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Reading List: Professional Development: Mentoring/Coaching

**Ingersoll, R. M, & Smith, T. M. (2004). Do Teacher Induction and Mentoring Matter? NASSP Bulletin, 88(638), 28-40. Available at http://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1134&context=gse_pubs

 

This article addresses the question of whether various types of induction programs have a positive effect on new teacher retention. The article is based on an analysis of national data from the Schools and Staffing Survey and the Teacher Follow-up Survey. Ingersoll and Smith find that programs that provide a mentor in the teacher’s field and increase opportunities to collaborate with colleagues contribute to beginning teacher retention.

 

Neufeld, B., & Roper, D. (2003). Coaching: A Strategy for Developing Instructional Capacity. The Aspen Institute Program on Education and The Annenberg Institute for School Reform. Available at http://www.aspeninstitute.org/sites/default/files/content/docs/pubs/Coaching_NeufeldRoper.pdf

 

This paper is based on analyses of longitudinal, qualitative studies of coaching in Boston, Corpus Christi, Louisville, and San Diego. Neufeld and Roper look at the promise of coaching as a way to increase the instructional capacity of schools and teachers, in order to improve student outcomes. They then consider what kind of preparation is needed for this work and describe some of the coaches’ learning needs. The authors consider the conditions that should be in place before implementing coaching as a professional development model and challenges that are likely to accompany the start-up and continuation of coaching as a key component of a district’s professional development program.