The retention rates in schools in Rochester, New York, have increased from 65 to 86.6 percent since the district launched the Career in Teaching (CIT) program 16 years ago. CIT has strong support from the Rochester Teachers Association, making it a successful collaborative effort. The program includes a strong mentoring component-in the 2001-02 school year, 205 veteran teachers were released up to half time to provide instruction, guidance, and support for 593 new teachers. The program has helped to support struggling veterans and-according to preliminary research-raise student achievement. (Because only a small sample of interns participated in the study, the district plans to continue researching the link between mentoring and student achievement.) CIT has improved beginning-teacher retention dramatically: in 1998, 95 percent of those who entered teaching in Rochester 10 years earlier and who received mentoring were still teaching there.

The CIT plan is also a prime example of how induction programs enable veteran teachers to take on leadership roles. Rochester's program includes four stages in a teacher's career: intern, resident teacher, professional teacher, and lead teacher. Additionally, the plan draws on the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, containing a well-developed set of professional expectations for Rochester's teachers which are used to assess all district teachers, from intern status on up. The district reimburses all application fees for teachers who meet certification, and it considers National Board certification as a special qualification for the lead teacher position on the Rochester career ladder.

Contact:

Rochester City School District
131 West Broad Street
Rochester, New York 14614
Phone: (585) 262-8363.

Web site: http://www.rcsdk12.org/

More info on CIT:
http://www.rochesterteachers.com/cit.htm

Sources:
Linda Darling Hammond. Developing Careers, Building a Profession: The Rochester Career in Teaching Plan. National Commission on Teaching and America's Future. 2002.
http://www.teacherscollege.edu/nctaf/publications/Rochester.pdf

Koppich, J., Asher, C., and Kerchner, C. (2002) Developing careers, building a profession: The
Rochester career in teaching plan. National Commission on Teaching & America's
Future.

Van Lier, P. (October/November 2001.) "In Rochester, N.Y., district and union collaborate to
make mentoring work," CATYLYST for Cleveland Schools. Available online at
http://www.catalyst-cleveland.org/10-01/1001story6.htm.