Not teaching in the same subject area seemed to be the biggest factor.

Table 6a

Percentages of beginning teachers not participating in higher-risk activities who taught different subject areas and/or grade levels than their mentors and/or were not located close to their mentors

Professional Activity

Different Subject Area

Different Grade Level

Location of Classroom

1. Met mentor in scheduled (formal) setting

58.6

34.5

2. Received feedback about my teaching from mentor

51.9

44.3

42.3

3. Mentor observed me teach

46.1

46.2

39.7

4. Observed other colleagues teaching (not mentor)

45.4

31.8

36.3

5. Observed my mentor teach in his/her own classroom

55.6

51.4

45.9

Table 6b shows the number of beginning teachers who did not participate in higher-risk activities who identified time as a problem or a significant problem. The percentages here are even higher. The issue of time will be discussed more fully later in the report.

Table 6b

Percentages of beginning teachers not participating in higher-risk activities who identified time as a problem or a significant problem

Professional Activity	Time a Problem or Significant Problem
1. Met mentor in scheduled (formal) setting	72.1
2. Received feedback about my teaching from mentor	72.4
3. Mentor observed me teach	73
4. Observed other colleagues teaching (not mentor)	69.5
5. Observed my mentor teach in his/her own classroom	73.1

Table 7 provides a district by district comparison of beginning teachers’ participation in higher-risk professional activities. This table follows the same format as Table 5. District coordinators can compare district percentages with provincial percentages and make adjustments accordingly.

Table 7

A district comparison of beginning teachers’ participation for specific higher-risk professional activities during the 2005 BTI Program

District # 2 (N=42)

District #6 (N=12)

Activity Frequency

1-5

6-10

>10

1-5

6-10

>10

1. Met mentor in scheduled (formal setting)

42.9%

38.1%

9.5%

16.7%

50%

25%

8.3%

2. Received feedback about my teaching from mentor

35.7%

42.9

14.3

7.1%

66.7

8.3

3. Mentor observed me teach

35.7

9.5

4.8

8.3

16.7

4. Observed other colleagues teaching (not mentor)

38.1

61.9

8.3

5. Observed my mentor teaching in his/her class

59.5

33.3

4.8

2.4

41.7

8.3

District # 8 (N=47)

District #10 (N=17)

Activity Frequency

1-5

6-10

>10

1-5

6-10

>10

1. Met mentor in scheduled (formal setting)

8.5%

48.9%

25.5%

17%

23.5%

41.2

23.5%

11.8%

2. Received feedback about my teaching from mentor

19.1

42.6

21.3

35.3

52.9

11.8

3. Mentor observed me teach

38.3

46.8

4.3

10.6

41.2

47.1

5.9

4. Observed other colleagues teaching (not mentor)

19.1

59.6

10.6

11.8

76.5

5.9

5. Observed my mentor teaching in his/her class

19.6

6.5

10.9

35.3

52.9

5.9

District # 14 (N=18)

District #16 (N=23)

Activity Frequency

1-5

6-10

>10

1-5

6-10

>10

1. Met mentor in scheduled (formal setting)

5.6%

61.1%

16.7%

4.3%

56.5%

13%

26.1%

2. Received feedback about my teaching from mentor

27.8

55.6

11.1

5.6

30.4

47.8

8.7

3. Mentor observed me teach

44.4

38.9

16.7

30.4

52.2

4.3

4. Observed other colleagues teaching (not mentor)

11.1

55.6

33.3

30.4

47.8

17.4

4.3

5. Observed my mentor teaching in his/her class

27.8

61.1

11.1

26.1

39.1

21.7

District # 17 (N=21)

District #18 (N=21)

Activity Frequency

1-5

6-10

>10

1-5

6-10

>10

1. Met mentor in scheduled (formal setting)

4.8%

52.4%

19%

23.8%

9.5%

76.2%

14.3%

2. Received feedback about my teaching from mentor

28.6

57.1

4.8

9.5

47.6

33.3

9.5

3. Mentor observed me teach

28.6

57.1

4.8

9.5

71.4

4.8

4. Observed other colleagues teaching (not mentor)

28.6

57.1

14.3

71.4

14.3

5. Observed my mentor teaching in his/her class

33.3

52.4

4.8

9.5

66.7

28.6

4.8

Participants Perspectives on the Program: Strengths and Weaknesses

One question on the survey asked each person in the four participating groups whether they recommended the continuation of the Beginning Teacher Induction Program. Principals responded with either “Yes” or “No” and other groups responded to a four point Likert scale. In reporting the results, “Agree” and “Strongly Agree” are equated to “Yes”; “Disagree” and “Strongly Disagree” equated to “No”.

Table 8 provides a five-year comparison of the responses. Responses from beginning teachers show an increase in support from the previous year. Responses from the mentors show a decline from 99% the previous year and may be a cause for concern. Examining the eight returns from the mentors who responded “Disagree” or “Strongly Disagree” to this question indicated they came from four school districts. Three and possibly four returns may have been marked in error due to a misreading of the Likert scale. These returns contained positive comments about the program and the individuals’ experiences in the program. All four mentors indicated they would serve as mentors again. If these four intended to support the continuing of the program the percentage of mentors supporting the program would be 98.4%. Of the remaining four returns, one mentor felt the program should be handled solely by the school at the high school level because the subject department could do a more efficient job. There appeared to be a conflict between the mentor and the beginning teacher that caused the response on another return; one return contained no indication of a reason for the response and the fourth mentor felt he/she could be a mentor to new teachers without a formal program. None of these four mentors wished to serve as mentors again.

The principal who was doubtful about the program wrote comments indicating he/she knew very little, if anything about the program. The final comment on the return read:

I know very little as to what this program looks like within our district. I have not been informed or inserviced on it. [Principal, District 6].

Table 8

A five-year comparison of recommendation for continuation of the BTIP by beginning teachers, mentors, principals and district coordinators

Group Respondents	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005
Beginning Teachers	97.5%	99%	97.7%	93.2%	98%
Mentors	99.4	99.5	97.4	99	96.4
Principals	100	100	100	100	98.9%#
District Coordinators	100	100	87.5*	100	100

*One coordinator marked “Strongly Disagree” to all Likert questions yet made a number of positive comments about the program throughout the questionnaire. It is possible the “Strongly Disagree” responses were a result of misreading the questionnaire and the coordinator intended to respond “Strongly Agree” to the Likert questions. If this were the case, 100% of the district coordinators supported the continuing of the program.

#One principal responded “Maybe” to this question and added the comment, “Maybe if I knew what the program was about I could make a comment.”

Beginning Teachers’ Perspectives

Did beginning teachers benefit from the program? One hundred and eighty six (92.1%) beginning teachers agreed or strongly agreed that they did. Twelve (6%) beginning teachers felt they did not benefit and four (2%) were not sure. Of the twelve who felt that they had not benefited from the program one response was clearly marked in error. The individual marked “Strongly Disagree” to both the statement concerning personal benefit and the statement supporting continuing the program and added the comment, “A Great Program!” Three beginning teachers indicated they neither benefited from the program nor support its continuing. One of these beginning teachers taught a different grade level from his mentor, indicated “time” was a significant problem because of over involvement in extra-curricular activities and felt the program should be completely restructured. A second beginning teacher taught some of the same subjects as her mentor, wished to participate more in higher-risk activities, indicated “lack of time”, “different teaching assignments from mentor” and “unclear expectations for BTIP” as significant problems and added comments indicating she did not understand the purpose of the program, only attended one district meeting all year and wanted to receive more visits from district office personnel. The district coordinator added a comment that this beginning teacher was inadvertently left off the list for beginning teacher communications. The third beginning teacher provided no explanation for his responses. He taught in a classroom close to his mentor and taught the same subject and grade level. He participated at least ten times in almost all the lower and higher-risk activities and made no indication of specific conditions causing problems.

Surprisingly, seven of the beginning teachers who checked either “Strongly Disagree” or “Disagree” to the statement concerning personal benefit and all four who indicated they were not sure, supported continuing the program. Five of these teachers taught in the same school district. One teacher appeared to have a personal issue related to the selection of a mentor and not being admitted to the program until half way through the year. Two were specialist teachers who felt the program did not meet their specific needs and wanted to use the BTIP funds for resources to support their teaching.

One hundred and seventy-seven (91.8%) mentors felt their beginning teachers had benefited from the program, two (1%) were not sure and fourteen (7.3%) felt their beginning teachers had not. Seven of these mentors were in the same district as the five beginning teachers mentioned above but there is no way of knowing whether these mentors were paired with these beginning teachers. Only three of all the mentors offered comments relating to this issue. One mentor assigned a rating in comparison to the previous year, one mentor indicated lack of “time together” was the issue and the third mentor stated:

My responses for the above do not reflect my feelings about the BTIP or its value.

My mentee was an established (not a first year) teacher and required very little (if any) guidance from me. Had it been her first year my experience would have been different I’m sure. [Mentor, District 17].

Praise for the Program

Beginning teachers made a number of positive comments about various aspects of the program. Mentors were particularly valued:

My mentor was wonderful. He facilitated a very comfortable and enjoyable year. [Beginning Teacher, District 6].

I really enjoyed this program. It is great to know that there is someone assigned to me to provide support the first year. I feel it needs to continue for the new teachers in the Fall. (I have a great mentor and I appreciate her). [Beginning Teacher, District 2].

Help provided by other teachers in the school received appreciative comments:

Resource teachers at my school were very useful. The level of patience the other staff had with all my questions was very much appreciated by myself. [Beginning Teacher, District 2].

Beginning teachers appreciated the hard work of the district coordinators:

This was an excellent program and I highly recommend it to any new teacher. Great job, Kim, for the excellent coordination. [Beginning Teacher, District 14].

Excellent experience, especially visit to multiage class. Appreciated Mrs. Savoie’s flexibility within BTIP, which allowed me to maximize my BTIP experience. [Beginning Teacher, District 16].

The beginning teachers also expressed appreciation for program activities:

I enjoyed the meetings very much and am looking forward to our last barbeque! [Beginning Teacher, District 18],

and program resources:

The resources sent to me at school were terrific, very much appreciated (just like Christmas that day). [Beginning Teacher, District 8].

Beginning teachers made a number of positive comments about the program as a whole:

Great program!

It should continue next year for other beginning teachers. [Beginning Teacher, District 17].

This is a great program with many benefits! I would definitely recommend it. [Beginning Teacher, District 18].

Overall, the feedback received on the program was highly positive.

Conditions Causing Problems

As in previous years, the survey listed seven possible conditions causing problems and asked beginning teachers to indicate which conditions were problems, indicating whether the problem was significant problem. Table 9 presents a summary of the responses for 2004-2005. By adding the figures in the “Yes” and “Significant problem” column, the total number of teachers experiencing specific problems is illustrated.

Table 9

Frequency and percentage of beginning teachers experiencing specific problems in 2004-2005

Problem

Yes

Significant problem

Lack of time

46%

41.1%

12.9%

Location of room relative to mentor’s

8.0

178

88.6

3.5

Personal incompatibility with mentor

2.0

194

96.5

1.5

Different teaching assignment from mentor

14.4

162

77.5

6.3

Unclear expectations for BTIP

12.6

166

80.6

0.5

Difficulty accessing BTIP funds

8.5%

180

89.6

2.0

Time was a problem or a significant problem for 119 (58.9%) of beginning teachers, a far larger percentage than any other condition. The few additional comments illustrated the ways in which lack of time affected the beginning teachers; time spent on preparing lessons and the problems of balancing personal life and career. One teacher described how working less than full time created a time issue:

My working .5 FTE and most days until 10:00 am made it very difficult for me to feel part of the school and to meet with my mentor. I would certainly have met with her whenever convenient, but it is tough when you have left the building and may have other supply days at other schools to make this work. [Beginning Teacher, District 14].

Another teacher commented on involvement with extra-curricular activities:

When you are involved with extra curricular as a new teacher where do you find the time and to take away from classes in a new course load is a heavy call [Beginning Teacher, District 14].

Time has been identified as the most significant problem for beginning teachers since the inception of the program.

Forty-one (20.7%) beginning teachers identified differing teaching assignments as a problem or a significant problem. Comments offered here indicated that problems of this nature occurred when the beginning teacher and the mentor taught in different languages (English and French Immersion) and when the beginning teacher was in a different school from the mentor for part of the day. One beginning teacher commented however:

But found common ground [Beginning Teacher, District 16].

Beginning teachers commented frequently about lack of resources. The most common comment was wishing to spend Department of Education money, intended for professional development, on classroom materials. Lack of resources was a particular problem for people teaching the specialist subjects of art and music:

I had many valuable ideas for using the money allocated for me and was not allowed to do it. That money would have gone very far in bringing art supplies for my room. The amount of money was significant enough that I could have purchased ‘exotic’ extracurricular art materials that would have extended what I could accomplish in the classroom. From all reports I am a very good beginning teacher and 1 and ½ days of watching someone else teach would have been less than useful for me. . . I can watch other people teach in my own school during my prep [Beginning teacher, District 2].

Table 10 compares the percentage of beginning teachers who reported specific problems in 2005 with the five previous years. There has been consistency over the years as to problems experienced by beginning teachers, with time being by far the most serious problem. Time has been identified as the most serious problem by beginning teachers since the program’s inception (Gill, 2005).

Table 10

A comparison of the percentage of beginning teachers in the 2001-2005 induction programs who reported experiencing specific problems

Problem	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005
Lack of time	57.5	67.3	59	68	58.9
Different teaching assignment from mentor	22.7	24	24	22.5	20.7
Location of classroom relative to mentor’s	13	13.8	19.8	13.1	11.5
Difficulty accessing BTIP funds	6.3	8.2	10	10	10.5
Unclear expectations for BTIP	7.7	10.2	7.1	13.1	13.1
Personal incompatibility with mentor	1.9	10.7	2.9	3.7	3.5

Suggestions for Improvement

Beginning teachers were asked to offer suggestions on how the program could be improved. The most frequently mentioned suggestion concerned the need for additional resources, as discussed above. The Department of Education money has to be spent before March 31^st of a given year and this caused confusion for some beginning teachers. They wished the money could be available throughout the year. It should be noted that the money provided by the NBTA is made available for the latter part of the school year (Personal communication, Nancy Roach, September 26, 2005).

Specialist teachers in art and music felt their needs were not met by the program:

For teachers in a position such as mine (music) it would be helpful to have a music mentor from another school. I would have found this more helpful in terms of teaching strategies, assessment techniques and sharing resources [Beginning Teacher, District 18].

Other suggestions included:

· Start program before school starts. Hold initial workshops before school starts, distribute manuals ahead of time

· Offer more sessions on classroom management

· Allow people who start mid-year to join the program

· Mentor and beginning teachers should attend meetings together

· Expectations for the program need to be clearer

It should be noted that beginning teachers included positive comments about the program in this section.

Mentors’ Perspectives

According to the information provided by the district coordinators, 338 experienced teachers served as mentors during the 2004-2005 school year. One hundred and ninety-seven mentors responded to the survey. Of these 89 (45.4%) were experienced mentors and 107 (54.6%) were new mentors (one mentor did not respond to this question). Forty-one (60.3%) experienced mentors had served once before and 19 (27.9%) had served twice before. Other mentors had served three, four and five times before with one mentor claiming twelve years experience as a mentor. This mentor must have served continuously starting with the pilot program. When asked if they would be willing to serve as mentors again, 175 (89.7%) indicated they would, 15 (7.7%) would not and 5 (2.6%) were not sure. Mentors willing to serve again made positive comments;

Yes, I remember how many questions I had when I was a beginning teacher. I always felt comfortable asking my mentor. It was very helpful! [Mentor, District 14].

Teaching for the first time is an overwhelming experience. I enjoy providing practical knowledge that might help the mentee’s experience be more positive. [Mentor, District 2].

I think this is a very important program. I hope that my BT found it beneficial. I was a part of the BTIP as a beginning teacher and remember that it was nice to have someone to talk to and to work with who I knew I could trust and who I knew would not be judgmental. When I was mentor this year, I made this one of my top priorities [Mentor, District 10].

Some of the mentors not willing to serve again indicated they were retiring, or that they had already served a number of times before, that it had not been a positive experience or there were too many family commitments. Eight mentors commented they would only serve as a mentor for beginning teachers in the same subject area and/or grade level.

Table 11 provides a district by district comparison of new and returning mentors as reported by the respondents to the survey. Districts 2 and 8 had the largest number of new and returning mentors though in spite of the similarity of numbers based on the survey returns, District 2 had by far the larger number of beginning teacher/mentor pairs; 72 in District to as opposed to 58 in District 8.

Table 11

A district comparison of new and returning mentors

District	Returning	New	Total
District #2	17	24	41
District #6	6	3	9
District #8	18	27	45
District #10	11	7	18
District #14	5	10	15
District #16	14	11	25
District #17	10	14	24
District #18	8	11	19
Total	89	107	196

School principals, in consultation with the district coordinator, select mentors from their schools. Mentor responsibilities are listed in the Beginning Teacher Induction Program Guide (Department of Education, 1999) as: attend mentor training workshops, build a compatible working relationship with the beginning teacher, provide ongoing feedback, support and coaching, help the beginning teacher develop effective teaching strategies, share knowledge and professional expertise, visit the beginning teacher’s classroom to provide observation and feedback and generally be a support and guide for a smooth transition into a teaching career. Most districts held a mentor training workshop. Of the 140 mentors who attended the workshops, 130 (92.9%) rated the workshop they attended as useful or very useful. Ten (7.1%) found the workshop of limited value.

Benefits to Mentors

The mentor teacher survey asked mentors to list the positive aspects of being a mentor. Five themes emerged from the responses. These themes are presented separately but they are interrelated. General comments offered by mentors about the program have been integrated where appropriate.

Theme 1: Sharing Ideas, Teaming and Collaborating:

Mentors noted the importance of sharing ideas with their beginning teachers, building positive professional relationships, teaming, networking and collaborating. One mentor mentioned that two heads were better than one. When two people worked together there was someone with whom to bounce ideas. They could share resources and materials and develop an interdisciplinary unit together. The relationship developed real peer sharing. Mentors saw the benefit of getting new ideas and learning new practices from teachers close to the Education program. These factors created a supportive environment.

It is so important to impart your empathy and counseling skills to a beginning teacher and the chance to introduce him/her to another school with multiple perspectives is simply academically and emotionally unparalled in my experience. [Mentor, District 8].

Theme 2: Reflection on Professional Practice:

Being a mentor had forced them to review their goals and philosophy of teaching and analyze their own teaching strategies. They had to reflect on different teaching styles. They had to review certain procedures and reevaluate what they were doing and thereby reflect on what they had to offer. One mentor mentioned the opportunity to reflect on changes over the years:

I truly enjoyed touching base with my beginning teacher each day and reflecting on my own experiences as well as her reflections of her experiences. [Mentor, District 14].

Theme 3: Helping Another Professional:

Mentors felt is was important to ease the transition of new teachers into the teaching profession, build a support system and help someone who was facing the same struggles they had faced. They recognized the importance of collegial feedback on teaching before a more formal observation from the administration. They saw themselves as role models. There was also the sense of repaying the system for help they had received. This factor was particularly important to those who had once been beginning teachers themselves in the BTIP program.

Teaching for the first time is an overwhelming experience. I enjoy providing practical knowledge that might help the mentee’s experience be more positive. [Mentor, District 2].

I always enjoy being of assistance to beginning teachers. It makes me feel more positive about what I do. Also this year was especially meaningful because (name) was a former Grade 5 student of mine. When she approached me about mentoring her I felt like we had just picked up from where we left off. I was honoured to be asked!! [Mentor, District 8].

I think this is a very important program. I hope that my BT found it beneficial. I was a part of the BTIP program as a beginning teacher and remember that it was nice to have someone to talk to and to work with who I knew I could trust and who I knew would not be judgmental. When I was a mentor this year, I made this one of my top priorities. [Mentor, District 10].

Theme 4: Getting to Know Another Teacher:

Mentors commented on the opportunity to get to know a new teacher and thereby develop a friendship and build a professional relationship. These new relationships were enjoyable.

We are not only colleagues . . . we are good friends! [Mentor, District 2].

Theme 5: Rejuvenation:

Mentors mentioned how they had grown as a result of the experience of being a mentor. They wrote about wanting to do a good job and improve and how they benefited from “the enthusiasm of the young”. They felt rejuvenated and empowered as a result of the mentoring experience.

I found my experiences both as a beginning teacher and a mentor to be rewarding and beneficial to my professional growth [Mentor, District 14].

Persistent Problems for Mentors

Two questions on the survey related to aspects of being a mentor that mentors found challenging or the disliked. Mentors listed problems and these problems clustered around a number of themes, the most prominent being time, different teaching assignments from the beginning teacher, handling difficult situations and lack of resources. It should be noted that almost two thirds of the respondents indicated there was nothing they disliked related to the program.

Time:

Time was a factor for mentors when it came to coordinating schedules, “being there” for the beginning teacher and making contact consistently. Having a beginning teacher who was only at the school two days a week presented a problem for the beginning teacher and mentor to get together. Mentors noted they themselves and their beginning teachers were reluctant to leave their classes to substitute teachers. Timing of after school meetings could fall into this category.

Handling Difficult Situations

Problems in this area included knowing how to give advice and when to give directions, knowing when to step in and help and when to hold back. The issue of balance became a challenge, being aware of when help became interfering and when stepping back became neglect. Mentors also referred to the challenge of giving constructive criticism and separating the roles of friend and mentor. Problems were noted related to getting one’s beginning teacher to participate, understanding how to react when one’s beginning teacher did not improve, coping with a beginning teacher’s uneven dedication to the program and lack of mentor training.

Different Teaching Assignments

Mentors identifying this factor as a problem or something they disliked indicated a number of reasons for the problem. These reasons included teaching a different subject area from their beginning teachers, not being familiar with a specific curriculum, being in a different school and being at a school some considerable distance from their beginning teachers.

Other Problems

Other problems noted were more individual in nature. Several mentors identified getting sufficient resources for teaching as a serious problem. Mentors perceived contact from district office personnel to be uneven. Other problems mentioned were concern about the short notice received about meetings, the methods used for holding workshops, and the perceived irrelevant content of district meetings. One mentor raised a suggestion that beginning teachers and mentors should attend meetings together and another noted holding opposite teaching philosophies from the beginning teacher could present problems. Another mentor experienced difficulties combining acting as a mentor with trying family circumstances.

Suggestions for Improvement

Positive comments about the program and district coordinators appeared throughout the survey:

I want to leave you with this: I believe the program is fundamental to KEEPING new teachers in the system. A system for arranging effective mentoring for new teachers in small school where they may not have a single other teacher in their subject areas or grade level is needed however [Mentor, District 17].

Other suggestions included:

· Be able to spend money on resources

· Assign mentors to beginning teachers with compatible teaching assignments and in the same school

· More release time

· Program needs to be restructured

· Diversify the program to meet individual needs

· Start earlier in the school, before school starts

Principals’ Perspectives

Ninety-five principals (62%) responded to the survey. The survey contained both closed “yes/no” questions or rating scales and open-ended questions.

The first closed question asked principals to indicate whether they had received clear, comprehensive and timely information about BTIP. Eighty-five (89.5%) responded positively, one was not sure and nine (9.5%) responded “No”. The number of responding with no is a large increase from last year, when only two responded in this way. In one district where five principals returned completed survey questionnaires, three of those principals, (60%) indicated they had not received information.

The second closed question asked principals to rate on a scale of one to four the level of difficulty they experienced in recruiting competent mentors. Sixty-nine principals (73.4%) rated this task “easy” or “very easy” while 24 (25.6%) rated the task “difficult” or “very difficult”. Eleven principals added comments to their responses. Those who found recruiting mentors difficult or very difficult cited a small staff, the number of new teachers and a lack of experienced teachers as sources of the problem. Even those principals indicating the task was easy or very easy warned of the danger of overusing good people.

The third closed question asked whether principals recommended the continuation of the Beginning Teacher Induction Program in New Brunswick. For the first in a number of years one principal did not respond with “yes”. The principal concerned checked neither “yes” nor “no” but wrote:

Maybe if I knew what the program was about I could comment [Principal, District 6].

Among all other principals there was strong support for the program with comments such as “Absolutely” and “Definitely” added to their responses.

The survey contained four open-ended questions. The first open-ended question asked principals to describe their involvement with BTIP. Principals listed:

· matching mentors and beginning teachers

· providing overall support for the program

· observing the beginning teacher

· helping arrange school visits

· being available for consultation

It should be noted that this list is a composite of all the replies. Not all principals listed all of these activities. At least one principal indicted he/she had very little involvement.

The second open-ended question asked principals to identify those elements of BTIP that were working well. “Mentoring” was the element most frequently identified.

The relationship between the new teachers and their mentors [Principal, District 2]

Teachers are paired with a mentor who meets them on a regular basis [Principal, District 6].

The support given by the mentor is very valuable for a beginning teacher [Principal, District 17].

The principals identified the release time provided to the beginning teachers and mentors to meet, or visit another school as a valuable element in the program and one that was working well:

The planning time given for teacher and mentor is great. Release time for visitations of “expert”, effective teaching. Class management, how to organize your day, week, month. [Principal, District 18].

Principals also identified the group meetings and inservices provided by district offices as a valuable part of the program:

The BTIP day in September done by NBTA always seems valuable to attending staff. [Principal, District 10].

District inservice---new teachers have commented on its value to them [Principal, District 16].

They also noted the materials given to beginning teachers were helpful:

Teachers are provided with a binder and text (First-year Teacher Survival Kit) both of which provide the teacher with excellent information [Principal, District 6].

Principals made positive comments about the support provided by district coordinators and district office staff, for example:

All aspects, due to excellent District Office leadership. (Credit to Rick Demmings) [Principal, District 17].

There were a number of comments, such as the one below, that indicated all elements of the program were working well:

All elements are working well---I think beginning teachers feel supported and they have a solid structure to fall back on when they need support [Principal, District 2].

The third open-ended question asked principals to identify those elements that needed improvement and the fourth open-ended question asked them to make suggestions for improvement. As the topics of these two questions overlap they will be dealt with together. A number of suggestions revolved around the issue of time. Principals felt beginning teachers and mentors needed more time to meet during the school year and more days for classroom visits. They also felt more time could be used at the beginning of the year so the mentor and beginning teacher could get together, plan and understand the program expectations. More release time could be used at the end of the year to evaluate goals and make future plans.

Issues around mentors and mentoring were also mentioned frequently. These topics included the problems of finding sufficient mentors in small schools or in schools where there were many beginning teachers. Some principals felt there should be more recognition of the mentors or more incentives to persuade experienced teachers to volunteer as mentors. One principal mentioned the need for more mentor training. Another principal wanted more visits from district office staff, particularly when a beginning teacher was facing difficulties.

Other suggestions included:

· More funding for the program

· Continue the program for a second and even a third year

· Make sure that beginning teachers on “D” contracts do not miss out when they go to “B” contracts

· More information and minutes of meetings for principals

· Create a Listserve or discussion board for beginning teachers and mentors

· Make sure all beginning teachers receive Enhancing Professional Practice by Danielson

This section generated a number of positive comments, including reinforcing the need to keep the program going. One principal asked, “What about a similar program for new vice-principals and principals?” Another principal commented:

It is an excellent program. Too bad we didn’t have it years ago [Principal, District 2].

District Coordinators’ Perspectives

All nine Anglophone District Coordinators responded to the 2004-2005 survey. One coordinator was new to the role, the longest serving coordinator had served eight years and other coordinators had served two, three, four and six years.

Coordinators were asked to rate the level of support they received from the Department of Education, the New Brunswick Teachers’ Association, their District Offices and school principals. Table 12 records their responses:

Table 12

District coordinators’ perceptions of support from different BTIP stakeholders

	Level of Support
Stakeholders	Adequate	Inadequate	Not Applicable
Dept. of Education	8	1*
NBTA	8	1*
District Offices	8	1*
School Principals	8	1*

*This coordinator indicated the responses related to the money provided, not the level of professional support.

All coordinators indicated the level of professional support received from the Department of Education, the New Brunswick Teachers’ Association and the principals was adequate:

Questions and concerns were quickly responded to from the Department and NBTA. School principals support the BT program and are willing to find appropriate mentors.

One coordinator raised concerns about the level of funding provided and expressed concern over the effect of under-funding on the program:

I have absolutely no issues with support but I do with funding. For a pair to take one day is $236.00 debited from their account. Like everything else these days, BTIP teams are always forced to do things after hours.

The funding issue remains. I hate to beat a dead horse but with growing numbers of BTIP teachers; a possible second year added and the need to include more LTS (long term supply) teachers, places more financial pressure on the program

. . .

Solutions:

· More money. It is not the entire answer to a successful program but it would help.

Concerns were raised in previous years about the level of support from principals. One coordinator indicated this concern is still an issue:

Again, even though we addressed the role of the principal a few times at administrators’ meetings, there continued to be some who were not as involved as we would have liked. I believe the principal must set the stage for the program in the school---encouraging both the beginning teachers and their mentors throughout the year. We requested that principals do two evaluations---one in the Fall and one in the Spring. Not all beginning teachers were evaluated in the Fall. We felt this was important to ensure that concerns/problems could be addressed early.

Positive Features:

District coordinators were asked to indicate what for them were the most positive features of their involvement with BTIP. Coordinators mentioned working with the beginning teachers most frequently:

Making connections with beginning teachers and mentors---doing “house calls” with each of them in their schools.

To be able to help, support and share knowledge about the wonderful profession. To help beginning teachers feel good about what they do and have a wealth of ideas presented.

In one district the district coordinator dovetailed the Leadership Program with BTIP. Teachers in the leadership program who were preparing for leadership positions shared their presentations at district BTIP meetings.

The district coordinator working with the special project identified this activity as a highlight:

My experience with the professional Learning Community was very rewarding . . .

A description of the special project appears later in the report.

Problems Encountered

One major problem identified by the district coordinators was a problem that has been identified in previous years, the increasing number of beginning teachers and the declining pool of mentors. Table 3 shows the number of beginning teachers in each district with one district having as many as 72 new teachers. Meanwhile the number of available mentors is dwindling as experienced teachers retire. District coordinators noticed that mentors who had been used a number of times were now saying “No”. The comments below illustrate the dilemma:

I am concerned about mentor recruitment. The same folks are asked each year and they are starting to say “No”.

Increasing number of new teachers is making the mentor pool smaller.

Some mentors starting to say “no” because of overuse.

This problem was compounded when teachers were hired after the start of the school year and after beginning teachers and mentors had been paired within a district. Additional mentors were not easy to find in some districts.

As in previous years there were problems with beginning teachers and mentors not using the “days” provided by the Department of Education and NBTA funding. Department of Education money must be spent by the end of March so it is imperative that beginning teachers and mentors plan their visits or meetings early in the year. This timeline places restrictions on beginning teacher and mentors:

I do, however, continue to be surprised that the teachers do not use their days. I find myself hounding them in January and February, reminding them they have only until the end of March to access their allotted days. I believe they need to begin their visits relatively early in the school year so that they can start to model the best practices that they observe, not wait until bad habits have set in and there appears no way out of the dilemma.

This issue was compounded by beginning teachers wanting to spend their allotted money on classroom supplies:

Teachers wanting to spend BTIP dollars on “stuff”.

Beginning teachers, mentors and principals wrote comments relating to lack of supplies and wished Department of Education money could be spent on classroom supplies.

One coordinator drew attention to the need for more funds for the program as a whole, particularly if the program were to be extended to include second year beginning teachers and long term supply teachers:

The funding issue remains. I hate to beat a dead horse but with growing numbers of BTIP teachers; a possible second year added and the need to include more LTS teachers, places more financial pressure on the program.

District coordinators found the activities around contract negotiations disrupted plans for meetings and BTIP activities. Meetings, particularly end of year celebrations had to be postponed, and in some cases, cancelled.

Teacher negotiations this year impacted on all teachers, especially the beginning teachers. Time to spend with mentors and to attend PD was reduced.

The April/May Steering Committee was also cancelled because of the negotiations. One coordinator commented specifically that this final meeting was important to bring closure to the year and remind everyone of the importance of the evaluation process.

Coordinators also referred to problems specific to their districts or to an individual within their districts. These included problems specific to island and rural schools, beginning teachers who left teaching and principals who selected unsuitable mentors each year out of convenience. It should be noted that three district coordinators responded “none” or “no problems” when asked to identify problems encountered.

Suggestions for Improvement

Six district coordinators mentioned either the need for a second year program or indicated their support for the initiative. They recognized additional funding would be needed and also additional personnel at the district level. One coordinator suggested creating a district mentor group to work with the second year beginning teachers and the long-term supply teachers.

Other suggestions included:

· Having a motivational speaker to travel from district to district during the year to speak at meetings;

· Offer a provincial professional development session on Differentiated Instruction;

· Provide more time for mentors and beginning teachers to bond;

· Make sure the final Steering Committee meeting is held each year.

All coordinators included strategies they intended to adopt in the 2005-2006 year to address issues from their particular districts. While these were not offered as suggestions for the program as a whole they were considered important initiatives by the coordinators who listed them and are offered here as suggestions to other coordinators:

· Select schools that have been particularly successful with their BTIP and ask them to act as showcases, sharing what has worked for them;

· Encourage more administrators to attend BTIP sessions in the fall;

· Recommend that all teachers use at least half of their allotted days for visitation in the first term;

· Insist that new teachers be evaluated in the first term so that they can be supported in their growth throughout the year;

· Focus on classroom activities and daily routines (home report writing, SEP, CR, Behaviour Tracking Form). Several BT mentioned they really did not have the knowledge about topics mentioned above.

Pilot Study on an Alternative Delivery Model

In one rural middle-high school in the province there were few experienced teachers who could act as mentors. Five beginning teachers joined the staff, making it impossible for each new teacher to have a mentor. After discussions with the principal and the Department of Education, the district coordinator decided to create a professional learning community along the lines of strategies suggested by Nolan and Hoover (2004). The district coordinator chose an experienced teacher who had been a mentor before to act as a “day-to day” mentor to answer any questions the beginning teachers might have on a day to day basis and planned to meet with the beginning teachers as a group to discuss general and specific concerns on a monthly basis. The district coordinator met with the beginning teachers individually over the summer and explained how the program would work.

At the first group meeting beginning teachers shared their progress and discussed general issues. They then focused on a problem one beginning teacher was having with a difficult class. This topic lead to a general discussion on classroom management issues. After the meeting, discussion continued in follow-up e-mails between the district coordinator and the beginning teachers and among the beginning teachers. The next meeting the following month centered on working with parents and preparing for the first parents’ meeting. The beginning teachers undertook to research expectations for the meeting. This pattern of meetings continued throughout the year with topics of discussion arising out of current issues and sharing of e-mails and journal articles of interest. The district coordinator believed that this group of beginning teachers formed an ideal professional learning community. Important issues for discussion rose naturally from the group interaction.

Feedback from this group indicated the beginning teachers were positive about their experience. Most of them were observed at least once by another colleague and received feedback on their teaching. Most were able to observe a colleague teaching. These beginning teachers identified being part of a group as the most positive aspect of the program. One beginning teacher wished she had a “true mentor” and identified this as a problem for her. The district coordinator felt this model could be adopted in other rural locations where there were more beginning teachers than mentors.

Conclusions

Once again the survey returns indicated there was overwhelming support for the Beginning Teacher Induction Program from beginning teachers, mentors, principals and district coordinators during the 2004-2005 school year. While concerns about elements of the program were identified by members of all groups of participants this should not detract from the fact that the program helps many, many beginning teachers and benefits mentors, schools and the school system as a whole.

Some of the issues raised are being addressed by the Department of Education. As the result of recommendations made in previous reports, plans are underway to provide more money to the BTIP program, to make provisions for a second year of the program and to provide support at the district level for long term supply teachers. The New Brunswick Department of Education created a website, the Portal, in Spring 2005 to serve the teachers and principals of New Brunswick. One section of the Portal is dedicated to BTIP and provides a discussion site where beginning teachers and mentors can interact and share ideas. This initiative should help beginning teachers who feel isolated from other beginning teachers.

Mentor recruitment is now a challenge and will be in the future. More and more beginning teachers will enter the system as experienced teachers retire. The experienced teachers who are left are repeatedly called upon to be mentors to the new teachers. As can be seen from the feedback of the principals, the district coordinators and the mentors themselves, some are feeling overloaded and overused and want a break from the responsibility. Strategies must be found to address this issue.

One possible strategy would be to explore alternative delivery models for the program. The pilot study initiated this year offers one possibility for a small rural school. This model might be developed to fit other situations. Reports are available from other jurisdictions in North America where alternatives to one on one mentoring have been successful (Meyer, 2002). These alternatives could be adapted for the New Brunswick situation.

District coordinators play an integral role in the delivery of the Beginning Teacher Induction Program. They are responsible for the program at the district level. They also have other district educational responsibilities not related to the program. They will in all likelihood be responsible for organizing and delivering the new Department of Education initiatives for a second year program and support for long term supply teachers. The possibility of district coordinator burnout must be guarded against at all costs. The planned appointment of coordinating mentors in each school district should alleviate some of the district coordinators workload.

Principals need to be “kept in the loop” in terms of what is going on with the program. Whether this is accomplished by presentations at principals meetings, one-on- one visits from district coordinators or newsletters and minutes of beginning teacher meetings the fact remains that principals play and important role in the success of a beginning teacher’s first year (Tillman, 2005). Principals are also in a position of being able to assess the benefits (or otherwise) of the BTIP program over a longer period of time and assess the effects of the program to the school as a whole. These observations and insights provide valuable feedback to the program.

All respondent groups mentioned problems with resources. Beginning teachers, mentors and principals wanted Department of Education money to be spent on supplies, although the money is intended for professional development. Related to this issue is a concern raised by both principals and district coordinators that mentor-mentee pairs were not arranging classroom visits soon enough in the year. One coordinator suggested that at least one visit should be mandated for Fall of the year.

Contract negotiations between with Board of Management and the New Brunswick Teachers’ Federation affected the Beginning Teacher Induction Program. End of the year celebrations were postponed, and cancelled in some districts. The Steering Committee did not hold the usual late April-early-May meeting and survey questionnaires were not distributed until later than usual and in one district, not at all. The return rate of questionnaire was definitely affected as a result. It is also possible that the responses to the Likert scales and the comments written on the questionnaires were affected by the issues surrounding the negotiations.

Because BTIP has existed for ten years we are now seeing beginning teachers from the early programs serving as mentors to the present generation of new teachers. A mentor from District 10 commented:

I think this is a very important program. I hope that my BT found it beneficial. I was a part of the BTIP as a beginning teacher and remember that it was nice to have someone to talk to and to work with who I knew I could trust and who I knew would not be judgmental. When I was a mentor this year, I made this one of my top priorities.

This also shows that potential mentors are getting younger. Tillman (2005) notes that there are advantages to mentors being relatively close in age to mentees but mentors also need comprehensive experience and training in order to be effective.

While the Beginning Teacher Induction Program provides support to new teachers by providing mentor support and participation in district workshops, the whole school community has a key role to play. When new teachers arrive at a school, the whole school staff has a responsibility to support the new teachers. This may take the form of making sure there are sufficient supplies and usable furniture in the new teachers’ classrooms. All teachers have a role to play in creating a welcoming and supportive environment.

Recommendations

3. Hold face to face Steering Committee meetings at least twice a year, Fall and Spring, with possible additional video/audio conferences at other times.

4. Encourage beginning teachers and mentors to make visits to other classrooms early in the year, preferably with at least one visit by mid-November.

5. Make sure all principals are aware of what is needed to support beginning teachers. Continue to practice of offering in-service programs on the needs of new teachers and BTIP for principals.

References

A Guide to the New Brunswick Beginning Teacher Induction Program: A Partnership That Builds Success. Fredericton, NB: Department of Education, 1999.

Betts, R. (2005). New Brunswick’s Beginning Teacher Induction Program: Where Do We Go From Here? Part III. Presentation at the Symposium for the Atlantic Partners for Education, Moncton, NB, April 24-26, 2005.

Brooks, D. (1987). Teacher Induction: A New Beginning. Reston, VA: Association of Teacher Educators.

Danielson, C. (1996). Enhancing Professional Practice: A Framework for Teaching. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Feinman-Nemser, S. (2003). What new teachers need to learn. Educational Leadership, 60(8), 25-33.

Gill, B. (2005). New Brunswick’s Beginning Teacher Induction Program: Where Do We Go From Here?Part 1. Presentation at the Symposium for the Atlantic Partners for Education, Moncton, NB, April 24-26, 2005.

Gill, B. (2004). Colleagues to Count On: A Report on the 2003-2004 Beginning Teacher Induction Program in New Brunswick. Fredericton, NB: Department of Education.

Gill, B. & Betts, R. (2003). Toward a Smooth Entry: A Report on the 2002-2003 Beginning Teacher Induction Program in New Brunswick. Fredericton, NB: Department of Education.

Meyer, T. (2002). Novice learning communities: An alternative to one-on-one mentoring. American Secondary Education, 31(1), 27-42.

Mugglestone, P. (2005). New Brunswick’s Beginning Teacher Induction Program: Where Do We Go From Here?Part II. Presentation at the Symposium for the Atlantic Partners for Education, Moncton, NB, April 24-26, 2005.

Mugglestone, P. (2004). New Brunswick’s Beginning Teacher Induction Program: Where Do We Go From Here? Unpublished Masters Report, University of New Brunswick.

Nolan, J. Jr. & Hoover, L. (2004). Teacher Supervision and Evaluation: Theory Into Practice. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley/Jossey-Bass.

Scott, N. & Compton, E. (1996). A Report on the 1995-1996 Beginning Teacher Induction Program in New Brunswick. Fredericton, NB: Department of Education.

Scott, N. & Doherty, S. (2002). Building a Strong Foundation for Teaching: The Fifth Annual Report of the Beginning Teacher Induction program in New Brunswick. Fredericton, NB: Department of Education.

Scott, N. (1998). Off to a Good Start: Report on the 1997-1998 Beginning Teacher Induction program in New Brunswick. Fredericton, NB: Department of Education.

Scott, N. (1997). Report on the 1996-1997 Beginning Teacher Induction Program in New Brunswick. Fredericton, NB: Department of Education.

Scott, N. & Mirchandani, H. (2001). Mentoring New Teachers: A Report on the 2001 Beginning Teacher Induction Program in New Brunswick. Fredericton, NB: Department of Education.

Scott, N. & Mirchandani, H. (2002). A Listening Ear; A Helping Hand: A Report on the 2001-2002 Beginning Teacher Induction Program in New Brunswick. Fredericton, NB: Department of Education.

Scott, N. & Surette, T. (1999). Supporting New Teachers: A Report on the 1998-99 Beginning Teacher Induction Program in New Brunswick. Fredericton, NB: Department of Education.

Scott, N. Smith, L. & Grobe, C. (1995). Final Report on the 1993-94 Beginning Teacher Induction Pilot Program. Fredericton, NB: Department of Education.

Tilllman, L. (2005). Mentoring new teachers: Implications for leadership practice in an urban school. Educational Administration Quarterly, 41(4), 609-629.

Wong, H. & Wong, R. (1998). The First Days of School. Mountain View, CA: Harry K. Wong Publications Inc.

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