- Year 2022
- NSF Award #1758386
- Registration Former Noyce Scholar
- First Name Mary
- Last Name Vardeh
- Discipline Biological Sciences, Geosciences, Mathematics, Other: Education
- Institution California State University, Stanislaus
Abstract
In the early months of distance learning, CSU Stanislaus developed a New Teacher Retention/Aid Program (NTRAP)–a teacher support program for Noyce credential candidates and alumni. The goals of the program are to increase teacher efficacy and retention among new teachers by maintaining a support system of peer and mentor relationships, regularly discussing challenges and successes in the classroom, and sharing teaching-related needs that the program can provide (e.g. guest speakers, shared materials, successful classroom strategies). NTRAP is a small program ranging from two to nine participants, with an average of four to five members in attendance. NTRAP was developed in response to the problems in teacher retention. Approximately eight percent of teachers in the United States leave the teaching profession every year, and more than fifty percent of them quit before reaching retirement. In addition, according to a 2011 study, nearly half of teachers quit within their first five years of teaching. These facts led us to question and investigate the causes of such high attrition and develop closer relationships with fellow Noyce Scholars and alumni to ensure their success in their first years of teaching.
