Evaluation of the Greece Central School District Mentor Intern Project

Abstract

In 1989, the New York State Board of Regents adopted new requirements for the certification of elementary and secondary school teachers which mandated one year of mentored teaching for permanent certification. The purpose of this study is to evaluate effectiveness of the 1991-1992 Greece Central School District Mentor Intern Project and to determine the needs of mentored and non-mentored first-year teachers in the Greece Central School District. The study asks: How satisfied are the mentors and interns with the Greece Mentor Intern Project? What are the most positive and least positive aspects of the Greece Mentor Intern Project? How do the experiences of formally mentored first-year teachers in Greece Central School District differ from those first-year teachers not formally mentored? What are the identifiable gains from being mentored? The authors conducted surveys of interns, mentors, and non-mentored first-year teachers with an emphasis on attitudes, perceptions, and needs of the participants. The authors found that interns received more assistance during their first year of teaching than non-mentored teachers and had less need for additional workshops. However, new mentors felt they did not receive enough training and lacked support throughout the program. Furthermore, both mentors and interns were unable to fully commit their time to the program due to school and school district obligations. The authors recommend that the program be continued, though mentors and interns should be provided with more support and time.