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by Copyright IGNACIO SALINAS, JR. 2004 All Rights Reserved The Dissertation Committee for Ignacio Salinas, Jr. Certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: IMPACT OF A MENTORING PROGRAM ON BEGINNING HISPANIC TEACHERS Committee: ___________________________ Jay D. Scribner, Supervisor ___________________________ Norma Cantu ___________________________ Nolan Estes ___________________________ Neida Estringel ___________________________ Norvel Northcutt IMPACT OF A MENTORING PROGRAM ON BEGINNING HISPANIC TEACHERS by IGNACIO SALINAS, JR. B.A., B.A., M.S. Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Texas at Austin December 2004 DEDICATION To my family: My grandmother, Herlinda Gonzalez Garcia, who taught for over 40 years in the public schools of Texas. A true mentor. My mother, Lilia Garcia Salinas, who inspires me to always do and be my best. My father, Ignacio Salinas, Sr., who supports in ways untold. My brother, Orlando Salinas, a hero for many people. My sister, Rosa Amina Olivares, a voice of reason told with humor. My friend, Ernest H. Singleton, always a driving force during this project. A special thanks to my mentors: Dr. Jay D. Scribner, Chair of the Committee, for never allowing me to walk away. Thank you so much! You have blessed me immensely. I will never forget you. Dr. Nolan Estes, your belief in me gave me the wings to soar. Dr. Neida Estringel, your example made this dream come true. Dr. Norvel Northcutt, your conversations directed this study in ways still unknown. Dr. Norma Cant , your contributions to this study made the project real. To the School District that participated in this study: The Board, Administration, and faculty, for your cooperation with this study. Mrs. Dolores Campos, Liaison from the Human Resource Department, your tireless efforts to ensure the success of this study are appreciated. iv IMPACT OF A MENTORING PROGRAM ON BEGINNING HISPANIC TEACHERS Publication No. ____________ Ignacio Salinas, Jr., Ph.D. The University of Texas at Austin, 2004 Supervisor: Jay Scribner This study examined the impact of a mentoring program on beginning Hispanic teachers in a low socioeconomic, predominately limited-English-proficient (LEP) district in South Texas. The purpose of the study was to determine what components of a mentoring program, if any, impacted first or second year teachers during the first year with the district, and how the mentoring experience impacted the beginning Hispanic teachers decision to return for a second year to the profession and/or the district. The framework of the study was established through a literature review that included an investigation of several statewide programs in the nation and Texas Beginning Educator Support System, known as TxBESS in Texas. The study used a survey to gather both quantitative and qualitative data. The survey was sent to identified participants in one school district in South Texas. The school district distributed and collected survey forms for the researcher. The survey asked respondents to prioritize components of the mentoring program as to relevance to their first-year teaching experience. There were also questions concerning their decision to return or not to return for the second year in the profession. Demographic information was collected from the respondents to create two groups from the v respondents. One group was made up of beginning Hispanic teachers with TxBESStrained mentors and the other group was made up of beginning Hispanic teachers who were assigned mentors without TxBESS training. The researcher used a Likert Scale instrumentation to determine rating scores, and also included open ended questions at the close of each section of the survey. This information was analyzed and summarized. Then, generalizations and recommendations were made to the district about the mentoring program in place, as well as, adding to the body of work in the field of mentoring. Four major components of an effective program emerged from the data analysis. These components included (1) sharing of information support and assistance between mentors and beginning Hispanic teachers, (2) importance of time in a mentoring program, (3) the need for frequent contact between mentors and beginning Hispanic teachers, and (4) the emotional support and assistance received by the beginning Hispanic teacher by the mentor. These components were matched to findings from other studies and the research available on mentoring programs. Information from this study should provide the reader with an opportunity to investigate mentoring program components and the feasibility of implementation of a mentoring program at the district level. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LISTS OF GRAPHS......................................................................................................xi LISTS OF TABLES..................................................................................................... xii CHAPTER I - INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................1 Background and Need for the Study....................................................................1 Hispanic Issues in Education..................................................................2 Possible Solutions ..................................................................................4 Case for Mentoring.................................................................................4 Texas Approach......................................................................................5 Statement of the Problem....................................................................................5 Purpose of the Study...........................................................................................6 Research Questions ............................................................................................6 Definition of Terms ............................................................................................7 Significance of the Study ....................................................................................8 Organization of the Study....................................................................................9 CHAPTER II - REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE.......................................................10 Introduction.......................................................................................................10 California Mentor Teacher Program.................................................................13 Colorado Plan...................................................................................................16 Texas Beginning Teacher Support System (TxBESS).......................................17 vii Page History..................................................................................................17 Funding.................................................................................................17 Process .................................................................................................18 Findings in Evaluation Report..............................................................19 Need for Hispanic Teachers.............................................................................20 Ethnic Teachers in Texas..................................................................................23 Relationship between Mentor and Beginning Teacher......................................26 Summary...........................................................................................................29 CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODS...................................................................32 Introduction.......................................................................................................32 Population and Sample .....................................................................................33 Subjects ............................................................................................................35 Design and Instrumentation...............................................................................35 Procedures........................................................................................................38 Data Analysis ...................................................................................................39 Limitations of the Study....................................................................................40 Summary...........................................................................................................40 CHAPTER IV DATA ANALYSIS ............................................................................41 Introduction.......................................................................................................41 Demographic Data ............................................................................................41 Analysis of Data ...............................................................................................43 .................Respondents Experiences with Mentors .43 viii Page Question 1: Impact of Mentoring Program components on Beginning Hispanic t achers... .47 e Informational Support/Assistance from Mentors ........................................47 Time Spent with Mentors .51 Frequent Contact with mentors . ...57 Selection Criteria .57 Emotional Support/Assistance from Mentors .............................................63 Question 2: Impact of Mentoring Experience on Decision of Beginning Hispanic Teachers to Return for Second Year of Teaching . ....68 Other Findings ..................... . .71 Most Beneficial Mentor Support Activities . ...71 Other Reactions...................................................................................75 Respondents Recommendation for Mentoring Project/Program......................87 Final Comments ................................................................................................89 Summary...........................................................................................................91 CHAPTER V SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ..............................................................................................93 Summary of Findings ........................................................................................93 Conclusions ..94 Experiences of Beginning Hispanic Teachers with Mentoring Program...........94 Negative Experiences ...95 TxBESS-Trained Mentors vs. Non-TxBESS-Trained Mentors ........................95 Informational Support/Assistance from Mentors ..................................96 ix Page The Importance of Time........................................................................96 Frequent Contact with Mentors.............................................................97 Emotional Support/Assistance..............................................................98 Mentoring Impact on Retention .98 Conclusions Based on Other Findings .......................................................99 Most Beneficial Activities....................................................................99 Selection of Mentors...........................................................................100 State Mentoring Requirements ............................................................100 Recommendations to the District....................................................................102 Recommendations for Further Study...............................................................104 APPENDICES............................................................................................................105 Appendix A: Letter to participants .................................................................106 Appendix B: Demographic Data.....................................................................107 Appendix C: Teachers Survey (Form A & B) ...........................................108 Appendix D: Letter of Permission to the School District................................114 BIBLIOGRAPHY.......................................................................................................116 VITA . .. 123 x LIST OF GRAPHS Page Graph 2.1: The percentage of 2000-2001 TxBESS and non-TxBESS beginning teachers returning for a second year of teaching by race/ethnicity .................................................................20 Graph 4.1: Frequency of responses to agreement/disagreement with positive mentoring experience......................................................................................46 Graph 4.2: Frequency of responses to agreement/disagreement with positive impact of informational support/assistance by beginning teachers f r o m m e n t o r s .. 4 9 Graph 4.3: Frequency of responses to agreement/disagreement with emotional support/assistance by beginning teachers from mentors .............................................................................................................65 Graph 4.4: Frequency of responses to agreement/disagreement with positive impact of mentoring experience on beginning Hispanic teachers .........................................................................................................70 xi LIST OF TABLES Page Table 2.1: Table 2.2: Race/Ethnicity of Texas Public School Teachers (1995-2001) ....24 Number of TxBESS and Non-TxBESS Beginning Teachers, by race/ethnicity (based on 1999-2000 school year) .25 Percentage of beginning teachers returning for a second year, by race/ethnicity (based on 1999-2000 school year) .26 Degree of Agreement/Disagreement with Experience Statement 44 Degree of Agreement/Disagreement with Informational support/assistance from mentors .48 Correlation of time spent by mentor to positive experience of mentoring experience for all respondents 53 Nonparametric correlation of time spent by mentor to positive mentoring experience for all respondents .. ..53 Ranked order of the criteria according to the total group identified as essential ...58 TxBESS-trained mentors' rankings of the selection criteria they found essential ..59 Non-TxBESS-trained mentors' rankings of the selection criteria they found essential ..59 Agreement/Disagreement with amount of emotional support/assistance by beginning teachers from mentors 64 Mentoring experience having positive impact on beginning teachers teaching ..68 Most frequently selected as "essential" of the beneficial activities by the total group ..72 Table 2.3: Table 4.1: Table 4.2: Table 4.3: Table 4.4: Table 4.5: Table 4.6: Table 4.7: Table 4.8: Table 4.9: Table 4.10: xii Page Table 4.11: Tabulation of the rankings as "essential" of the mentoring support activities by group with TxBESS trained mentors . ..73 Tabulation of the ranking as "essential" of the mentoring support activities by group with Non-TxBESS-trained mentors ..74 Frequency distribution of items most beneficial to total group 76 Frequency distribution of group of beginning Hispanic teachers with TxBESS-trained mentors .77 Frequency distribution of the group of beginning Hispanic teachers with non-TxBESS-trained mentors . ..78 Favorable responses to the five statements ..88 Table 4.12: Table 4.13 Table 4.14: Table 4.15: Table 4.16: xiii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Background and Need for the Study During the 1998-1999 school year, Texas school districts had to fill over 63,000 teaching positions. While approximately 5,700 positions were created to accommodate increasing student enrollment, most vacant positions were a result of 11,000 teachers retiring or 46,000 leaving the profession (Texas Center for Education Research, 2000). Texas has a teacher retention problem not unlike other states in the nation. For beginning teachers in Texas, retention rates are extremely low. Teachers give many reasons for exiting the classroom after their first year in the teaching profession, including poor working conditions, school bureaucracy, lack of support from administration, inadequate preservice training, and limited opportunities to upgrade their skills. A significant percentage of teachers leave the profession within the first three years of employment. The beginning teacher retention rate is lower than the average rate for all teachers and exceeds the state average for attrition. The State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) (2000) reports that as much as 19 percent of beginning teachers in Texas (about 4,100 individuals) leave at the end of their first year of teaching (Gately, 2000, p .2). The studies also show that by the end of the third year, between 35 and 43 percent leave the profession (Texas Center for Education Research, 2000). Teacher attrition represents a huge cost to public education that exceeds beyond the expense of operating schools. It is a wasted expense that does not contribute to the 1 education of Texas children (Texas Center for Education Research, 2000, p. 1). In 1999, the annual cost of losing beginning teachers was estimated to be between $36 and $216 million, depending on the assumptions of the turnover model. As many as 43 percent of all new Texas teachers left the profession after three years, resulting in a three year turnover cost of between $81 and $480 million (Gately, 2000). In addition to the cost, turnover may also affect student performance, particularly in schools where the turnover rate is consistently high (Texas Center for Education Research, 2000). Stanford University researcher Linda Darling-Hammond (1999) found that teacher ability is a stronger determinant of student achievement than poverty, race, or parents educational attainment. To paraphrase the National Commission on Teaching and America s future, teaching is what matters most. According to Leslie Blair (2001), editor of Southwest Educational Development Laboratory News SEDLETTER, it will be up to those of us in the field of education to think outside the box to recruit and retain the best and the brightest into the teaching force. We must also work more diligently to recruit and retain a more diverse teaching force, to ensure that we have teachers of the highest quality for all of our students (p. 2). Hispanic Issues in Education According to 2000 United States Census data, 35.3 million Hispanics reside in the United States, with a higher concentration in California, Texas, New York, Florida, and Illinois. Census data also found the Hispanic community to be a very young population when compared to other population segments. In Texas, Hispanics comprise 32 percent of the total population (Census Report, 2000), which translates to more than 6.5 million people. Official sources estimate that the number could be much 2 higher due to undercounting along the Texas-Mexico border. Demographic projections also reveal that Hispanics are the fastest growing minority, set to surpass the AfricanAmerican community by 2005. The Hispanic community impacts current education issues and presents its own needs and challenges. Research suggests that school environments that are caring, nurturing, and respectful of students and their culture are places where Hispanic students do well academically. Lack of attention to this research has contributed to the current conditions of Hispanic education. Latest studies from the U.S. Bureau of Census (1999) and the U.S. Department of Education (1999 and 2000) report that: Hispanics enroll in school at lower rates than non-Hispanic Whites and non-Hispanic Blacks. The academic achievement of Hispanics as measured by NAEP scores on math, reading, and science is lower than non-Hispanic Whites, but higher that non-Hispanic Blacks. Hispanics have the highest dropout rates of the three largest ethnicracial groups in the country. Hispanics enroll in higher education at lower rates than non-Hispanic Whites and non-Hispanic Blacks. The majority of Hispanics who enroll in institutions of higher education are enrolled in two-year institutions. These conditions limit the pool of trained Hispanic teachers; making their retention crucial to our schools in Texas. 3 Possible Solutions Teacher turnover results in a high cost to the state and local school districts. Funds used to pay for turnover-related expenses could be used to benefit Texas students and teachers in other ways. The State of Texas has enacted several measures at the state and local level to help address teacher retention. In the 76th and 77th sessions of the state legislature, a $3,000 pay raise and money for health insurance for teachers were funded with state monies to improve the working conditions and benefits of the profession. At the local level, stipends for special assignments and for longevity have put more money into teacher salaries. Alternative certification programs have also been established to attract members of other professions into the classroom. The motive for these initiatives is to keep more teachers in the profession. Case for Mentoring Mentoring programs for beginning teachers is one example of incentives focused primarily on teacher retention. Policymakers and district administrators must evaluate how teachers, especially those just entering the profession, are supported. Implementing strategies to retain qualified teachers must become a priority. Providing meaningful mentoring programs for teachers is a possible solution. By using professional support, time, training, and financial resources, Texas school districts could increase the number of teachers who remain in the Texas teaching force (Gately, 2000). The extent to which teachers feel they are supported regularly and substantially, especially in the first year of teaching, impacts their persistence ratewhether they stay in a profession, says Margaret Gaston, Co-director of the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning, based in California. High-quality induction programs really make a difference (SEDLETTER, XIII (2), 2001 p. 7). 4 Practicing teachers are painfully aware of the difficulties they face in the classroom every day, and when asked their views about improving teacher quality, their responses emphasize the importance of providing support and assistance to all beginning teachers. Teachers believe that more meaningful mentoring into the profession than what currently exists will promote a more successful entry-level experience for new teachers and a more productive experience for the students in their classrooms. They strongly support early intervention in a teacher s career, with support, guidance, and assistance from colleagues (NEA & AFT, 1998). Texas Approach In 1999, Texas joined Arkansas, California, Colorado, Missouri, and other states in implementing mentoring programs. Texas Beginning Educator Support System (TxBESS) was a three-year pilot project developed to provide beginning Texas teachers with a support system. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education and administered by the State Board of Educator Certification (SBEC), TxBESS addresses three major goals: (1) increasing teacher retention, (2) assisting teachers in developing and refining sound teaching practices that support high-quality instruction, and (3) improving student performance (Texas Beginning Educator Support System, Evaluation Report for Year Two, 2000-01, Executive Summary of Findings prepared by the Charles A. Dana Center, 2001, p. 2). Independent, preliminary evaluations of TxBESS indicate it has had a positive impact on the retention of beginning Hispanic teachers. Statement of the Problem The current body of research on mentoring contains a limited number of studies on the impact mentoring programs have on beginning Hispanic teachers. This is due primarily to the lack of consistency in mentoring programs in the education field. 5 Because mentoring for the most part has been viewed as an added program, allocation and spending of money on these programs is often considered a luxury for state and school districts. In states, such as Texas, where mentoring programs are mandated the research shows over-all success for mentoring programs with standards, training, and resources allocated. The researcher felt compelled to pursue this study in order to increase the body of knowledge regarding the impact of mentoring programs, particularly beginning Hispanic teachers. Purpose of the Study The major purpose of this study was to determine why a teacher mentoring program is effective in retaining beginning Hispanic teachers working with a high percentage of low income, limited-English-proficient student populations. More specifically, an attempt was made to ascertain the effectiveness of the Texas Beginning Educator Support System (TxBESS) in retaining beginning teachers in a school district that has a predominately Hispanic faculty and student population by identifying the component of a mentoring program. Research Questions Two questions guided this study: 1. What components of a mentoring program impact beginning Hispanic teachers during their first year teaching experience? 2. How does the mentoring experience impact beginning Hispanic teachers in their decision to return for a second year in the profession? 6 Definition of Terms Mentor A teacher, who has obtained full state certification, holds a minimum of a bachelor s degree, has demonstrated subject area competence in each of the academic subjects in which the teacher teaches, and is a career teacher who has received training by the Education Service Center in the TxBESS program. TxBESS-Trained Mentor A teacher, who has obtained full state certification, holds a minimum of a bachelor s degree, has demonstrated subject area competence in each of the academic subjects in which the teacher teaches, and is a career teacher who has received training by the Education Service Center in the TxBESS program. Mentee A beginning Hispanic teacher participating in the mentoring program. Beginning Hispanic Teacher. A first or second-year teacher of Hispanic origin or is self-identified as Hispanic in a Texas public school. Teacher Mentoring Program A comprehensive program of support, training, and formative assessment to assist beginning teachers in Texas public schools. Support comes from a mentor and other support-team members. In this study TxBESS includes a trained mentor, a school administrator, a staff member from the Education Service Center (ESC), and/or staff from teacher preparation entities such as colleges and universities. 7 Program effectiveness In this study, program effectiveness is determined by the number of beginning Hispanic teachers who choose to return for a second year of teaching. Significance of the Study Six out of ten (60 percent) practitioners believe most new teachers lack the requisite experience needed to manage classrooms effectively. Areas of greatest need cited by teachers include maintaining discipline and helping students who are performing below grade level standards. Large majorities of administrators and new teachers believe that mentoring programs for new teachers would be very effective in improving teacher quality (Farkas, Johnson, Foleno, Duffett, & Foley, 2000). Farkas and colleagues submit that teachers and school administrators surveyed generally give education schools and teacher training programs good overall ratings. However, 60 percent of new teachers say that most beginning teachers do not go into the field with enough experience in running a classroom. This feeling has not escaped the notice of education professors, many of whom suspect the very same problem. According to Farkas, Johnson, Foleno, Duffett, and Foley (2000), 63 percent of education professors worry that education programs often fail to prepare teachers for the challenges of teaching in the real world. Fifty-one percent of new teachers believe that requiring new teachers to spend much more time in classrooms under the supervision of experienced teachers would prove to be very effective in improving teacher quality--and an even greater percentage of school administrators (72 percent) agree. In sharp contrast, only 20 percent of new teachers and 19 percent of school administrators think requiring teachers to earn graduate degrees in education would be an effective way to improve teacher quality 8 (Farkas, Johnson, Foleno, Duffett, & Foley, 2000, p. 32). Teacher mentoring has increased in popularity over the last decade and today is one of the most discussed topics in education reform. Most education professionals agree that teacher mentoring should be explored as this approach provides an opportunity to improve teacher quality. The National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the largest public school employee organizations in the United States, are strong advocates of teacher mentoring programs. Some state and local teacher organizations are responding to the need to collaborate with local school systems to design and implement programs intended to meet the needs of beginning teachers in their respective schools. Likewise, colleges and universities are becoming active participants in this collaborative process. Through their teacher education programs and certification procedures, they are working with school systems and teacher organizations to create and implement new induction practices that better serve the needs of the beginning teacher (Reagin, 1999). Organization of the Study The study consists of five chapters. Chapter I provides the background, needs of the study, and the research questions addressed in the study. Chapter II presents a review of the literature that supports the study. Chapter III includes a description of the methods and procedures used to obtain and process the data, the instrument to collect and record data, and analysis of data. Chapter IV poses an analysis of the collection of data. Chapter V provides discussion and recommendations. 9 CHAPTER II REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE Introduction The term mentor dates back to the literary description given by Homer in The Odyssey, in which the teacher mentor was entrusted to tutor Odysseus s son, Telemachus. Homer s classic has left an enduring image of a wise, experienced counselor who assists in guiding a younger, less experienced prot g (Daresh, 1995, p. 7). Although the term is ancient, the same image comes to mind today whenever the word is uttered. The word mentor is used in business and industry to describe important tools for advancement through the managerial ranks, for men and women (Simonette, 2000, p. 56). The term is used broadly to describe teachers, coaches, trainers, positive role models, developers of talent, openers of doors, protectors, sponsors of successful leaders. D. J. Levinson writes: No word currently in use is adequate to convey the nature of the relationship we have in mind here. Today, the term mentor is generally used in a much narrower sense, to mean teacher, advisor, or sponsor. As we use the term, it means all these things and more (Simonetti, 2000, p. 56). Pam Robbins, an independent education consultant, describes a mentor as one who provides the newcomer with support, guidance, feedback, problem-solving guidance, and access to a network of colleagues who share resources, insights, practices, and materials (Robbins, 1999, p. 40). Most current concepts stress an ongoing relationship between a veteran teacher who supports, encourages, counsels, and befriends a less-experienced person in order to promote the latter s professional and personal development (Orland, 2001, p. 75). Nathalie Gehrke, in her article 10 Towards a Definition of Mentoring, takes a more philosophical approach, describing the process of mentoring as gift giving, with many phases of commitment and awakening. Gehrke states the definition and the process by which mentoring is discovered should be steeped in the vocabulary and the spirit of the gift should be suffused with whole-sight. The definition should capture the giving and receiving, the awakening and the gratitude. And finally, it should capture the passage to another that immortalizes the gift, and extends humankind toward the omega point (Zimpher, 1988, p. 194). In spite of the many definitions given to mentoring, there is a common thread, a common goal: a commitment to help young people find success and gratification in their new profession. The interest in mentoring and induction in the teaching profession has been ignited by many factors. Mentoring, as a practice, is increasingly being used in North America and Britain as a way of supporting new teachers and has been associated with the recruitment of beginning teachers dating back as early as 1962. In education, mentoring has been defined as a planned program intended to provide some systemic and sustained assistance, specifically to beginning teachers for at least one school year (Lawson, 1992, p. 163). The number of formal mentor and induction programs has tripled since the 1970 s, and the emergence is likely to expand due to the growing proportion of teachers who will retire and the increasing number of children entering American schools, combined with an effort to reduce student/teacher ratios. Hal A. Lawson (1992) cites three major influences during the 1970 s and 1980 s that led to the development of a new system of induction and mentoring: research literature, political mandates, and an outcry for reform from educators. Research dealing with teacher socialization, teacher cognition, teacher effectiveness, and the needs of beginning 11 teachers has increased the consciousness of policymakers. Instead of a linear, oneway process of socialization wherein recruits are inducted into the profession s way of defining and performing work, teacher socialization is now seen as a more complex process (Lawson, 1992, p. 164). As a result of research in the area of teacher mentoring, teacher socialization is seen in a broad context. Society, culture, institutions, and history were all identified as impacting teacher socialization. Additional research concluded that background also influences a teacher. Teachers thoughts, decisions, judgments, and behaviors had never been considered before, but cognitive studies began to bring these aspects to light. Researchers also have sought to define what characteristics define an effective teacher. As patterns of problems in the practice of teaching have become more apparent, more attention has been given to cognitive influences. Research on beginning teachers has shown to be the most effective mechanism for bringing mentoring to the forefront. Studies have questioned the impact of individual adjustments and accommodations, as well as school structures and sources of discontinuity on the development of successful professional educators. Research conducted during the past two decades has proven the first year of teaching to be crucial, and the most difficult transition point. Only forty-one percent of teachers report feeling very well prepared to implement new teaching methods, thirty-six percent to implement state or district curriculum performance standards, and twentyeight percent to use student performance assessment techniques (Teaching in Colorado, 2001, p. 3). Teachers had traditionally been abandoned by the institutions where they receive their preservice training and considered peers to all other teachers by their employers, and were left to their own devices to endure the first 12 years of teaching (Galvez-Hjornevik, 1986, p. 16). The Research and Development Center for Texas Education at the University of Texas at Austin has pointed out that the most accessible point of induction to implement change is at the start of a teacher s career, when they feel the most vulnerable. This research has fueled not only an interest in mentoring of beginning teachers but various political reforms of public education. The list includes caps on education courses, mandated five-year university certification programs, alternative certification programs offered outside higher education, a national teachers examination, state mandated curricula and student assessment packages, and changes in accreditation criteria and procedures. The final influence on teacher mentoring and the move to change the focus of teacher education came from members within the education community itself, including the Association of Teacher Educators Blue Ribbon Task Force, established in 1986, that first linked the performance of beginning teachers with an induction experience. School administrators have argued that teacher education should take place in schools. For example, school superintendents in Ohio have supplied their own examinations for new teachers in the district. These influences have greatly aided in improving teacher mentoring programs including those in California, Colorado, and Texas. California Mentor Teacher Program California was one of the first to initiate a state-supported effort to improve mentoring and induction. Known as the California Mentor Teacher Program and enacted in 1983 as part of the Hughes-Hart Education Reform Act (Senate Bill 813), the program focused efforts on the growing literature on teacher attrition and the need for increased support for new teachers, especially in urban districts. Urban areas 13 contained a growing number of alternatively certified teachers (The Story 2001, p. 1). The purpose of the Act was to attract and retain capable teachers and to expand the resources supporting staff development and school improvement in the state (The Story , 2001, p. 1). Among the eighty reform provisions included in the Act, the most profound impact has been on opportunities created for experienced teachers who participate in a mentoring program. Each mentor received an annual stipend of $4000 from the California Teacher Mentor Program (CTMP), plus $2000 for substitutes, training, and additional resources. While the program permitted up to five percent of teachers in each school to serve as mentors (for a 1:20 ratio), due to lack of funding, the state could only provide two percent of teachers as mentors, or one in fifty. The 1984-85 appropriations for the program allowed teachers to be released from teaching to mentor for forty percent of the time. After one year, 5,100 mentors were named in 740 school districts. The law also extended beyond its primary purpose of aiding new teachers and provided staff and curriculum mentoring to experienced teachers, as well. During the first two years, mentors worked alone, and research found that the mentors themselves were searching for a purpose (California Mentor Teacher: Two Years of Learning, 1986). In 1987-1988, state funding only supported four percent of the state s teachers. Mentors found themselves in many dilemmas, caused primarily by a lack of leadership. A 1986 Far West Lab study found that mentors often found it difficult to move from the role of peer to mentor, and thus downplayed their roles as mentors to minimize awkwardness. By 1988, a study of the program found no improvements in teacher retention rates and recommended eight changes, including the amount of release time received 14 and a greater emphasis on instruction and support for new teachers. Also at that time, California implemented the Bergeson Act (Senate Bill 148) that authorized the study of different programs throughout the state. A resulting study by the California Commission on Teaching Credentialing found the mentor-prot g relationship to be the most effective strategy in supporting novice teachers. This finding led to yet another state legislative action Senate Bill 1422, which allocated $4.898 million to fund the Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment Program (BTSA). BTSA proved to hit the mark. By 1993, a study that examined two counties in southern California found that mentoring was the strongest influence in a beginning teacher s decision to remain in the teaching profession. Based on information derived from more than thirty BTSA programs implemented over a period of at least eight years, mentoring has been reformed as a result of experience, program leadership, and higher education. In 1997, BTSA received $10 million from the state for mentoring, allowing each mentor $5000. In their follow up research, California officials found the programs to be financially effective, reducing teacher attrition rate and saving money on recruitment, rehiring, and retraining (The Story , 2001. p. 4). Currently, BSTA funds mentoring programs for 74 school districts, including 5,487 new teachers. Still, this is only 16 percent of the possible participants, due to the size of California and its population (The Story 2001). California is not the only state that has begun implementing legislative change within public schools. The National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL) offers a list of state legislatures that have taken an active role in implementing professional development, especially for beginning teachers. Both the quality and duration of professional development opportunities affect teachers ability to improve teaching 15 practices and student achievement (Teaching in Colorado, 2001, p. 3). Colorado Plan Like many other states, the mentoring efforts in Colorado depend on teacher interests and school district funding. Most of Colorado s teacher mentor program can be found in metropolitan areas. While the state does not allocate funds specifically for mentoring in schools, standards have been developed and implemented in three quarters of the districts. The minimum mentor requirements include: A set number of years of experience Master teacher status or department head Recommendations from district building administrators and others Evaluations demonstrating excellence in teaching A master s or advanced degree Interviews or some approval process involving administrative personnel. (Teaching in Colorado, 2001, p. 2) Despite advances resulting form State House Bills 97 and 1058, only 31 percent of districts grant their mentors release time so that they can observe mentees a critical element of the mentor role. Metropolitan school districts accounted for 44 percent of release time, rural counties for 25 percent, and outlying towns for 17 percent of release time. The fact that Colorado does not allocate funds specifically for mentoring in schools makes their funding a hardship on rural and outlying school districts. When replacement personnel are not available, it is difficult to grant mentors release time. Although beginning teachers leave the profession for numerous reasons: salary, workplace conditions, personal and family reasons, etc., one of the most common reasons offered is lack of administrative and school support (Teaching in 16 Colorado, 2001, p. 2). Texas Beginning Teacher Support System (TxBESS) History In Texas, mentoring was first included in the alternative certification program in 1991, and mandated later that year. The mandate is not currently funded by the state. An amendment to the Texas Education Code in 1999 added an induction program for beginning teachers that includes an assigned mentor and a teacher orientation (19 TAC Chapter 230, Subchapter V Induction for Beginning Teachers on September 1, 1999). Even with alternative certification programs, Texas suffers from a shortage of teachers in K-12 public schools. According to research done by Sue Mutchler, a research specialist with the Texas Education Agency, the education field retains only 60 percent of education graduates. Twenty-two percent leave the profession within the first three years, 30 percent leave the profession after five years. A recent study of Texas teacher recruitment and retention reported that nineteen percent of new teachers leave after only one year in the profession primarily because they fail to get badly needed professional support (Texas Center for Educational Research) (Mutchler, 2000, p. 10). Funding The Texas Beginning Educator Support System (TxBESS) began with a $10 million federal grant from the U. S. Department of Education. TxBESS, a pilot program administered by the Texas State Board of Educator Certification (SBEC) is designed to aide first and second-year teachers. The 2002-2003 state budget mandated that the Texas Education Agency allocate not more than $350,000 annually to SBEC for operation, marketing and support of school-district-based teacher mentoring programs. 17 SBEC budgeted $4.86 million to be used for teacher retention and recruitment for the 2002 fiscal year. That figure fell to $307,848 for the 2003-2004 fiscal year. This reduction in funding coincides with the last year of funding from the original $10 million federal grant. Process The TxBESS program operates in all parts of Texas through partnerships among regional education service centers (ESC), local school districts, teacher preparation entities/colleges and universities, local business and community groups, and SBEC. The regional education service centers provide a link between SBEC and other partners in the region and maintain an advisory board for the TxBESS project in the region. ESCs also provide training to educators and partners in the region and foster conditions for district and campus success in the program. Local school districts may choose to participate by allocating resources for mentor stipends and release time for training. Some school districts opt to offer release time and training instead of stipends or monetary incentives. Participation by a school district is a locally controlled decision. The role of teacher preparation entities is to provide faculty and staff to serve as support-team members for beginning teachers and as observers in the formative assessment of individual teachers. Teacher preparation entities also incorporate standards from the TxBESS Framework into teacher and administrator preparation programs. Preparation entities also work with other partners to develop graduate-level courses for mentors, in addition to participating in regional advisory board activities. The aim of the three-year pilot program was to provide systematic training and support for beginning teachers in Texas in their first and second years on the job. 18 TxBESS focuses on improving teacher retention and professional development by first using feedback from assessments developed for early-career teachers (Mutchler, 2000, p. 4). A TxBESS Activity Profile offers information for the beginning teacher, as well as information about the teacher preparation program from which he/she graduated. Mentors also undergo training before assisting early career teachers. The mentor teacher, an administrator, and a representative from an educator preparation program all share responsibility for the success or failure of the local mentoring program (Mutchler, 2000 p. 4). The Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin served as the evaluator in the second year of the TxBESS program. Its evaluation described TxBESS participants, identified TxBESS strategies for supporting beginning teachers, assessed the efforts of beginning teacher support systems on teacher attitudes and professional activities, and measured the effects of support on teacher retention. Findings in Evaluation Report The Dana Center Evaluation Report found that of the 1999-2000 cohort of 19,859 beginning Texas teachers, 89.2 percent of TxBESS teachers and 80.8 percent of non-TxBESS teachers returned for a second year in 2000-2001; and of that cohort, 84.4 percent of TxBESS teachers and 75.4 percent of non-TxBESS teachers returned for their third year. At the high school level, 88.7 percent of TxBESS teachers returned for a second year of teaching, while only 79 percent of non-TxBESS high school beginning teachers returned for a second year (SBEC, Office of Accountability, 2002). The evaluation also reports retention of TxBESS and non-TxBESS beginning teachers by ethnicity (See Graph 2.1 below). Across all ethnic groups, TxBESS participants return for a second year more often than non-TxBESS teachers. When 19 analyzed by ethnicity, a comparison of the 2000-2001 TxBESS and non-TxBESS teachers revealed that the return rate of TxBESS teachers exceeded that of nonTxBESS teachers in all ethnic groups. While the trend is significant for all ethnic groups, it is particularly manifested in the Hispanic population (91.4% TxBESS/73.0% non TxBESS). Graph 2.1 The percentage of 2000-2001 TxBESS and non-TxBESS beginning teachers returning for a second year of teaching by race/ethnicity* 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 African American Hispanic TxBESS White Non-TxBESS Other 87.4 76.8 91.4 86 73 83.7 92.3 79 Source: 2001-02 PEIMS data supplied by SBEC *Based on 2,104 TxBESS and 18,188 non-TxBESS beginning teachers. Need for Hispanic Teachers In November 2001, Losing Ground: A National Summit on Diversity in the Teaching Force was held in Washington, D.C. This forum concluded with a call for organizational cooperation for the purpose of effecting policy via a national action plan 20 to promote strategies addressing the shortage of educators from diverse backgrounds. The focus of the summit was to call attention to the barriers to teaching for people of color, including their perceptions of teaching as a profession, the impact of teacher testing and licensure, obstacles to college (including teacher education) admission and retention, conditions within schools as a site for employment, and the lack of mentoring and support for new teachers . Schools face a significant increase in ethnic minority student enrollment, but the fact that the teaching force does not reflect this diversity is a travesty, according to Ellen Riojas Clark and Belinda Bustos Flores (2000) at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Latino, Asian, African-American, and Native American now represent over 36 percent of the student population, while only 14 percent of the K-12 teachers are ethnic minorities (Recruiting New Teachers, 2000). To compound the problem, recent studies report that teachers continue to feel inadequately prepared to meet the needs of language and ethnic minority students. Research done in the 1990 s identified three critical components for the retention and recruitment of minority teachers: (1) a shared identity link between student and teacher, (2) the importance of minority role models, and (3) the need for culturally based curriculum. Likewise, this body of research found that minority students prefer teachers who share their ethnicity, bilingualism, and gender. Understanding the history of minority communities experience with schooling in the United States will shed light on the challenges of recruiting minority teachers; that understanding also provides valuable insights into how to prepare all students who choose teaching as a profession. Immigration, segregation, exclusion, separation, and discrimination are all facets of the contemporary experience of teachers of color and provides context for their attitudes toward their profession. 21 Even though their traditional cultures may offer valuable life lessons, minority students have no choice but to assimilate. They must meet the requirements of modern life through formal schooling or be marginalized, often to poverty (Gordon, 2002, p. 3). Students often must attempt to maintain a balance between competing loyalties to their kin and community and to the meritocratic society represented by the classroom. Teachers need to address these loyalties to ensure optimum instruction in schools, especially low-income, immigrant and non-white students. Minority teachers, like minority students, have loyalties to identities and images from their own culture and local communities embodied in one or many generations of their kinfolk that impact their career choices. Ethnic minority teachers, including newer immigrants, are expected to adopt the norms of the majority culture and its teaching profession while also attempting to meet the expectations of their own ethnic and social communities. The role of educator in traditional communities rests with its value for the survival of the community and with the prestige associated with obtaining the highest level of expertise within the cultural context. Because of this view, teachers with minority backgrounds have high expectations for themselves and for prospective minority teachers and students. The research found that respect for teachers and for teaching as a profession decreases among communities of color the longer that community has been in contact with mainstream American society. This historical process results in a contradiction between the high respect for teachers given by communities of color, and the relatively low respect given teachers by mainstream society. Gordon (2002) contended that integrating into mainstream America means adapting to attitudes that focus on materialism and individualism. Dominant values in a free-market society are not 22 community oriented, do not respect service-oriented professions, and do not support the assistance of those most in need. In spite of this, Gordon (2002) contended that young minorities are interested in teaching as a career because they are well aware of how important a significant adult can be in their life. However, these potential minority teachers are also well aware of the obstacles they face when considering a career in teaching. These obstacles discourage them as future teachers. What needs to change is the public s image of the teaching profession. Clearly, teachers and teacher educators must lead the way in convincing mainstream American society to develop positive images of teachers that reflect the willingness and dedication of young teachers. We also need ethnic minority teachers, in critical numbers, to help us develop ways of thinking about teaching, learning, and schooling that run counter to the hegemonic tide (Burant, Quicho, & Rios 2002, p. 10). Burant, Quicho, and Rios (2002) contended that the current mood of the country can be described as distinctly antiaffirmative action, antibilingual education, and antimulticultural education (p. 10). The opportunities that come with significant numbers of ethnic minority teachers go beyond their oft-described asset as role models to students who share their ethnic background. By increasing the numbers of ethnic minority teachers in our public schools, learning environments may be developed, wherein alliances are built, critical thinking is encouraged and nurturing communities are the norm. Ethnic Teachers in Texas The State Board of Education in Texas has compiled statistics tracking the number of teaching certificates issued in the state to members of different ethnic groups. 23 It is important to note that while the Hispanic community makes up one third of the total population in Texas, table 2.1 shows that the growth of Hispanic teachers is not in direct proportion to the general population. Over the period of time from 1995 to 2001 Texas certified an average of 20 percent of the total new teachers claiming to be Hispanic. The lowest percentage of beginning teachers being certified 1995 was 16.9 percent and the highest percentage was 22.4 percent in 2001. The following chart tells the story of the Texas experience. Table 2.1 Race/Ethnicity of Texas Public School Teachers (1995-2001) Table 2.1 Race/Ethnicity of Texas Public School Teachers (1995-2001) 1995 1996 1997 Teacher Group # % # % # Native Amer 106 0.7 93 0.6 79 Asian 192 1.2 222 1.4 224 Afr Amer 913 5.7 933 6.1 797 Hispanic 2,718 16.9 3,041 19.8 2,868 White 12,164 75.6 11,064 72.1 10,566 TOTAL 16,093 100 15,353 100 14,533 1999 # 64 190 1,118 3,580 11,130 16,083 2000 # 49 161 845 2,677 8,307 12,040 2001 # 77 196 1,109 3,281 9,982 14,645 % 0.5 1.5 5.5 19.7 72.7 100 1998 # 83 210 922 3,150 10,547 14,912 % 0.6 1.4 6.2 21.1 70.7 100 Teacher Group Native Amer Asian Afr Amer Hispanic White TOTAL % 0.4 1.2 7 22.3 69.2 100 % 0.4 1.3 7 22.2 69 100 % 0.5 1.3 7.6 22.4 68.2 100 * Totals exceed the actual number of individuals certified because some individuals were in multiple routes and other individuals reported multiple ethnicities. TxBESS has added a new dimension to the Texas experience with regard to certification and retention of ethnic teachers. Table 2.2 illustrates the number of TxBESS and non-TxBESS beginning teachers that participated in the program by 24 race/ethnicity (based on 1999-2000 school year numbers). It is important to note that in both groups minority teachers make up less than half of the population reported. TxBESS participants were 57.7 percent White and 42.3 percent minority. The groups of beginning teachers not participating in the TxBESS program had 65.8 percent White and 34.2 percent minority (See table 2.2). Table 2.2 Number of TxBESS and Non-TxBESS Beginning Teacher, by race/ethnicity (based on 1999-2000 school year) TxBESS Non-TxBESS Number White Hispanic African-American Other Total 1440 896 135 25 2496 % 57.7 35.9 5.4 1.0 Number 12528 3808 2380 324 19040 % 65.8 20.0 12.5 1.7 Source: State Board of Educator Certification Executive Summary of Findings Report, October 2001 Table 2.3 reflects the significant difference reported in the Executive Summary of the Finding Report (2001) disseminated by the State Board of Education Certification. All ethnic groups showed a better retention rate among the beginning teachers who were involved in the TxBESS program. However, the Hispanic subgroup had the most significant difference (91.4% TxBESS/73.0% non TxBESS). 25 Table 2.3 Percentage of beginning teachers returning for a second year, by race/ethnicity (based on 1999-2000 school year) TxBESS White Hispanic African-American Other 86.0 91.4 87.4 92.3 Non-TxBESS 83.7 73.0 76.8 79.0 Source: State Board of Educator Certification Executive Summary of Findings Report, October 2001 Relationship between Mentor and Beginning Teacher Recent studies show that quality feedback between the supervisors and workers is associated with lower levels of role ambiguity. Also, higher quality exchanges between leaders and subordinate-newcomers are associated with lower role ambiguity and moderates the negative effects (such as intentions to leave) associated with unmet role expectations (Viator, 2001). Likewise, the quality and frequency of communication between a mentor and a beginning teacher will determine the success of the relationship and its intended goal. Garvey and Geof (2001) found that the authority which comes with a direct line-management position is not appropriate in a mentoring partnership. Mentoring is concerned with learning and development within a trusting relationship. Therefore, the mentor is best situated between the organization and the mentee, knowledge about both and responsive to both (p. 522). The roles of both formal and informal mentor-mentee relationships differ not only in process, but in outcome as well. In a formal mentor relationship, mentor and mentee are paired based on interests, experiences, and background. Generally, organizations do not consider the same stipulations of an informal mentorship when 26 matching mentor and mentee. Therefore, it is less likely that a formal relationship will carry the same bond as an informal relationship. Informal mentor relationships are not managed, structured, or formally recognized by the firm (Viator, 2001, p. 78). They begin by observing the other person, and testing the waters before graduating to a committed mentor-mentee relationship. According to Viator (2001), informal mentees look for mentors who possess power, have self-confidence and are willing to share and protect (p. 78). And mentors seek out mentees, who have already established a good performance record, possess a desirable social background, and have demonstrated loyalty (Viator, 2001, p. 78). How a mentor and a beginning teacher define their relationship is crucial for success. A lack of harmony due to a personal, philosophical, or cultural clash can undermine the relationship; therefore, it is important that each party establishes his or her expectations in the early stages of the mentor-beginning teacher relationship. Robbins (1999) describes a good mentor as someone who provides the newcomer with support, guidance, feedback, problem-solving guidance, and a network of colleagues who share resources, insights, practices, and materials (p. 40). Too often, mentors are ill equipped to take on this role after only one orientation session and review of written materials. Vague instructions and too little preparation fail to prepare mentors adequately for their crucial position. Sudzina, Giebelhaus, and Coolican (1997) believe that one way to alleviate this problem would be to prepare teachers to mentor student teachers as part of teacher education programs (Sudzina et al., p. 30). Researchers and practitioners believe that new teachers need both psychological and instruction-related support to be successful. Psychological support 27 is necessary because new teachers find themselves faced with an array of new responsibilities and little time to direct resources toward meeting those responsibilities (Mutchler, 2000, p. 11). The beginning teacher s transition from student to teacher involves a great deal of stress. Lack of self-confidence, conflicts between personal life and professional requirements, and inability to handle stress have undermined many otherwise promising teachers. When teachers are personally insecure, lack confidence, or have a sense of not being in control of themselves or their environment, it is not likely they can be successful at teaching regardless of how strong the instructional preparation has been (Stroot et al., 1999, p. 28). Instruction-related support focuses on the nuts and bolts of teaching, from locating materials and other resources available in the school, to organizing classroom space, to adding to his or her still-limited repertoire of instructional strategies (Mutchler, 2000, p. 12). They carry a full teaching load while at the same time they must adjust to the school facility and routines, orient to district policies, become familiar with specific curricula and instructional strategies and establish his/her own classroom management style. Sudzina, Giebelhaus, and Coolican (1997) offer a remedy for failed mentorprot g relationships in their article, Mentor or Tormentor: The Role of the Cooperating Teachers in Student Success or Failure. First, training should begin with an audiotape tailored specifically to meet the background conditions of the university and the Mentor Program. It should present basic information along with responsibilities of the cooperating teacher, and critical aspects of the supervision process including conferencing, observation strategies, and feedback (p. 30). Second, there should be individual or group instructional sessions that occur at the school. The 28 meetings should include detailed strategies and evaluations, along with a discussion of the goals and expectations that need to be met by both the mentor and prot g . Using simulation and role play to reinforce the concepts of effective supervision and mentoring is often critical as new roles and responsibilities are explored and developed (Sudzina et al., 1997, p. 31). Finally, there should be frequent meetings between the mentor and the beginning teacher as well as with the university supervisor. Often, the university supervisor can act as a facilitator providing opportunities to discuss issues and/or problems associated with teaching and learning and/or the supervision and mentoring process (Sudzina et al., 1997, p. 31). Research has shown that mentoring that includes both psychological and instructional-related support can effectively reduce teacher attrition. Early research has resulted in many positive changes in the process of mentoring, and other factors have also changed the negative image of the teaching profession. Legislators and the education community have contributed to a changing public perception of the teaching profession. As a result, the definitions of mentoring and quality teaching are likely to continue to evolve. Summary Although the basic definition of a mentor is the same in the world of business mentors teach, guide, help, counsel, and inspire their prot g s (Alleman and Clarke, 2000, p. 1) the basic steps in forming a mentoring program differ. Unlike the teaching field, there is not a national urgency to fill a void of corporate workers. According to Alleman and Clarke (2000) there are five questions in the first steps of developing a good mentoring program: 1. 2. What business are you trying to address? Why is addressing this issue important? Companies address issues that 29 have a financial impact or affect the quality of the products and/or services. 3. 4. 5. How will the organization be different as a result of the program? Who do you want to develop or change? How will those people be different? (p. 2) Primarily, the mentors must be knowledgeable about their field and must have adequate budget, time, facilities, and true commitment of business leaders and participants (including the prot g s bosses) (Alleman & Clarke, 2000, p. 3). The commitment of school district governance, administration, and faculty is of vital importance to a mentoring program. The mentors themselves and the authors of the program should have a thorough background in mentoring, and should be familiar with the business setting in which the program will exist so that the program can be tailored to its particular needs (Ibid, p. 3). Finally, as in the field of education, program evaluation is essential. The evaluation should answer three questions: 1. 2. 3. Have the program objectives been met? What is the dollar impact? Was it mentoring that made a difference? (Ibid. p. 5) Reports on the findings of the TxBESS mentoring program in 2001, show that beginning Hispanic teachers who participated in the program had a higher rate of return to their second year of teaching than any other ethnic group (see table 2.4). Since Texas is facing a teacher shortage and failing to produce enough Hispanic teachers a mentoring program is needed for beginning teachers, particularly Hispanic teachers. A proven, effective mentoring program needs to be developed, implemented, and monitored for economic, as well as, educational reasons. 30 Whereas the students are the priority in education, the dollar gains are a priority in business. Evaluation is a critical part of a planned mentoring program. A program is established to accomplish a goal. Investment in the program can be justified if a return on that investment can be demonstrated by meeting program goals and realizing the dollar gains (Alleman and Clarke, 2000, p. 5). There are still many stones left unturned on the issue of mentoring, in both the education and business fields. While mentoring programs begin with basic needs, the concept itself is used as a compass for many destinations. The true definition lies within the needs of the district, state, or corporation. 31 CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODS Introduction This study examined the impact of participation in a mentoring program on beginning Hispanic teachers in a low socioeconomic, predominately limited-Englishproficient (LEP) school district. The independent variable operationalized for this study was participation in a mentoring program in an identified school district. Dependent variables were derived from data collected from the Texas public schools districts by the State Board of Educator Certification (SBEC), as well as a survey conducted with identified beginning Hispanic teachers in the identified school district. To measure the impact, beginning Hispanic teachers shared their perceptions and experiences about the mentoring program they participated in and how that participation influenced their decision to return for a second year to the profession. The researcher collected this data using a survey format. The survey was a variation of the instrument used to study mentoring program participants in Memphis City School System (MSC) done by Brenda Mount (2000). This researcher studied teachers in their second year of teaching who had been in the MCS for their first two years of teaching. The population was divided into two categories: those who participated in the Memphis Intern Mentoring project and those who did not. Mount s (2000) survey was comprised of one group determining items, questions to determine general perceptions of the mentoring experience, questions to determine the amount and adequacy of time spent with a mentor, two sections for selecting and rating beneficial activities, and two short response items. A cover letter explained the nature and purpose of the study. The survey was designed to be 32 confidential and was based on several factors. Mount (2000) found that administrators had reviewed parts of the mentor project; the perceptions of the interns who participated in the pilot year of the Memphis Intern Mentoring Project had not been studied (Mount, 2000, p. 36). A thorough review of the literature suggested a lack of assessment of the perceived needs for mentoring from beginning teachers. The remaining sections of this chapter describe the population and sample, subjects, design and instrumentation, and procedure of the study. Population and Sample The target population of this study was approximately 200 beginning Hispanic teachers participating in various mentoring programs in a school district in South Texas. This school district was selected as the setting because they have been using the TxBESS mentoring program since the program started three years ago. TxBESS is a program that provides training to mentor teachers before they are assigned a beginning teacher. The school district serves an average of 24,000 students within a 13.83 square mile radius in a border city located in one county. The district describes itself as an inner city school district. The district is comprised of 30 educational campuses: 20 elementary schools, four middle schools, three high schools, one alternative school and two magnet schools. The district s student population is 98.9 percent Hispanic; 91.1 percent are from economically disadvantaged families, and 58.7 percent are limited-Englishproficient (LEP). The educational program has 57.8 percent of the student population enrolled in bilingual/English as a Second Language (ESL) program, 13.1 percent receiving special education services, and 8.3 percent participating in the gifted and 33 talented programs. According to district records, the district has 1,529 teachers: 92.5 percent are Hispanic, 71 percent are female, 29 percent are male, the average teacher has 13.0 years of experience, 29 percent have over 20 years of teaching experience, 81.3 percent have a bachelor s degree, and 18 percent have a master s degree. In the 2002-2003 school year, the district hired 199 novice teachers, which comprised 13 percent of their teaching faculty. Two hundred thirty-eight (238) teachers in the district, or 16 percent, were working toward certification in the state of Texas. In the district, 210 experienced teachers were mentoring new teachers in the 2002-2003 school year. As of January 2003, 138 mentor teachers had completed TxBESS training. To assist in this process, the district had implemented three initiatives for mentoring new teachers, including: Assigning one Human Resource Coordinator to develop a mentoring program for the school district Selecting the TxBESS Mentoring Program to train experienced, certified teachers assigned to mentor new teachers and teachers working toward state of Texas certification. Allocating a budget to provide monies for stipends for TxBESS trained mentors and reimbursement of fees for new teachers who successfully complete the ExCET/TExES (Examination for the Certification of 34 Educators in Texas and Texas Examination of Educator Standards) exams. The population of the beginning Hispanic teachers in the identified school district was divided into two categories: participants with mentors who are TxBESStrained and participants with non-TxBESS-trained mentors. All beginning Hispanic teachers were included in the sample population. Subjects The subjects of this study were the respondents of two groups of beginning Hispanic teachers surveyed. One group was made up of the beginning Hispanic teachers who were mentored by teachers trained in the TxBESS Mentoring Program during the 2002-2003 school year or in the prior years. The control group was made up of beginning Hispanic teachers in the same school district in the same time period that were mentored by teachers who were not trained in TxBESS mentoring program. Design and Instrumentation Demographic data consisted of name, social security number or employee identification number (respondents chose), age, ethnicity, gender, whether their mentor was TxBESS-trained, current teaching assignment in the district, status of certification in state of Texas, location of institution of higher learning, total years of teaching experience, and whether this was their first professional job. This information was used to develop sub-groups for the purpose of comparisons. A survey was developed based on the work of Mount (2000) to help determine general perceptions of the mentoring experience, questions to determine the amount of time spent with a mentor involved in various aspects of mentoring, opportunities for selecting and rating beneficial activities, and short response items. The survey was designed for the responses to be recorded directly on the survey rather than on a 35 separate card or sheet. The survey began with two questions to determine respondent s knowledge of TxBESS. The majority of the survey used the Likert scale model with some items calling for open-ended responses. The instrument was divided into six major sections: (1) demographic information, (2) general information, (3) selection process, (4) mentor support activities, (5) other reactions, and (6) an opportunity for participant to share comments about his/her personal experiences. The collection of demographic information was used to profile the group studied as a whole and then it was divided into sub-sections for analysis and study. The General Information section provided respondents with an opportunity to rate their perceptions about the mentoring program in which they participated, using a Likert scale method. The choices for this section were (1) Strongly Disagree, (2) Disagree, (3) Agree, (4) Somewhat Agree, (5) Strongly Agree. The last question of this section asked participants about the amount of time spent with their mentor and for a value judgment to be made by the participant. The Selection Process section addressed the method used to pair a mentee and a mentor. It asked the participants to give opinions as to the usefulness of certain selection criteria for a mentoring program. The choices were (1) Unnecessary, (2) Not Helpful, (3) Helpful, (4) Very Helpful, and (5) Essential. Another section, Mentor Support Activities asked respondents to rate from one to five (with one being the least amount) the amount of support received from the mentor in each of the 10 areas. The fourth section, Other Reactions, presented a list of 12 items, plus an opportunity for the participants to add their own, and asked them to select five from the list and put them in order of benefit to them. This section included an opportunity for the respondent to express three things that were missing from the mentoring program that would have been of personal 36 benefit, and a series of five (5) yes/no questions to summarize their opinion of the mentoring program in which they participated. The instrument ends with an invitation to the participant to write a narrative of their experience with the mentoring. This narrative response was optional. Survey questions were developed to gather data on the research questions. In section A, General Information, questions 1,2,7,8,9,10 and the time question addressed the first research question about important components of a mentoring program. Questions 1 through 6 and 12 addressed the second research question concerning a beginning Hispanic teacher s decision to return for a second year in the classroom. Section B, Selection Process (questions 13-20), and section C, Mentor Support Activities (questions 21-30), collected data for research question one. Section D, Other Reactions, had four different parts. The first part asked respondents to select and rank five (5) activities from a list of 12 plus items; this part addressed research question one. Part two asked respondents to list three things that they did not learn or experience from the mentoring program; this collected information on research question one. The third part of this section asked respondents to make recommendations based on their mentoring experience; this covered research question two. Section D closed with an invitation for respondents to add additional comments. This narrative was also optional. The design of the survey was based on factors identified in the literature review as important components of mentoring programs and elements of the TxBESS training model. A review of the data collected by SBEC suggested a lack of assessment of the perceived needs for mentoring from the beginning Hispanic teachers. While TxBESS had been reviewed for effectiveness and impact statewide, beginning Hispanic teachers as a particular group in this setting had not been studied. The data 37 collected by this research were added to the mentoring knowledge base in order to help school districts and universities develop mentoring programs that will retain beginning Hispanic teachers. A cover letter explained the nature and purpose of the research and encouraged the subjects to respond. The survey was designed to be confidential and anonymous. The design of this study was a one-time collection of data from respondents who were at the end of their first-year teaching experience and had participated in a mentoring program during the same time period. Procedures The researcher identified a school district that met the criteria needed to conduct the study. The school district was large with a low socioeconomic, predominately limited-English-proficient (LEP) student population that employed a sizable number of beginning Hispanic teachers in the 2002-2003 school year. The district had a history of involvement with the TxBESS pilot program in Texas and a level of commitment to institutionalizing a mentoring program. The researcher had been through the four-day in-service TxBESS program provided by the region Education Service Center in the district. Initial contact was made and permission obtained from the proper authorities and district to conduct the study. A list of the appropriate beginning Hispanic teachers and their addresses in the school system was procured first to determine if an adequate population existed to conduct the research and second, for the purpose of distributing the survey. The identified beginning Hispanic teachers were provided a demographic data sheet, a survey, a cover letter, and a self-addressed envelope in which to return the survey. The school district s Human Resource Department assigned a coordinator to 38 serve as a liaison to this project. The liaison established campus meetings with the respondents and distributed surveys as part of their periodic contact with the mentees in the school district. Time was allotted during those meetings for the mentees to respond to the survey. The liaison collected demographic sheets and surveys and conveyed them to the researcher. This was done over a one-month period before the end of the first school year teaching experience, which coincided with the end of the mentoring experience. This timeline did not allow for reflection, but did give current and immediate reaction of mentoring experiences. Data Analysis The hypothesis for this study was that there was a significant difference between the two groups on their mentoring experiences and their decision to return for a second year as a classroom teacher. This hypothesis was tested by comparing the group of beginning Hispanic teachers whose mentors were TxBESS-trained with the group whose mentors were not TxBESS-trained. The completed surveys of the two research groups were received, compiled, and grouped into categories using demographic data. Reliability analysis was conducted by comparing certain items for internal analysis. Responses were used to generate general descriptive statistics within and across the groups. Comparative statistics were derived from the two groups based on the sets of these items. The researcher investigated how the responses to the two groups compared to the responses when the data from both groups was combined. A method was developed to identify the participants who had a TxBESS- trained mentor and those who were assigned a non-TxBESS-trained mentor. The survey had a Form A and a Form B. Form A was denoted by having a star as the footer, and Form B 39 was blank. The Demographic Data sheet, which was printed on blue paper and not stapled to surveys, also had the same denotation of the star to ensure tracking of respondents. Limitations of the Study This study was limited to one model for mentoring beginning teachers. The State of Texas had mandated that all beginning teachers have a mentor, yet not one prescribed model had been implemented; this school district had various mentoring programs for beginning teachers. TxBESS was one model. The district had adopted the components of TxBESS as their official model. The study was conducted in a south Texas school district that is on the Mexican border and has a predominate Hispanic population of both faculty and students; therefore, generalizations cannot be made to other ethnic populations and regions of the state. Summary In this chapter the methods used in the study were delineated; descriptions were made of the population and sample, subjects investigated; the design and instrumentation used to compare TxBESS mentored and non-TxBESS mentored beginning Hispanic teachers, and the procedures employed to complete the study. The next chapter presents the analysis of the data collected and major findings derived from the data. 40 CHAPTER IV DATA ANALYSIS Introduction This study sought to determine what components of a teacher mentoring program impacted beginning Hispanic teachers working with a high percentage of low income, limited-English-proficient (LEP) student populations. In addition, an attempt was made to determine how the mentoring experience impacted the retention of beginning teachers in a school district that has a predominately Hispanic faculty and student population. This chapter presents descriptive data and an analysis of these data. Demographic Data The identified school district provided completed surveys for 135 participants in their mentoring program for the 2002-2003 school year. The identified population was the 199 beginning teachers in the South Texas school district. For the purpose of reporting results and for discussion, this population was divided into two categories: beginning teachers with mentors who were TxBESS-trained, identified as Group 1, and beginning teachers with non-TxBESS-trained mentors, identified as Group 2. The school district identified the participants and the researcher assigned them to the two categories. Eighty-five of the 135 participants were beginning teachers who were assigned a mentor who was TxBESS-trained. The remaining 50 beginning teachers were assigned mentors with no formal training. The surveys were distributed and collected by the human resource coordinator assigned to work with the district s mentor project. The coordinator scheduled group meetings at the campus level to talk about the project and incorporated the survey into the presentation. The coordinator 41 also sent a follow-up memo to new teachers in the district reminding them to return the survey on a prescribed date. All surveys were collected by the coordinator in her district office. The researcher did not interact with participants of the study at any point. It was determined that the data available were adequate for analysis. The data were sufficient to make appropriate recommendations for improvements in the mentoring program implemented by the district. The district provided valuable demographic information about the research participants. The study group was comprised of 41 males, or 30.4 percent of the total population, and 94 females, or 69.6 percent. The youngest person in the study was 20 years of age, and the oldest respondent was 66 years of age. The average age of the group was 31.8 years of age. Of the respondents, 85.2 percent (115 out of 135) were Hispanic, 11.9 percent (16 out of 135) were Asian, specifically Filipino, 1.5 percent (2 out of 135) were Anglo, and .7 percent (1 out of 135) identified themselves as other. Sixty-four (47.4 percent) were assigned to teach elementary school, 43 (31.9 percent) were assigned to teach middle or junior high school, and 28 (20.7 percent) taught in high schools in the district. Information concerning state certification in Texas was collected in this study because the district used the mentoring project as a method to ensure certification of all its beginning teachers. The group had 24 (17.9 percent) teachers who were fully certified in the State of Texas; 82 (61.2 percent) teachers working on a deficiency plan, and 26 (19.4 percent) teachers working with an alternative certification program. Because the school district is in an isolated part of the state, it is forced to recruit teachers from throughout the state and nation. Information on location of colleges and universities was also collected and included in the study to help benefit the district in its evaluation of the needs of the mentoring project. Sixty-one (46.2 42 percent) of the respondents attended a local institution of higher learning, six (4.5 percent) attended an institution within 100 miles, and sixty (45.5 percent) attended a college or university more than 100 miles away. The researcher was aware of second career teachers; therefore, the last section of the demographic information asked whether this assignment was their first professional assignment. Sixty-three percent of the respondents identified their teaching assignment as their first professional job, while a little over a third, 36.3 percent, related that their teaching assignment was not their first professional job. The researcher wanted to know if the beginning teacher had knowledge of the mentor s training, particularly in TxBESS. This statement was answered three times by the respondents, once in the demographic data sheet and twice in the opening section of the survey. Sixty-one of the total group (46.2 percent) had knowledge that their mentor was TxBESS-trained. The district identified 85 of the respondents as having TxBESStrained mentors. Six (4.4 percent) claimed that their mentor was not TxBESS-trained and 60 (45.5 percent) responded that they did not know. Analysis of Data The analysis of data begins with a review of the respondents experiences with the mentoring program. Findings concerning each of the major research questions are also presented in this section. Respondents Experience with Mentor An initial review of the tabulation results indicate that the majority of the respondents agreed to some degree with all statements in the opening section of the survey. Nine out of the twelve statements were positive. They were general in nature, and designed to determine if the mentoring experiences were positive. Further review revealed that a large number of respondents strongly agreed with most statements about their experiences in the mentoring project. Tabulations from the total group revealed 43 that the majority of the group had a positive experience with their mentoring program, whether with a TxBESS-trained mentor or a non-TxBESS-trained mentor. A two-way contingency table was conducted to evaluate whether mentoring experiences were positive for beginning Hispanic teachers with TxBESS-trained or non-trained mentors. The two variables were strength of agreement (Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree) and mentor training (Group 1 TxBESS-trained and Group 2 nonTxBESS-trained). Strength of agreement and mentor training were found to be significantly related, Pearson x2 (4, N = 115) = .011, Cramer s V = .34. Table 4.1 reflects a breakdown of the response from all respondents to the positively phrased statement that those surveyed were asked to describe (See Table 4.1). Table 4.1 Degree of Agreement/disagreement with Experience Statement GI 1 * GROUP Crosstabulation GROUP 1 (TxBESS) Count 5 % within GI 1 62.5% % within GROUP 6.3% Count 3 % within GI 1 60.0% % within GROUP 3.8% 2 (non-TxBESS) 3 37.50% 8.6% 2 40.0% 5.7% Total 8 100.0% 7.0% 5 100.0% 4.3% GI 1 1 2 44 3 Count 9 % within GI 1 50.0% % within GROUP 11.3% Count 3 % within GI 1 33.3% % within GROUP 3.8% Count 60 % within GI 1 80.0% % within GROUP 75.0% Count % within GI 1 % with GROUP 80 69.6% 100.0% 9 50.0% 25.7% 6 66.7% 17.1% 15 20.0% 43.9% 35 30.4% 100.0% 18 100.0% 15.0% 9 100.0% 7.8% 75 100.00 % 65.2% 115 100.0% 100.0% 4 5 Total Chi-Square Tests Value df Asymp. Sig. (2-sided) .001 .014 .025 Pearson Chi-Square Likelihood Ratio Linear-by-LinearAssociation N of Valid Cases a 13.097a 12.550 5.087 115 4 4 1 4 cells (40.0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is 1.52 Symmetric Measures Value Nominal by Nominal N of Valid Cases Phi Cramer's V .337 .337 115 Approx. Sig. .011 .011 Graph 4.1 illustrates the difference in responses when comparing the beginning 45 Hispanic teachers with TxBESS-trained mentors to teachers with non-TxBESS-trained mentors. Graph 4.1 Frequency of responses to agreement/disagreement with positive mentoring experience statement 70 60 50 Count 40 30 20 10 0 1 2 3 G11 4 5 Group 1 Group 2 The responses indicated that the beginning teachers who had trained mentors assigned to them during their first year in the district reported positive mentoring experiences using the first item on the instrument. The survey continued to ask teachers to rate their feeling toward several statements about mentoring experiences and the feeling about the support that they received through mentoring using the Likert scale. 46 Question 1: Impact of mentoring components on beginning Hispanic teachers The intent of the first research question was to determine what components of a teacher mentoring program impacted beginning teachers. The four major components of the mentoring program identified by the data in this study were: (1) informational support/assistance from the mentor, (2) time spent with mentor, (3) presence of mentor in same building as the mentee, and (4) emotional support/assistance from the mentor. Below is a discussion of the findings and analysis of the data derived from the survey instrument. Each question is addressed separately and, where appropriate, the researcher attempted to interpret the findings. Informational support/assistance The item on the survey asked respondents to rate, using the Likert Scale the statement: The informational support/assistance I received from my mentor was adequate or better. The researcher found a significant difference between the beginning Hispanic teacher who had TxBESS-trained mentors and those who had nonTxBESS-trained mentor (see table 4.1). The data showed that 80.0 percent of the teachers with TxBESS-trained mentors rated this as strongly agree , while only 20 percent gave it the same rating in the non-TxBESS-trained group. 47 Table 4.2 Degree of Agreement/Disagreement with Informational support/assistance GI 11 * GROUP Crosstabulation GROUP 1 (TX BESS) 2 (non-TX BESS) Total GI 11 1 Count % within GI 11 % within GROUP Count % within GI 11 % within GROUP Count %within GI 11 % within GROUP Count % within GI 11 % within GROUP Count % within GI 11 % within GROUP Count % within GI 11 % with GROUP 5 62.5% 6.3% 3 75.0% 3.8% 13 54.2% 16.3% 13 65.0% 16.3% 46 80.7% 57.5% 80 70.8% 100.0% 3 37.5% 9.1% 1 25.0% 3.0% 11 45.8% 33.3% 7 35.0% 21.2% 11 19.3% 33.3% 33 29.2% 100.0% 8 100.0% 7.0% 4 100.0% 3.5% 24 100.0% 21.2% 20 100.0% 17.7% 57 100.00% 50.4% 113 100.0% 100.0% 2 3 4 5 Total Chi-Square Tests Value does Sump. Sig. (2-sided) .162 .165 .057 Pearson Chi-Square Likelihood Ratio Linear-by-Linear Association N of Valid Cases a 6.541a 6.491 3.617 113 Symmetric Measures 4 4 1 4 cells (40.0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is 1.52 48 Value Nominal by Nominal N of Valid Cases Phi Cramer's V .241 .241 113 Approx. Sig. .162 .162 Using the Pearson Chi-Square, this item showed significant statistical difference. Slightly over eighty percent (80.7percent) of the respondents with TxBESS-trained mentors strongly agreed that their mentoring experience was positive and only 19.3 percent in the non-TxBESS-trained group rated this statement as strong agreement that the mentoring experience had been positive for them. The graph 4.2 illustrates the comparison of the group responses at to their rating of the item that address the informational support/assistance they reported they received from their mentor. Graph 4.2 Frequency of responses to agreement/disagreement with positive impact of informational support/assistance by beginning Hispanic teachers from mentors 70 60 50 Count 40 30 20 10 0 1 2 3 G11 4 5 Group 1 Group 2 The survey also provided the respondents an opportunity to write statements 49 using their own words to address the different components of the mentoring program. Five of the respondents chose to write a statement informing the researcher that they did not have a mentor. The following list of statements provided by respondents who chose to share with the researcher data, related their perceptions with regard to the informational support/assistance they received from their mentor. No significant difference was found between the groups in their perceptions in the area of informational support/assistance, therefore, the list is not divided into the two groups studied and reported as separate lists because. Comments made by respondents were as follows: "I was able to ask many questions. I received additional time after school with my lesson plans, etc." "My mentor helped me tremendously throughout the year by training me on how to fill the various forms that needed to be completed. She also helped me develop lessons for my class." "My mentor answered/discussed any and all problems I had in my classroom/work environment." "My mentor allows me to ask her questions anytime and doesn t hesitate to help me." "My mentor has been very supportive and always has the answers I am looking for." "I feel that my mentor was excellent and gave me valuable information." "I feel that within that time I was able to get necessary information or have any questions/concerns explained." 50 "My mentor gives me ideas/feedback every now and then. She sits in my class, actually with her class when it s their music time." "She would answer any questions I had or help with any information I needed." "My mentor has given me good ideas in teaching structures and discipline actions." "I could use more help." "I was not assigned a mentor." "At beginning of the school year new teachers need extra help." The researcher found that the sharing of information was used as the first avenue towards developing the important relationship between the mentor and the beginning teacher. One of the respondents wrote on the survey, "Yes, I felt comfortable and all my questions were answered." Another one wrote, It was all about communicating and it really helped me with my students." These statements captured the essence of the information support/assistance statement in the survey. The researcher wanted to identify components of the mentoring program that were relevant to the beginning Hispanic teacher; the sharing of information was identified as a major component of an effective mentoring program. With the culture and standard operating procedures of a school already in place, it is important for the beginning teacher to have source in a non-threatening position to help explain, clarify and delineate the steps of how things are done . The researcher notes that no negative comments were made about poor or misinformation in the mentoring experience. Time spent with Mentors The last statement in section A investigated the amount of time spent by the beginning teacher with his/her mentor. Respondents were asked to fill in a number and to evaluate if that was enough time. The evaluation was related to the quality of the 51 activities and products accomplished. An analysis of the responses to this section of the survey was used to answer research question one. The amount of time varied form 0 to 200 hours a month. Of the 135 beginning Hispanic teachers who responded to the item on the amount of time, 46 spent fewer than ten hours per month with their mentors and 52 spent ten or more hours per month with their mentors. Thirty-seven did not respond to this item. The mean number of hours spent with a mentor by total group of beginning Hispanic teachers was 14.68 hours a month. Of the 135 respondents, 79, or 70.5 percent, agreed that the time they had spent with a mentor was adequate for their needs. Thirty-three, or 29.5 percent, of the beginning teachers indicated that the time was not adequate. Twenty respondents provided no information in this section of the survey. Correlations and nonparametric correlations were performed to determine if there was a correlation between the amount of time spent with the mentor and the total sum score for section A General Information. The researcher looked at a correlation between time spent and positive or experience the mentoring experience for both groups combined. Positive correlations were found to be significant. Table 4.3 shows the Pearson Correlation and Table 4.4 shows the Correlation Coefficient and the significance. 52 Table 4.3 Correlation of time spent by mentor to positive experience of mentoring experience for all respondents Correlations TIMEM TIMEM Pearson Correlation Sig. (2-tailed) N 1 104 .288** .005 95 TOTGENIN .288** .005 95 1 106 TOTGENIN Pearson Correlation Aig. (1-tailed) N **Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed) Table 4.4 Nonparametric Correlation of time spent by mentor to positive mentoring experience for all respondents Nonparametric Correlations TIMEM Spearman's rho TIMEM Correlation Coefficient Sig. (2-tailed) N Correlation Coefficient Sig. (2-tailed) N 1.000 104 .526** .000 95 TOTGENIN .526** .000 95 1.000 106 TOTGENIN ** Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed) The beginning teachers were asked to indicate why the time spent with the mentor was adequate or why it was not adequate. The responses to this item gave insight into the beginning teachers perceptions of the work and relationship fostered in the mentoring environment. A list of the responses is included in the study to give voice to their experiences as beginning teachers. The statements are reported using the 53 two groups in the study. A further division was made to report those satisfied with the amount of time spent with their mentor and those dissatisfied with the time spent with their mentor. Those respondents with TxBESS-trained mentors who felt satisfied with the amount of time their mentor spent with them cited various reasons for their effectiveness. The following is a compiled list of the reasons for mentor effectiveness as shared by the respondents. "We had ample time to cover all our planning and objects that are required." "We did what we had to during the time." "We meet various [times] throughout the month. [W]e talk about lessons, our classes, and how to improve our teaching methods." "The amount of time was enough to discuss problems regarding my handling of classes and class activities." "The number of hours is actually immaterial. What I appreciated a lot is the sharing of ideas that has proven very productive." "It was enough time [because] I would get feedback from her." The respondents in the same group who had TxBESS-trained mentors who were not satisfied with the amount of time spent with their mentor shared the following comments. "[I] never met with my mentor." "Because there is always something else to be done or turned in, so we have to speed up whatever task we are discussing." "Never met with mentor other than end of March to fill out necessary forms" 54 "Need more time, but have much paper work." "Never came to class to help me in my teaching duties." "No, would ve liked to have more training time on Bilingual teaching." "Did not have a mentor/ was under Senate Bill 218. Most of my experience I got from my 8 years of helping out as a Teacher Aide." "I would have enjoyed more time with my mentor for us to discuss some teaching strategies; however, we did not have enough time because of our job responsibilities." The second category of respondents, the group who did not have TxBESStrained mentors shared the following comments when discussing the question of adequate time. Positive comments from this group were as follows: "For me it was enough time because all my questions and concerns were answered. I had a great mentor." "I received good information about how to do required paperwork as well as the grade book." "I did not measure the time spent with my mentor. My mentor had an open-door policy; so whenever I had a question it was okay to ask at anytime of the day. That was nice." "[We] met almost daily for planning." "Most of the assistance and guidance I needed was for paperwork and how to conduct the subject of Reading. What helped the most also was the timeline given to me." "It was enough time to clear all my doubts." "The time spend with my mentor was on an as needed basis. It worked out 55 fine." "The time spent with my mentor was enough, if I needed anything else he was there to help." "All that needed to be addressed was." "As an Army Instructor, I spend most of my time with my Senior Army Instructor, and we both spend ten hours a day with the students, with additional weekends." "Due to the fact that my mentor and I teach the same subject, we do not need to touch base often." The following negative comments were shared by the group having non TxBESS-trained mentors. "There are so many details being requested of teachers." "I had to seek help elsewhere." "She was always busy doing other stuff and we hardly talk about what was going on in the classroom." "2 hours is not [enough]." "I felt I had more questions that needed to be answered." "[No], because it wasn t enough time." "Our schedules conflicted." Both groups in the study identified the amount of time and the quality of the time spent on the mentoring project as factors that impacted the mentoring projects effectiveness on the beginning teachers first-year experiences. A summary of reasons given as to why the amount of time was adequate were the ability to communicate with the mentor when needed and time enough to become organized and have questions answered. The mentor offering time outside of the school day was cited as a reason 56 why the mentoring project provided a positive experience for beginning teachers. Reasons given for the amount of time spent with their mentors being less than adequate included lack of scheduled time for the mentor and beginning teacher to get together, having other responsibilities that interfered, not having enough time to talk and discuss problems, and lack of opportunity to observe the mentor and be observed by the mentor. If the mentor s attitude was that mentoring was an added responsibility, the experience of the beginning teacher was negative. Frequent Contact with Mentors Selection Criteria The researcher wanted to identify what factors if any contributed toward a successful pairing of mentor and beginning Hispanic teachers. The next section of the survey addressed the selection criteria used to assign mentors to beginning Hispanic teachers. Each beginning teacher surveyed was requested to give an opinion as to the usefulness of certain selection criteria in any beginning teacher mentoring program. Their choices followed a forced choice Likert scale format. They were to rate the usefulness according to the following scale: 1) Unnecessary; 2) Not Helpful; 3) Helpful; 2) Very Helpful; and 5) Essential. Means were ranked and used to determine the order of perceived usefulness of the list of criteria. Ranking of the beginning teachers with TxBESS-trained mentors were examined separately from the rankings of beginning teachers with non-TxBESS-trained mentors. The researcher also found the mentoring program was more effective when the beginning Hispanic teacher and the mentor were in frequent contact. Rankings were also viewed for the total group (135 respondents). Table 4.5 shows the ranked order of the criteria according to the total group as identified as essential. 57 Table 4.5 Ranked order of the criteria according to the total group identified as essential Ranking by Percentage of Indicator Frequency responses Having frequent contact with a mentor teacher identified as essential Having same planning time with mentor teacher Having a mentor in the same grade level Having a mentor in the same building Having a multiple year mentoring experience Having a mentor from the same ethnic group Having similar personality traits as mentor teacher Having the same sex mentor teacher 54.8 percent 53.6 percent 47.2 percent 43.7 percent 21.0 percent 14.4 percent 10.5 percent 10.3 percent The indicator receiving the highest percentage score as essential was Having frequent contact with a mentor teacher with 54.8 percent. The next indicator with a high percentage score as an essential component was Having same planning time with mentor teacher with a score of 53.6 percent. The third highest with a score of 47.2 percent was Having a mentor in the same grade level. Having a mentor in the same building, received 43.7 percent by the total group. All the other indicators received less than a 25 percent score as an essential rating in the selection criteria. Table 4.6 gives the group having TxBESS-trained mentors rankings of the selection criteria they found essential. 58 Table 4.6 TxBESS-trained mentors' rankings of the selection criteria they found essential Ranking by Percentage of Frequency response 62.7 percent 60.2 percent 59.0 percent 53.0 percent 25.6 percent 16.9 percent 14.5 percent 11.0 percent Indicator Having same planning time with mentor teacher Having frequent contact with a mentor teacher Having a mentor in the same building Having a mentor in the same building Having a multiple year mentoring experience Having a mentor from the same ethnic group Having the same sex mentor teacher Having similar personality traits as mentor teacher This group of beginning Hispanic teachers placed an emphasis on the planning time with the mentor. A component of the TxBESS program was the classroom observation done by the mentor of the beginning teacher. The TxBESS model has a heavy focus on the delivery of instruction which the research attributes as the reason for the high rating of essential by this sub-group in the study. Table 4.7 gives the group having non-TxBESS-trained mentors rankings of the selection criteria they found essential. Table 4.7 Non-TxBESS-trained mentors' rankings of the selection criteria they found essential Ranking by Percentage of Frequency responses 44.2 percent Indicator Having frequent contact with a mentor teacher 59 Having same planning time with mentor teacher Having a mentor in the same building Having a mentor in the same grade level Having a multiple year mentoring experience Having a mentor from the same ethnic group Having similar personality traits as mentor teacher Having the same sex mentor teacher 35.7 percent 25.6 percent 23.8 percent 11.9 percent 9.5 percent 9.5 percent 2.3 percent The sub-group, who did not have TxBESS-trained mentors, placed a high rating as essential on frequent contact with a mentor teacher, because there was no structure to this mentoring program to provide for regular meeting time between mentor and beginning teachers identified by the researcher. This sub-group also reported less time spent with mentor than the group with TxBESS-trained mentors. This finding reinforces the importance of time as a vital component for the success of a mentoring program. While some differences were manifested in the data, all three groups identified the same items as essentials in the selections criteria of mentors and beginning Hispanic teachers. With little variance in ranking the top four items were the same in each identified group. The researcher also noted the gap in scores between the top four and the bottom four items within each group reported. The findings of this section reinforced the second and third components identified in section one of the survey to answer research question one. Data analysis for all three groups; total group, beginning Hispanic teachers with TxBESS-trained 60 mentors and beginning Hispanic teachers who were assigned non-TxBESS-trained mentors supported the importance of time spent with mentors and the presences of a mentor in the same building as the beginning Hispanic teacher. The researcher would contend that when these two components of the mentoring project were present the other two important components were facilitated; namely, information and emotional support and assistance. The data also identified the match of sex, personality, and ethnic group between mentor and beginning teachers as unnecessary. These criterion as important in the selection process should be further investigated. The respondents made reference to the location of their mentor and the importance of being in the same building in order to facilitate frequent contact. Some of those comments are listed below. The researcher identified two main factors that made the mentor in the same building an important component of the mentoring program. The two factors were the availability and access to the mentor on the part of the beginning Hispanic teacher and the immediacy of feedback or counsel and the opportunity to see the mentor as a peer in a teaching situation, with all the duties and responsibilities associated with being a teacher. The first grouping of statements described the availability and access to the mentor on the part of the beginning Hispanic teacher and the immediacy of feedback or counsel, using the respondents own words. The availability of the mentor is emphasized. "Because having planning time on a daily basis helped me address any 61 problems as they appeared." "We were able to touch base at least once a day. Any bit of time helps." "Within this time, we were able to discuss a lot, particularly with me work here. " "I always see my mentor everyday during my planning time. This is so to check on whatever more should I need for the day. It s important that the mentee and mentor should have the same planning time." "Because everyday I m encountering different problems with my students. "[We met] every morning for 5 to 10 minutes; everyday for 5 months." "We meet for lunch as well." "There has been consistency in communication with my mentor. We teach the same grade level, we plan together; we have lunch together, etc " One of the respondents complained about the physical location making it difficult for quick access. The need to plan to meet with the mentor had to be considered when setting up common or shared time for mentoring to occur. The comment made was, "The mentor was on another side/opposite of the building where I was at or located. It was difficult to make time to go to my mentor s room to ask for help or advice." The comments made about observing their mentor as a teacher with all the duties and tasks of a teacher was recognized and given value in the analysis by this researcher. The mentor as a role model was clearly viewed and noted by these participants. 62 "She is working accordingly and having enough time giving all the necessary factors that I need as mentee/novice. She is so organize[d] and very supportive during our daily (1 hr) meeting." "I would observe my mentor in classroom atmosphere. She is also always available during planning period, after school. Mentor has been very helpful." "I had my planning period with my mentor every other day. It is very helpful when a mentor is part of the same team." The most telling statement of this factor was reported by one respondent who wrote. "Yes, because I understand that she is also a teacher with her own responsibilities, with her own group, own problems to deal with." Emotional Support/Assistance Received from Mentors Emotional support/assistance received from the mentor was also rated as a significant difference between those having TxBESS-trained mentors and those beginning teachers who had non-TxBESS-trained mentors. This was item 9 in this section of the survey. Beginning teachers with TxBESS-trained mentors strongly agreed with the statement by a margin of 53.1 percent (43 out of 81), while beginning teachers with non-TxBESStrained mentors strongly agreed by 22.6 percent (8 out of 35). Even when adding the response of those who somewhat agreed with the statement, the non-TxBESS-trained group only added another 28.6 percent , while the beginning teachers with TxBESStrained mentors added another 22.2 percent, which placed the beginning teachers with TxBESS-trained mentors over 75 percent. Table 4.8 below and Graph 4.4 on page 67 illustrate the distributions of responses to this item by the two groups. 63 Table 4.8 Agreement/disagreement with amount of emotional support/assistance by beginning teachers from mentors GI 9 * GROUP Crosstabulation GROUP 1 (TxBESS) 2 (non-TxBESS) Total GI 9 1 Count % within GI 9 % within GROUP Count % within GI 9 % within GROUP Count % within GI 9 % within GROUP Count % within GI 9 % within GROUP Count % within GI 9 % within GROUP 5 62.5% 6.2% 3 42.9% 3.7% 12 54.5% 14.8% 18 64.3% 22.2% 43 84.3% 53.1% 3 37.5% 8.6% 4 57.1% 11.4% 10 45.5% 28.6% 10 35.7% 28.6% 8 15.7% 22.9% 35 30.2% 100.0% 8 100.0% 6.9% 7 100.0% 6.0% 22 100.0% 19.0% 28 100.0% 24.1% 51 100.00% 44.0% 116 100.0% 100.0% 2 3 4 5 Total Count 81 % within GI 9 69.8% % with GROUP 100.0% 64 Chi-Square Tests Value df Pearson Chi-Square Likelihood Ratio Linear-by-Linear Association N of Valid Cases a Asymp. Sig. (2-sided) .032 .029 .007 10.547a 10.785 7.242 116 4 4 1 4 cells (40.0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is 1.52 Symmetric Measures Value Nominal by Nominal N of Valid Cases Phi Cramer's V .302 .302 116 Approx. Sig. .032 .032 Graph 4.3 Frequencies of responses to agreement/disagreement with emotional support/assistance by beginning teachers from mentors 50 45 40 35 Count 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 1 2 3 G19 4 5 Group 1 Group 2 65 The respondents provided comments to reinforce the identification of emotional support/assistance as an important component of an effective mentoring project. The researcher identified any written comment that used the word feel in any tense and assigned it to this category. Other comments that had words that conveyed emotion were delegated to the emotional support/assistance item. The researcher divided the comments into positive and negative comments. Of the overall comments written the researcher identified 18 comments to assign to this category. Eleven were designated as positive and 8 were negative. The positive comments were: "My mentor was and is still been here for any problems or questions I might have with my paper work and/or students. "I feel that my mentor was excellent and gave me valuable information." "I feel that within that time I was able to get necessary information or have any questions/concerns explained." "It helped me to enrich my lessons and to become more confident in presenting new objectives." "The number of hours is actually immaterial. What I appreciated a lot is the sharing of ideas that has proven very productive." "My mentor is very effective when I do meet with her. She is always available when I need her." "I did not measure the time spent with my mentor. My mentor had an open-door policy; so whenever I had a question it was okay to ask at anytime of the day. That was nice." "She is an excellent mentor and I feel I could learn a lot more is I spent more time with her." 66 "She was very helpful and courteous." "I feel that my mentor was excellent and gave me valuable information." "I feel that within that time I was able to get necessary information or have any questions/concerns explained." The negative comments are listed below: "I felt I needed more observations." "I was never observed by my mentor but once. When she had to. But other than that she never gave me advice or encouragement." "I rarely saw my mentor and when we did get together, she was very dismissive about the program. The time was very short about 15-20 minutes each time." "It took me three months to even know I was assigned a mentor. I feel like a fish out of water and still do." "I felt I needed more time or advise from my mentor." "It was a little overwhelming because I came into the year late." "My mentor treated me like I was a bother. She rarely let me know about school policies." "I felt I needed a little more time for guidance." Again, the researcher identified a common factor that was essential to make emotional support/assistance a vital component of any mentoring program. That common factor was the relationship that was established between the mentor and the beginning teacher. The positive statements talked about the credibility and trust that the beginning teacher had for the mentor. The positive statements illustrated the attitude of helpful guidance exhibited by the mentor to create a non-threatening environment for the beginning teacher. The negative statements on the other hand referred to the lack of the 67 relationship that needed to exist to make any mentoring program successful. Question 2: Impact of the Mentoring Experience on decision of beginning Hispanic teachers to return for a second year of teaching. Respondents were asked to rate the positive impact the mentoring experience had on their teaching and their decision to stay in the profession. Of all the responses rating this item as strong agreement, 81.6 percent came from beginning teachers with TxBESS mentors, while the remaining 18.4 percent came from their counterparts who had non-TxBESS-trained mentors. This revealed a significant difference in the responses from the two groups. This item answered research question two: the retention issue. Table 4.9 Mentoring experience having positive impact on beginning teachers teaching GI 5 * GROUP Crosstabulation GROUP 1 (TxBESS) 2 (non-TxBESS) Total GI 5 within GI 5 1 Count 5 3 8 % 62.5% 37.50% 100.0% % within GROUP 6.3% 2 Count 6 % within GI5 40.0% % within GROUP 7.4% Count 14 % within GI 5 73.7% % within GROUP 17.3% Count 16 % within GI 5 64.0% % within GROUP 19.8% 8.6% 9 60.0% 25.7% 5 26.3% 14.3% 9 36.0% 25.7% 7.0% 15 100.0% 12.9% 19 100.0% 16.4% 25 100.0% 21.6% 3 4 68 5 Count 40 % within GI 5 81.6% % within GROUP 49.4% Count % within G15 % with GROUP 81 69.8% 100.0% 9 18.4% 25.7% 35 30.2% 100.0% 49 100.00% 42.2% 116 100.0% 100.0% Total Chi-Square Tests Value df Asymp. Sig. (2-sided) .035 .041 .014 Pearson Chi-Square Likelihood Ratio Linear-by-Linear Association N of Valid Cases a 10.316a 9.973 5.991 116 4 4 1 4 cells (40.0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is 1.52 Symmetric Measures Value Nominal by Nominal N of Valid Cases Phi Cramer's V .298 .298 116 Approx. Sig. .035 .035 Graph 4.4 below illustrates the significant difference between the group with TxBESS-trained mentors and the group with Non TxBESS-trained mentors in their ratings as an essential component of the mentoring program for the mentor to be in the same building. 69 Graph 4.4 Frequency of Reponses to agreement/disagreement with positive impact of mentoring experience on beginning Hispanic teachers teaching 45 40 35 30 Count 25 20 15 10 5 0 1 2 3 G15 4 5 Group 1 Group 2 The two other items that addressed the retention of beginning teachers in the profession, research question two, had no significant difference in the data. The majority of the respondents disagreed with the statement that they would likely leave teaching as a profession because of their mentoring experience. Item 6 of this section addressed the mentoring experience perceived as negative by the beginning teacher and choosing to leave the profession. Only 5 respondents with TxBESS-trained mentors strongly agreed with this statement and none of those beginning teachers who had nonTxBESS-trained mentors strongly agreed. Seventy-five percent of those with TxBESStrained mentors strongly disagreed and 60.6 percent of those beginning teachers with non-TxBESS-trained mentors strongly disagreed. Item 12 in this section asked respondents to claim the mentoring experience had no impact on their decision to 70 remain in the profession. Thirty-eight percent of the beginning teachers strongly disagreed, while 14.3 percent of those with non-TxBESS-trained mentors strongly disagreed. Out of the total group, 30.7 percent, or 35 of 114, strongly disagreed with the statement that the mentoring experience had no impact on their decision to return to the profession for a second year. Research question two investigated the impact a mentoring experience has on beginning Hispanic teachers and on their decision to return for a second year in the profession. One year after the survey was conducted; the district reported that with the exception of people who did not fulfill certification requirements, all participants in the study were still in professions with over 95 percent still working in the school district. No significant difference was identified in the data to help answer research question two addressing the impact of this mentoring program on the retention of beginning Hispanic teachers in this specific school district. Other Findings The researcher had interest in investigating the effect cultural heritage had on the mentoring project. Item 8 in section A General Information of the survey was designed to address the impact of cultural heritage in the mentoring experience. The study investigated only one ethnic group in a specific part of the state. Eighty-five percent of the population in this study came from the predominate culture studied. No significant difference appeared during this study. Most Beneficial Mentor Support Activities Research question one asked what components of a mentoring program impact beginning Hispanic teachers during their first year of teaching. An analysis of the responses to Section D, Mentor Support Activities, added to the data that supported 71 the identification of the four components essential to an effective mentoring program. This section had two parts to gather perceptions from the respondents about the mentoring activities they had experienced during their first year of teaching in the identified district. The first part of this section asked beginning teachers to rank from 1 to 5 (with 1 being the least amount and 5 being the greatest amount) the amount of support they received from their trained mentor in each of the following activities. Table 4.10 is a report of the most frequently selected as essential of the beneficial activities by the total group. Table 4.10 Most frequently selected as "essential" of the beneficial activities by the total group Ranking by Percentage of Frequency responses 26.7% 26.7% 24.3% 23.5% 23.3% 20.9% 20.7% 18.1% Indicator Assistance with planning Assistance from the school administration Assistance with curriculum Assistance with instruction Assistance with student assessment Assistance with pedagogy Classroom observation by mentor Assistance with classroom management Assistance with the organizational task associated with the beginning of a school year Assistance incorporating culture into lessons 15.2% 14.8% Respondents with TxBESS-trained mentors identified activities as being the 72 most beneficial to them as a group. The following is a list of the ranking activities consider most beneficial by this group of beginning teachers. Table 4.11 is a tabulation of the ranking as essential of the mentoring support activities by this group. Table 4.11 Tabulation of the rankings as "essential" of the mentoring support activities by group with TxBESS-trained mentors Indicator Assistance with planning Assistance with instruction Assistance with curriculum Assistance from the school administration Classroom observation by mentor Assistance with student assessment Assistance with pedagogy Assistance with classroom management Assistance incorporating culture into lessons Assistance with the organizational task associated with the beginning of a school year Ranking by Percentage of Frequency responses 35.8% 30.9% 30.9% 30.9% 29.6% 29.6% 28.4% 23.5% 19.8% 19.2% The researcher attributes the top two items selected in this part of the survey by the group with TxBESS-trained mentors to the strong focus on instruction by the TxBESS model. Respondents with non-TxBESS-trained mentors identified activities as being the most beneficial to them as a group. The following is a list of the ranking activities 73 considered most beneficial by this group of beginning teachers. Table 4.12 is a tabulation of the ranking as essential of the mentoring support activities by this group. Table 4.12 Tabulation of the ranking as "essential" of the mentoring support activities by group with non-TxBESS-trained mentors Ranking by Percentage of Frequency responses 17.1% 8.8% 8.6% Indicator Assistance from the school administration Assistance with curriculum Assistance with student assessment Assistance with the organizational task associated with the beginning of a school year Assistance with classroom management Assistance with instruction Assistance with planning Classroom observation by mentor Assistance incorporating culture into lessons Assistance with pedagogy 5.9% 5.9% 5.9% 5.7% 5.7% 2.9% 2.9% The identification of assistance with school administration supports the four components identified earlier in this study. This item spoke to the need for instructional and emotional support and assistance. A review of the literature identified the perceived lack of support from administration as a common reason given by beginning teachers for leaving the profession. One respondent offered the following 74 comment in the closing section of the survey, How to work with administrators/principal, when administrators don t back-up teachers. The need for assistance with school administration also pointed to the need for the mentor to be on the same building because school administration varies from building to building depending on the person, or persons, who make up the administration team. Other Reactions This section addressed mentor support activities. Respondents were asked to identify the five activities from a list of 12 that were most beneficial to them in the mentoring process. The respondents had an opportunity to add two activities not listed, if the 12 on the list did not contain the activity(ies) they found beneficial. None of the respondents added items to the list of suggested activities. They were asked to rank those five activities on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the most beneficial and 5 being the least beneficial. To determine the most beneficial items, a tabulation of all selections regardless of rating was made. Table 4.13 reports frequency distribution of total group. Table 4.14 reports frequency distribution of group with TxBESS-trained mentors. Table 4.15 reflects the frequency distribution of the group of beginning teachers with non-TxBESS-trained mentors. 75 Table 4.13 Frequency distribution of items most beneficial to total group Percentage of Frequency Items Assistance with creating bulletin boards, learning centers, and the like Help with infusing multicultural content to your teaching Assistance with establishing relationships with students Demonstration of how to communicate with parents Assistance with procuring materials and supplies for the classroom Assistance in identifying problem areas through reflective questioning Demonstrations of how to handle discipline Productive, frequent, and formative assessment and feedback from observation(s) Receiving copies of materials, worksheets, or other classroom aids Observation(s) by your mentor Observing your mentor in his/her classroom Emotional support (i.e. encouragement, constructive feedback, caring attitude, someone to talk to) Distribution 113 or 83.7% 109 or 80.7% 106 or 78.5% 99 or 70.4% 95 or 70.4% 83 or 61.5% 72 or 53.3% 70 or 51.9% 68 or 50.4% 66 or 48.9% 60 or 44.4% 48 or 35.6% Analysis of the data collected in this section does not support the findings of the four important components of an effective mentoring program. The respondents ranked the items more closely aligned with informational assistance and support higher than 76 those which addressed other aspects of the mentoring program. They ranked emotional support as the lowest most beneficial activity . Table 4.14 Frequency distribution of group of beginning Hispanic teachers with TxBESS-trained mentors Percentage of Frequency Items Assistance with creating bulletin boards, learning centers, and the like Help with infusing multicultural content to your teaching Assistance with establishing relationships with students Demonstration of how to communicate with parents Assistance with procuring materials and supplies for the classroom Assistance in identifying problem areas through reflective questioning Receiving copies of materials, worksheets, or other classroom aids Demonstrations of how to handle discipline Productive, frequent, and formative assessment and feedback from observation(s) Observing your mentor in his/her classroom Observation(s) by your mentor Emotional support (i.e. encouragement, constructive feedback, caring attitude, someone to talk to) Distribution 73 or 85.9% 71 or 83.5% 68 or 80.0% 62 or 72.9 59 or 69.4% 47 or 55.3% 45 or 52.9% 42 or 49.4% 37 or 43.5% 35 or 41.2% 35 or 41.2% 28 or 32.9% The subgroup in the study with TxBESS mentors had the same rank order to their list of most beneficial activities . As a result of the instruction focus of the TxBESS mentoring program, they identified the items that provided them with information support and assistance in the instructional aspect of their first year 77 teaching experience. Table 4.15 Frequency distribution of the group of beginning Hispanic teachers with non-TxBESStrained mentors Percentage of Frequency Items Distribution Assistance with creating bulletin boards, learning centers, and the like Help with infusing multicultural content to your teaching Assistance with establishing relationships with students Demonstration of how to communicate with parents Assistance with procuring materials and supplies for the classroom Assistance in identifying problem areas through reflective questioning Productive, frequent, and formative assessment and feedback from observation(s) Observation(s) by your mentor 40 or 80.0% 38 or 76.0% 38 or 76.0% 37 or 74.0% 36 or 72.0% 36 or 72.0% 33 or 66.0% 31 or 62.0% Demonstrations of how to handle discipline Observing your mentor in his/her classroom 30 or 60.0% 25 or 50.0% Receiving copies of materials, worksheets, or other classroom aids Emotional support (i.e. encouragement, constructive feedback, caring attitude, someone to talk to) 23 or 46.0% 20 or 40.0% The researcher found that the group with non-TxBESS-trained mentors also selected the same items as most beneficial activities and had no explanation for their 78 selections. With the lack of a structure to the mentoring experience provided for these respondents there is no data identified to the researcher to make any generalizations or draw any conclusions. The researcher noted that the respondents top six choices all dealt with the mentor providing informational support and assistance to the beginning teacher. This was one of the components of an effective mentoring program, as identified by this study. The researcher also noted that the item ranked as the least beneficial activity was the Emotional support (i.e. encouragement, constructive feedback, caring attitude, someone to talk to) . The researcher contends that this item was written in a way that appealed to the emotional aspect of the mentoring experience and thus was less appealing to the respondents. All other items had tangible products as a result of the activities. Part Two of Section D asked respondents to list three things that they did not learn or benefit from in the mentoring experience that they wish they had been able to learn and/or experience. Responses to this open-ended item were solicited to determine if other facets should be added to the training of mentors for the future development of the project. All responses were divided into the groups identified in the study, beginning teachers with TxBESS-trained mentors and beginning teachers with non-TxBESS-trained mentors. The researcher identified four categories in order to report the findings of this section. The heading of the categories were; evaluation/assessment, classroom management, instruction, and school policy. These categories were determined using four components identified in this study as important 79 to ensuring a successful mentoring program for beginning Hispanic teachers. They were (1) the providing of emotional assistance and support, (2) the need to have designated time for mentor and beginning Hispanic teacher to collaborate, (3) the need to share information, and (4) the need for mentor and beginning Hispanic teacher to have frequent contact. All responses within each group were listed under these categories. An itemized list of things by category that were not learned or which had no benefit appears below. Some respondents phrased their comments in the form of suggestions. This group had 85 respondents; 44 respondents wrote comments and 41 chose not to share any comments in this section of survey. The number in parenthesis denotes frequency of response as interpreted by the researcher. Evaluation/Assessment Learning more about exams, tests, and assessments given to students How to refer a student with a learning disability How to make sure students become aware of the subject matter. Different assessments information 80 Classroom Management Instructions The mentor should observe once a six weeks and provide feedback. Be committed. How to manage a classroom with different instructional needs. That the mentor could also be observed by the mentee. (2) More observation/critiques. Support material. I would like to see how they use the books in their instruction. Lesson planning. (2) Classroom organization, materials, focus, lesson, lecture. (3) Help in infusing multicultural content to my teaching. (2) Bilingual Transition. Learn more about how things are run in P.E. My mentor teaches. Health most of the time, so I never got to observe her in P.E. thoroughly. Teaching strategies (she taught me, but it could be more complete). Discipline Management. (5) Classroom Management. (5) I wish I could have learned some tricks to discipline. How to handle students that are disruptive. School Policy Filling out certain documents I did not know that students who had been retained already could not be retained again. 81 PRC s The order in which the PRC should be in and what to look for in a PRC. (2) That the mentee had to ask the mentor for advice, so then what is the point of a mentor? I could ask anyone for help. That the mentor should be a frequent supporter. Being assigned a mentor by August instead of late December. Trying to communicate with uncooperative parents. I think the program should help us with strategies to pass our certification. To learn more about teaching in general. For example techniques to use to handle stress. School routines/drills Reiterate the fact that I did not receive any assistance other than at the end of the program, March 2003. Learn about organizational skills (grade books, lesson plans, etc.). (2) Assistance in establishing relationship with parents, especially those that don t speak English. The Mentor should be experienced in the subject she is mentoring with, because the mentee would still feel lost if she is not. I think we should have an orientation. I m sure this does work! Maybe if we belong to the same grade level, I will gain more knowledge. How to start the first day of school. 82 Organization skills, personal and professional. How to communicate with assistant coaches when they do not comply. I would like more help with student documentation for the ARD [process]. I would enjoy future encouragement from my mentor. Some of the respondents took the opportunity in this section to share general comments. Some of the comments were positive, others were negative. While the statements were not specific enough to assign to a category, the researcher shared them to give additional voice to the mentoring experience of the beginning Hispanic teacher. Positive: "My mentor has taught me almost everything to have a successful first year. If there are things that I still need to learn my mentor will always address it. I am sure that there are things that I need to know that I have not encountered." "My mentor did not know she was my mentor at the beginning of the year. As soon as she found out she was very helpful." "I think my mentor did a great job. I can t think of anything I would have benefited from that I didn t get. I can always go and ask her for help." "I think everything that a mentee wished to learn or experience was substantially given to me by my very supportive mentor." "I can not say bad things about my mentor for she is so supportive and giving me courage to continue with my goal. She is so constructive in giving her comments in her observations. My mentor helped me to develop my confidence in teaching." "Everything that my mentor taught me was very beneficial to my teaching career." "As far as with my experience, I think every question I asked my mentor 83 was answered. The support was tremendous." "I learned tremendously and my mentoring experience was very beneficial. I had a wonderful experience." "I feel that my mentor helped me in all aspects with my experience in teaching. I don t feel that I did not learn or did not benefit in any way." [WRITTEN BY A FILIPINO TEACHER]: "I could not ask more from my mentor. He is simply extra helpful, not only to me but to other new Filipino teachers. Mr. XX has given his best, not only as my mentor, but he and his wife have become my family in XX, TX." "I felt like I benefited from the mentoring experience and learned a lot." "I have an excellent mentor." Negative: "I felt I had no support from my mentor." "My mentor showed little enthusiasm about being a mentor, which put a negative view on this program. I gained no new knowledge about teaching skills that I did not know about. She offered no advice or comments on my lesson." I wish the mentor had more time to talk. I fell I did not benefit being by myself during the first weeks of school, I felt overwhelmed. I did not benefit from the lack of materials and resource." The beginning teachers who did not have TxBESS-trained mentors shared the following comments when asked to list three things they did not learn or benefit from in the mentoring experience that they wish they had been able to learn and/or experience. Of the fifty respondents in the group, 19 wrote comments about what they found beneficial or would like to have experienced in the mentoring program. Thirty-one respondents shared no information in this section of the survey. The same categories 84 were assigned by the researcher to report the respondents comments. Evaluation/Assessment Organizing a grade book. Classroom Management. Discipline in the classroom/Classroom management. (4) My most important deficiency is discipline. I need some training on handing difficult students. I will take some psychology courses for [to help with] my discipline. Assertive Discipline. Strategies dealing with discipline problems such as alternative methods other than referrals. Instruction How to teach during a block and to vary assignments while staying on task. The integration of other techniques and resources on the campus. Know how to engage students in learning. Teaching the students how to put an engine together. How to work better with total integration. Better handling of our Resource Education Program. How to prepare lesson plans. As a new teacher, it would have been very nice to have had a textbook or some type of curriculum to follow when teaching my first semester. 85 School Policy Procedures for ARD s and other meetings. (2) Money matters: e.g. Fund raisers and the like. How to avoid or lessen the stress of the job. I have only this semester (spring) been given a mentor. It would have served me more to have had a mentor from the beginning. I wanted to be able to take my students on a business related field trip and didn t know how to go about it. (2) Being able to work with other teachers. Dealing with perfect attendance; calling roll call for one. Averaging out grades; percentages. Parent/Administrator communication. Teacher relationship/support. Having 100 percent parental involvement. Using all support networks available. How to go about teaching your class when you are going to be evaluated by an administrator. What exactly is a portfolio? No positive comments were shared by the sub-group in the study. The following is a list of statements that the researcher determined to be negative in this sub-group. "Did not have mentor or do not have mentor." "I know for a fact my mentor was not trained, and therefore did not know what to do." "I was told I had a mentor after weeks of starting school. It would be 86 better if mentors were assigned since the 1st day of school." "I did not have the benefit of having a mentor, and I would have greatly appreciated a mentor." "Lack of available time to visit with mentor." The researcher noted no significant difference in the responses from the two sub-groups in the study. However, the lists compiled from the responses in this section of the survey added to the data analysis that supports the identification of the components of an effective mentoring program. Many of the statements referred to the need to know more about a particular part of the teaching job or teaching functions. Some referred to the need for additional time to learn more about the profession. And, still others lamented the missed opportunity to develop a relationship that would have provided more emotional support during the first year of teaching. Most of the responses referred to the desire on the part of the beginning Hispanic teacher to gather information about the norms of the profession. The researcher found that the statements shared in this section illustrate the beginning Hispanic teachers desire to discover the How to s of the profession. Even the negative statements reported addressed the need to find more information about the teaching profession by beginning Hispanic teachers. Respondents Recommendation for Mentoring Project/Program Section D of the survey had a third part to gather information about beginning teachers opinion as to the future of the mentoring project in the district. The respondents were asked to respond to five statements. The responses available to all five statements were either "yes" or "no." Responses were viewed for 135 respondents combined and compared to the separate group responses. Table 4.16 presents the breakdown of the favorable responses to the five statements. Results are reported in rank order. 87 Table 4.16 Favorable responses to the five statements Statements Favorable % 99.1% 98.3% I would recommend the district keep mentoring programs in place. I would recommend every beginning teacher be assigned a mentor. I would encourage beginning teachers participate in mentoring programs. I would encourage veteran teachers become mentors to beginning teachers. I look forward to being a mentor teacher in the future. 96.5% 94.8% 85.1% While 99.1 percent of the total group responded in the affirmative to the following statement, I would recommend the district keep mentoring programs in place . The researcher also noted that the groups recommended that every beginning teacher be assigned a mentor, and that the respondents encouraged beginning teachers to participate in the mentoring program. In addition, a majority of the respondents (94.8 percent) encouraged veteran teachers to become mentors, while only 85.1 percent claimed that they were looking forward to being a mentor teacher in the future. If the district is to continue the mentoring program it will need to identify and develop more mentors. The wide gap in rating on the part of the beginning Hispanic teachers is one that needs to be shared with the district because this finding would have a negative impact on the future of the mentoring program. Only one respondent, who had a TxBESS-trained mentor, wrote in the final section of the survey the following, "Once I have a complete or at least 99 percent of my classroom discipline controlled, I would 88 be very interested in serving as a mentor for new teachers." The researcher found this data to be an area of concern. The participants in the study also questioned the selection of veteran teachers as mentors. One beginning Hispanic teacher who had a TxBESS-trained mentor wrote the following, There should be opportunities for beginning teachers to become mentors as well. Veteran teachers offer experience, but some beginning teachers have techniques and could easily relate with other beginning teachers." Another shared the following observation in the closing section of the survey, "A veteran teacher who is a mentor most likely has forgotten what it is to be a new teacher. I have seen it. They are set in there old ways and do not like to move on to new cheese (Reference the Who Moved My Cheese). I recommend that a mentor should be a teacher with 3 to 5 years of experience who still remembers what it is to be a new teacher, or how it feels to be a new teacher." The need for subject matter knowledge and experiences by the mentor was also expressed by a respondent who wrote the comment, "The mentor should be experienced in the subject she is mentoring with, because the mentee would still feel lost if she is not." Final Comments The final section of the survey invited respondents to share additional comments about their mentoring experiences or program. A compilation of their comments is reported. The following is what the beginning teachers with a TxBESStrained mentor shared. Most took the opportunity to make suggestions about the mentoring program. Many of these suggestions echo the importance of the four 89 components of an effective mentoring program identified in this study. For example, one respondent wrote, "It is important for a mentor to be in the same grade level and have the same planning time, and mentor [to have] materials for new teacher". This refers to the importance of informational and emotional support and assistance, as well as, the need to spend time with a mentor and being in the same building. Those participants in the study who did not view themselves as active participants of a mentoring program or judged their mentoring experience to be unsatisfactory took this closing section opportunity to share their suggestions and observations. One wrote, "Even though I did not participate in a mentor program, I have worked with several experienced teachers. Some of these teachers are assigned mentors to other beginning teachers. I have enjoyed the experience, and I have learned much." While another shared that, "The mentor assigned to me was not on the same grade level. She showed no enthusiasm and shared nothing with me. Truly and honestly I gained nothing from the mentor I was assigned." One of the respondents questioned the cost effectiveness of the program by writing the following statement on the survey, "The district should do away with the mentoring program, because many veteran teachers/mentors just collect a pay check for mentoring and never do anything. My personal view is that ISD is just spending money on an ineffective program." The researcher found that the comments shared by beginning Hispanic teachers who had non-TxBESS-trained mentors provided insight into the need for a mentoring program. Some of the comments from this group were, "Don t drop the program after 90 implementation." "Need a mentor program. I did not have a mentor." "I did not have a mentor. However, I did work with my team. Many of the mentor s duties were covered by the team." The four components that were identified by the data of this study were summarized by two of the participants in the study. One wrote, "The district should provide a workshop for all new teachers where they get to review all the books and/or chapters they will be teaching in each subject; also how to fill all the paper work. If this would happen the new teacher could spend more quality time with mentor reviewing more important information and the new teacher would have a more productive school year." A second respondent wrote, "[As a] first year teacher, I did not have a mentor so it made my experience tough. I saw the difference a mentor made with other new teachers and it provided them with great help, in the future I would like a mentor especially someone in the related field of special education. Even though I was assigned a mentor [in name], I received very little help and assistance from her." Summary The researcher sought to determine what components of a teacher mentoring program impacted beginning teachers as investigated in a particular model, identified as TxBESS. The research was conducted on an identified school district that had implemented the TxBESS model. The district also had a group of beginning Hispanic teachers who were being mentored with no prescribed model for mentoring. The four major components of the mentoring program identified by the data in this study were: (1) informational support/assistance from the mentor, (2) time spent with mentor, (3) presence of mentor in same building as the mentee, and (4) emotional 91 support/assistance from the mentor. Multiple sections of the survey were used to present different components of a mentoring program and asked whether or not the differences in perception of support were manifested in the mentoring project of the school district. The researcher looked for a correlation between the amount of time spent with mentors and the amount of support indicated by the beginning Hispanic teachers. Significant positive relationships were found in all areas for both, the group with TxBESS-trained and non-TxBESS-trained mentors. Positive relationships were found to exist between the amount of time spent with mentors and the support they received in the areas of informational assistances, emotional assistance, and location of mentor and beginning Hispanic teachers in the same building. The study yielded other data about the mentoring project of the identified district. The analysis of this data added to the body of work about the district s mentoring project and was used to prepare recommendations to the district. 92 CHAPTER V SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCULSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS Summary of Finding This chapter includes three sections: (1) Summary of Findings, (2) Conclusions and (3) Recommendations. An attempt was made to determine the findings from the data analysis and to draw conclusions or generalizations from them. Finally recommendations are made to the school district policy makers and for future research. A discussion of the results of this study must be prefaced with a few words of caution. The findings of this study may only pertain to the circumstances that were specific to the impact of participation in a mentoring program on beginning Hispanic teachers in a low socioeconomic, predominately limited-English-proficient (LEP) school district. The target population of this study was 135 beginning Hispanic teachers participating in various mentoring programs in a school district in South Texas. This school district was selected as the setting because they had been using the TxBESS mentoring program since the program started three years ago. TxBESS is a program that provides training to mentor teachers before they are assigned a beginning teacher. The district describes itself as an inner city school district. The district s student population is 98.9 percent Hispanic, 91.1 percent are from economically disadvantaged families, and 58.7 percent are limited-English-proficient. Of the district s teaching staff, 92.5 percent are Hispanic. The study was conducted in a homogeneous ethnic setting. The data gathered and ensuring results provided a base of knowledge for the ongoing project of the district in the study that previously did not exist and a wealth of 93 information to use constructively to benefit the project. A few generalizations about new teacher mentoring can be made based on the data gathered that reflect the findings of other studies done in this area and reported in the literature. In addition, the district should note the differences and similarities between the two groups within the study in order to improve the mentoring project. The study of this district s mentoring program will be an addition to the new teacher mentoring knowledge base. Conclusions Experiences of Beginning Hispanic Teachers with Mentoring Program The results of this study support the idea that mentoring beginning Hispanic teachers should be a component of any new teacher induction program. The majority of the beginning Hispanic teachers in this study indicated that their mentoring experiences were positive. The majority of beginning Hispanic teachers in both groups, those with TxBESS-trained mentors and those with non-TxBESS-trained mentors indicated having positive mentoring experiences when they were aware of the mentoring project. Besides the positive indications given in the responses to items in Section A of the survey, other subtle evidence existed in the pattern of responses in the other sections of the survey. Beginning Hispanic teachers indicated receiving a great deal of support in several areas of assistance and from various mentoring activities reinforcing the premise that mentoring was a beneficial strategy for the subjects in this study and that the experiences were positive in nature. The last section of the survey asked the respondents five questions about their recommendations for future beginning teachers. The three statements that address the usefulness of a mentoring program for beginning teachers received better than a 95 percent positive response. The two questions that addressed the prospect of becoming 94 a mentor received less than 95 percent positive response. When asked if they, the beginning Hispanic teachers, looked forward to becoming mentors in the future only 85 percent responded in the positive. One possible reason for the difference is that the beginning Hispanic teachers saw the amount of time it took to be a mentor. This observation reinforces the importance of time as critical part of a mentoring program. Negative Experiences A few of the respondents indicated having unsatisfactory experiences with their mentors. Open-ended items at the end of each section of the survey provided the respondent an opportunity to relate why the experience was unsatisfactory. The comments indicate that in some cases the TxBESS-trained mentors did not all follow through with the expectations defined in the project. The reasons for the lack of follow through by the mentors are not known. It was not clear, to the researcher, what may have caused these particular instances of poor performance by the TxBESS-trained mentor. In the case of non-TxBESS-trained mentors there were no clear expectations shared with the mentor when they were given their assignment. Possible solutions might be that more training was needed and that the selection process to determine appropriate mentor candidates needed to be more stringent. An additional reason could be the lack of commitment to the process by the mentor. It is important to note that only one respondent indicated that the teacher mentoring project should be abandoned because, It is a waste of district resources . TxBESS-Trained Mentors vs. Non-TxBESS-Trained Mentors The responses indicated a significantly more positive experience between the beginning Hispanic teachers who had TxBESS-trained mentors assigned to them during their first year in the district and those who had assigned mentors who were non- 95 TxBESS-trained. Training mentors prior to mentoring did enhance the mentoring experiences for the mentees. This significant difference makes a case for training mentors before they are assigned a mentee. The most common issue in the negative statements about the mentoring experiences addressed the lack of support, time, and structure by which to implement and develop a mentor/mentee relationship. A training component for mentors is vital to any mentoring program. Informational Support/Assistance from the Mentor The study revealed that the informational support/assistance to the beginning Hispanic teacher received from the mentor was perceived as a major component of an effective mentoring project. The researcher notes that the training of the mentor did not impact the beginning Hispanic teachers perceived value of this part of the mentoring program. Most of the respondents referred to the information shared with them by their mentor as beneficial in helping them survive their first year in the profession. One of the respondents wrote, "As responsibilities were handed over, I met with my mentor as needed in order for me to fulfill my duties." While another one shared the following observation, "My mentor was needed very often to help me fulfill my duties and responsibilities." The researcher noted that much of the criticisms of the program addressed the beginning Hispanic teachers lament with the lack of opportunity to share information. The primary reason for that complaint was the time factor. The Importance of Time The training component for the mentors who were TxBESS-trained required that they attend a three-day workshop provided by the Education Service Center to prepare them to give support and assistance to their mentees. The non-TxBESS-trained mentors received no formal training. The TxBESS-trained mentors were to spend time 96 on specific activities and those activities determined the amount of time required for the project. The activities included a pre-observation form filled out and discussed between the mentor and the mentee, an observation of the mentee delivering instruction in the classroom, and a post observation form to include follow-up discussion. The non-TxBESS-trained mentors were given no guidelines or directives as to the amount of time that a mentor was to spend with the mentee during the mentoring project. Based on conversations with district personnel, the researcher gathered that there was an underlying expectation from the district that the appropriate amount of time to adequately support and assist the mentees would be provided by the mentor. A lack of specific recommendations or guidelines for mentors as to the amount of time they should have spent with their mentees undoubtedly accounts for the wide range of hours per month reported by the mentees on the survey. The amount of time spent with a mentor reported on the surveys ranged from 0 to 200 hours per month. In spite of this, close to70 percent of the beginning Hispanic teachers who responded felt that the time they were able to spend with their mentors was adequate. Almost 30 percent of the beginning Hispanic teachers indicated that the time was not adequate. There was evidence to indicate that the amount of time a mentor spent with the beginning Hispanic teacher made a difference. Significant positive relationships were found between the amount of time spent with a mentor and the level of support felt by the beginning Hispanic teachers. Positive relationships were found between time spent and perceived assistance in the area of classroom management, planning, and instruction. Frequent Contact with Mentors The participants of this study identified that the frequent contact with a mentor 97 was an important component of an effective mentoring program. The researcher concluded that this component is closely related to the first two components identified and discussed in detail. The frequent contact with mentors facilitates the sharing of information and maximizes the use of time in a mentoring program. This component also provides the opportunity for the fourth component identified in this study; emotional support/assistance. Emotional Support/Assistance Emotional support/assistance received from the mentor was also rated at a significant difference between those having TxBESS-trained mentors and those beginning Hispanic teachers who had non-TxBESS-trained mentors. More than fifty percent of the beginning Hispanic teachers with TxBESS-trained mentors strongly agreed that their mentor had provided emotional support/assistance, while only twentyfive percent of the beginning Hispanic teachers with non-TxBESS-trained mentors strongly agreed with this component of a mentoring program. The researcher attributed this difference in scores to the lack of a relationship being present between the beginning Hispanic teachers and the non-TxBESS-trained mentor. Mentoring Impact on Retention Respondents were asked to rate the positive impact the mentoring experience had on their teaching and their decision to stay in the profession. The vast majority of beginning Hispanic teachers with TxBESS-trained mentors rated this item as strong agreement, while less than twenty percent of their counterparts with non-TxBESStrained mentors rated it as strong agreement. The study revealed a significant difference in the correlation between a positive experience and the retention issue. Mentoring by TxBESS-trained mentors had a positive impact on the decision of 98 beginning Hispanic teachers to return to the profession for a second year. Conclusions Based on Other Findings Most Beneficial Activities One of the most concrete and useful findings of this study is the list of mentor activities that the beginning Hispanic teachers, who responded to the survey, found to be the most beneficial to them in their mentoring experiences. Whether they had trained mentors or non-trained mentors, the lists were similar. The list also mirrored the activities cited in the literature as most beneficial in other studies (Bercik, 1994; Stoble & Copper, 1998; Zimpher & Rieger, 1988). This study identified a significant difference found between the groups and the impact emotional support had on their mentoring experiences. Some of the activities listed under emotional support were: encouragement, shared conversations, constructive feedback, a caring attitude, and someone to talk to. This is supportive of the findings cited in the literature. Based on personal past experience, citations in the literature (Stroble & Cooper, 1988; Zimpher & Rieger, 1988) and the validations from the beginning Hispanic teachers in this study, perhaps the most beneficial support we can give in mentoring programs for beginning teachers is the emotional support. Leaving beginning teachers isolated and unsupported emotionally could be the single most damaging thing we could do for those entering the profession. In addition to emotional support, the beginning Hispanic teachers in this study indicated that they benefited from assistance with creating bulletin boards, learning centers, and other classroom preparations activities; help with infusing multicultural content into instructional activities; assistance with establishing relationships with students; demonstration of how to communicate with parents; assistance with procuring 99 materials and supplies for the classroom; and assistance in identifying problem areas through reflective questioning. Selection of Mentors Even though there was no formal research question concerning the selection criteria for mentors or pairing for new teachers, the researcher was interested in the opinions of the beginning Hispanic teachers in this study. There is literature that discussed the mentor selection criteria and mentor/mentee pairing guidelines at length. The criteria selected for this study were decided by the district. For the most part, the criteria was in agreement with the most frequently listed in the literature as necessary for new teacher mentoring programs, which was used to develop Section B of the survey used in this study. The total group identified having frequent contact with a mentor and having same planning time with a mentor teacher as the highest-ranking criteria for mentor selections and pairing. Having a mentor of the same sex and having similar personality traits as mentor teacher were ranked as the lowest of all criteria. Because of the homogeneous make-up of the population studied and the homogeneous environment in which the study was conducted, the researcher had a special interest in investigating the impact of same ethnic group in the selection process of mentor/mentee pairing. The total group ranked this criterion as sixth out of eight items as an essential criterion to use when selecting mentors for mentees. State Mentoring Requirements TxBESS was the result of legislations enacted in 1999 by the Texas Legislature. TxBESS was a three-year pilot project developed to provide beginning Texas teachers with a support system. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education and administered by the State Board of Educator Certification (SBEC), TxBESS 100 addresses three major goals: 1) increasing teacher retention; 2) assisting teachers in developing and refining sound teaching practices that support high-quality instruction; and 3) improving student performance (Texas Beginning Educator Support System, Evaluation Report for Year Two, 2000-01, Executive Summary of Findings prepared by the Charles A. Dana Center, 2001, p. 2). Independent, preliminary evaluations of TxBESS indicate it has had a positive impact on the retention of beginning Hispanic teachers. This finding was the primary reason for this study. This study confirmed in the findings of the Dana Center Executive Summary within the limitations of the study. While the State of Texas has reduced, and possibly eliminated, the funding for mentoring programs, the State Board of Educator Certification continues to recognize the positive role of mentoring programs have in supporting and developing teachers for the state. In spring 2004, SBEC sent the State Board of Education a proposal to allow school districts the option to hire subject-degreed graduates as teachers in grades 8 through 12, providing the district offers a mentoring program to ensure competencies. Most, if not all, alternative certification programs in Texas also provide mentoring activities as a vital part of the program. The literature cites that in times of budget constraints, elimination of mentoring projects is identified as a way to balance the budget. Texas has already made this identification and, in most cases, mentoring programs are viewed by local school districts as an unfunded program. Local school districts will have to make the decision to maintain mentoring programs using other funding sources. One possible funding source may be found in the federal No Child Left Behind legislation, specifically Title II, Part A, which provides funding for Highly Qualified teachers. 101 Recommendations to the District For the ongoing success of the district s mentoring project that provided the data for this study, the following recommendations are suggested: 1. The district should continue its commitment to the mentoring project by providing personnel to implement and monitor the program. The district currently assigns a personnel unit from the Human Resource Office to oversee and work with the mentoring project. This person is one of the major factors ensuring the success of the mentoring project. 2. A survey similar to the one administered for this study should be given to the participating beginning teachers every year. The survey should continue to be administered prior to the end of the mentoring year while experiences are current and clear in memory. Efforts should be maintained to retrieve responses from all participants surveyed. 3. In addition to a paper and pencil survey, the beginning teachers who are assigned mentors should be interviewed in a focus group setting with a facilitator who has seen the results of the survey and can ask appropriate follow-up questions that will surface from the data. Data gathered from the focus group sessions may answer questions that arise in interpreting the survey results and may lead to a better understanding of individual situations that are either positive or negative. 4. Specific guidelines should be built into the project for the amount of time that mentors are to spend with mentees. The amount of time that mentors spend with their mentees should be more uniform to ensure consistency for mentoring experiences. 5. The training component should be in place for all mentors. All experienced teachers who will be used as mentors should receive training in the district approved 102 mentoring program. 6. The training component for mentors should be expanded to include a summary of what was learned in prior years from mentees that may enable mentors to support their mentees to a greater degree. Sharing the perspective of mentees that have completed the mentor program should provide concrete data to potential mentors that will help them understand the needs of new teachers to a greater degree. 7. Follow-up training should be required for previously trained mentors in order to correct problems that have been identified during the previous year s implementation. If previously trained personnel are to be reassigned to a mentoring position, they should be made aware of the results of this study. They will be unable to correct any flaws or modify behaviors without this data. 8. An orientation should be conducted with all beginning teachers that will prepare them to interact with their mentors. They should be informed about the mentoring program and its purpose. The role of the mentor and what kind of assistance they can expect from the mentor should be discussed. 9. The school district should continue its investment in a comprehensive mentoring program that will address the needs of all beginning teachers, not just those who were fortunate enough to be assigned trained mentors. The research clearly indicates that mentees with trained mentors benefited more from the mentoring experiences. Mentors should be well trained and compensated with incentives that are clearly established by the district. The investment of time, effort, and money will pay huge dividends for the school system in terms of teacher retention, teacher morale, new teacher success, and more effective teaching which will lead to improved student performance. 103 Recommendations for Further Study The following recommendations for further research are suggested: 1. It is recommended that the study be conducted in a multicultural setting to examine the impact of a mentoring program for beginning teachers with different ethnic backgrounds. The researcher believes this would identify the impact of mentoring programs on different ethnic groups. The fact that this study was conducted in a homogenous ethnic setting is a limitation of the study. 2. It is recommended that a longitudinal study of mentees after three years and five years in the profession be conducted to examine the long-term impact of the mentoring program. This would require the district tracking the data for a minimum of three years. The researcher believes this would offer a greater depth of understanding to the mentoring experiences and the overall impact of the mentoring program. 3. It is further recommended that a case study approach be used on identified pairing of mentor/mentee to examine the relationship that develops as a result of the mentoring experiences 104 APPENDICES 105 Appendix A Letter of Participants 505 S. Victoria St. San Diego, Texas 78384 March 31, 2003 Dear Educator: As a beginning teacher with LISD this year, you have been carefully selected to participate in a study of the mentoring program offered by the school district. Survey responses from you are needed in order to make comparisons of experiences of new teachers who were assigned mentors trained using the TxBESS model and new teachers who were assigned traditional mentors. Your responses will be kept anonymous. This research will be used to help improve the mentoring experiences offered by the district and enhance the information available on mentoring practices. Since only a select group of teachers is being surveyed, it is extremely important that all of you who have received surveys respond, so that the results will have substance and validity. Please take a few minutes from your busy schedule to complete it today and return it at the end of this district session. If you are not attending a district session or need more time, please return it via campus mail to the Human Resource Office via the Intra-district mail in the envelope provided to the attention of Mrs. Dolores Campos. Because of the urgency of the need for this information, your completed survey is needed by May 1, 2003. Thanks for your attention to this request. I appreciate your help! Sincerely, Ignacio Salinas, Jr. Doctoral Student at University of Texas at Austin Enclosures For any questions about the research subject s rights, contact the Office of Graduate Studies of the University of Texas at Austin, Main 101, Austin TX 787 106 Appendix B Demographic Data Please fill in the following information and return with completed survey. Name: ____________________________________________________________ Social Security #: _____-____-_____ or District Employee # ________________ Age: _____ Ethnicity: ________________ Gender: ___ Female Male ____ My mentor is TxBESS trained. _____ Yes _____ No ____ Don t Know Please choose the one that best describes your situation: Current teaching assignment in the district: _____ Elementary School _____ Middle/Jr. High School _____ High School I am: _____ fully certified in the State of Texas _____ working on a deficiency plan _____ working on alternative certification I attended a University/College: _____ Locally _____ within 100 miles _____ Over 100 miles away Please include years taught in another school district. I have taught school for _____ years. This is my first professional job. _____ Yes _____ No If the answer is NO, please list previous profession(s) and number of years in each. Profession(s) ___________________________ ___________________________ Years _____ _____ 107 Appendix C Teachers Survey Form A & B 1. I am a participant in the TxBESS mentoring program. __ Yes __ No __ Don t Know My mentor is TxBESS trained. __Yes __ No __ Don t Know 2. A. General Information For each statement, select the choice below that most accurately describes your feelings and then circle the corresponding number at the right. (1) Strongly Disagree (2) Disagree (3) Agree (4) Somewhat Agree (5) Strongly Agree 1. My experience(s) with my mentor was a positive one. 1 2 3 4 5 2. During the program, I felt competent about my ability to teach. 1 2 3 4 5 3. After the program, I feel more competent about my ability to teach. 1 2 3 4 5 4. Based on my perceptions of my mentoring experience, I would like to become a mentor to beginning teachers. 1 2 3 4 5 5. My mentoring experience has had a positive impact on my teaching, and helped me decide to stay in the teaching profession. 1 2 3 4 5 My mentoring experience has had a negative impact, and I will likely leave the teaching profession. 1 2 3 4 5 My mentor gave me valuable assistance during the first two weeks of school. 1 2 3 4 5 6. 7. 108 8. My mentor sharing my cultural heritage positively impacted my mentoring experience. 1 2 3 4 5 9. The emotional support/assistance I received from my mentor was adequate or better. 1 2 3 4 5 The instructional support/assistance I received from my mentor was adequate or better. 1 2 3 4 5 The informational support/assistance I received from my mentor was adequate or better. 1 2 3 4 5 My mentoring experience has had no impact on my decision to return for a second year of teaching. 1 2 3 4 5 10. 11. 12. For the next question below, please fill in the blank or answer appropriately. The amount of time I spent with my mentor was approximately ____ hours a month. Was that enough time? _____YES _____ NO Why/Why not? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ 109 B. Selection Process For each of the following items, indicate your opinion as to their usefulness to you in a beginning teacher mentoring program according to the choices below. Circle the appropriate number that corresponds to the usefulness of each item. (1) Unnecessary (2) Not Helpful (3) Helpful (4) Very Helpful (5) Essential 13. Having frequent contact with a mentor teacher. 1 2 3 4 5 14. Having the same sex mentor teacher. 1 2 3 4 5 15. Having a mentor in the same building. 1 2 3 4 5 16. Having a mentor in the same grade level. 1 2 3 4 5 17. Having a mentor from the same ethnic group. 1 2 3 4 5 18. Having same planning time with mentor teacher. 1 2 3 4 5 19. Having similar personality traits as mentor teacher. 1 2 3 4 5 20. Having a multiple year mentoring experience. 1 2 3 4 5 110 C. Mentor Support Activities Rank from 1 to 5 (with 1 being the least amount and 5 being the greatest amount) the amount of support you received from your trained mentor in each of the following activities. Circle the appropriate number for each column. (1) Very Little Support (2) Little Support (3) Adequate Support (4) More than Adequate Support (5) Extra Support 21. Assistance with the organizational task associated with the beginning of a school year. 1 2 3 4 5 Classroom observation by mentor. 1 2 3 4 5 23. Assistance with classroom management. 1 2 3 4 5 24. Assistance with instruction. 1 2 3 4 5 25. Assistance with pedagogy. 1 2 3 4 5 26. Assistance with curriculum. 1 2 3 4 5 27. Assistance with planning. 1 2 3 4 5 28. Assistance with student assessment. 1 2 3 4 5 29. Assistance from the school administration. 1 2 3 4 5 30. Assistance incorporating culture into lessons. 1 2 3 4 5 22. 111 D. Other Reactions From the list below, select only five (5) mentoring activities performed by your mentor that were beneficial for you and rank them in order from 1 to 5, with 1 being the most beneficial. Place the number in the blank beside the item. _____ Observing your mentor in his/her classroom. _____ Observation(s) by your mentor. _____ Productive, frequent, and formative assessment and feedback from observation(s). _____ Receiving copies of materials, worksheets, or other classroom aids. _____ Emotional support (i.e. encouragement, constructive feedback, caring attitude, someone to talk to) _____ Help with infusing multicultural content to your teaching _____ Demonstrations of how to handle discipline _____ Demonstration of how to communicate with parents _____ Assistance with procuring materials and supplies for the classroom _____ Assistance with establishing relationships with students _____ Assistance with creating bulletin boards, learning centers, and the like _____ Assistance in identifying problem areas through reflective questioning _____ Other, please specify ________________________________________ _____ Other, please specify ________________________________________ Please list three things that you did not learn or benefit from in the mentoring 112 experience that you wish you had been able to learn and/or experienced. 1. __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ 2. __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ 3. __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Please answer the following questions based on your experience with a mentoring program. I would recommend every beginning teacher be assigned a mentor. ___Yes ___No I would recommend the district keep mentoring programs in place. ___Yes ___No I would encourage beginning teachers participate in mentoring programs. ___Yes ___No I would encourage veteran teachers become mentors to beginning teachers. ___Yes___No I look forward to being a mentor teacher in the future. ___Yes __No If you have additional comments about your mentoring experience or the program, please use the back of this survey to share your observations. 113 Appendix D Letter of Permission to the School Districts March 25, 2003 Dr. R. Jerry Barber, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools Laredo Independent School District 1604 Houston St. Laredo, TX 78040 Dear Dr. Barber: My name is Ignacio Salinas, Jr. I met with you last semester to introduce myself and to talk to you about my dissertation study that I would like to conduct in Laredo Independent School District. My study will investigate the impact that mentoring programs have on beginning Hispanic teachers and their decisions to return for a second year to the profession. The study will be conducted with a survey being handed to all beginning teachers in LISD. I am enclosing a copy o f all the materials that are to be used with the study. I am ready to circulate the survey. At the conclusion of our meeting, you informed me that a letter to you would be the place to begin the process to start collecting the data. Please consider this correspondence my formal request to conduct the study. If I need to do anything else, please notify me as soon as possible. I would like to study the first year teachers to LISD for the 2002-2003 school year. You instructed me to talk to Dr. Neida Estringel, which I have done. She put me in contact with Mrs. Dolores Campos. Mrs. Campos has been a great resource as the contact person. 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National Conference of State Legislatures. http://www.ncsl.org/programs/educ/Tchapo.htm 121 Under their wing: Promises and pitfalls of mentoring. (1999, October). High School Magazine 7(2), 8-13. Valeau, E. J. (1999, Winter). Mentoring: The Association of California Community Colleges Project. Community College Review 27(3), 33-46. Viator, R. E. (2001, January). The association of formal and informal public accounting mentoring with roles stress and related job outcomes. Accounting, Organizations, and Society. http://www.netlibrary.com Wang, J. (2001, January). Contexts of mentoring and opportunities for learning to teach: A comparative study on mentoring practice. Teaching and Teacher Education 17(1), 51-73. Wagner, L. A., Ownby, L., & Gless, J. (1995). The California mentor teacher program in the 1980 s and 1990 s: A historical perspective. Education and Urban Society 28, 20-39. Witmer, J. T. (1993, February). Mentoring: One district s success story. Program in Lower Dauphin School District. NASSP Bulletin 77, 71-8. Wollman-Bonilla, J. E. (1997, Summer). Mentoring as a two-way street. Journal of Staff Development 18, 50-2. Young, A. M., & Perrewe, P. L. (2000, Summer). The exchange of relationship between mentors and prot g : The development of a framework. Human Resource Management Review. http://www.netlibrary.com What did you expect? An examination of career-related support and social support among mentors and prot g s. (2000, July). Journal of Management 8. http://www.netlibrary Zimpher, N. L., & Rieger, S. R. (1988). Mentoring teachers/symposium. Theory Into Practice 27, 174-236. 122 Vita Ignacio Salinas, Jr. was born in San Antonio, Texas on December 22, 1958. He is the son of Ignacio Salinas, Sr. and Lilia Edna Garcia Salinas. After completing his high school education at Corpus Christi Minor Seminary in Corpus Christi, Texas in 1977, he enrolled at Texas A&I University in Kingsville, Texas. In the fall of 1979, he transferred to the University of Dallas in Irving, Texas where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education in 1981. In the fall of 1981, he began his career as an educator in San Diego Independent School District. During his twelve years with the district, he was a special education teacher, remedial reading teacher at the high school, Junior High school principal, Elementary school principal, and facilitator for Site Based Decision Making. During his employment with San Diego Independent School District, Ignacio completed his graduate studies earning a Master of Science Degree in Psychology from Texas A&I University in Kingsville, Texas in August of 1983. Ignacio is certified by the state of Texas in the areas of Secondary History and Psychology, Supervision, Counseling, and Mid-Management. He went on to take necessary course work for Superintendent s certification at Corpus Christi State University in 1985. In 1993, Ignacio was elected to be the Vice President of the Texas State Teachers Association. He served in this office for four years and became the president of the teacher organization in 1997. His term expired in July of 2002. During his nine years as a state officer of the Texas State Teachers Association, he traveled around the 123 state delivering workshops on current educational topics, held press conferences to better inform the citizens of Texas, and registered as a lobbyist in Texas for educational issues. In the fall of 1998, Ignacio was elected to serve in the Texas House of Representatives. He represented six rural counties: Duval, Atascosa, LaSalle, McMullen, Jim Wells, and Wilson. He served on the County Affairs and Pensions and Investment committees during his terms in office. In the summer of 1993, Ignacio began work on his doctoral studies and the University of Texas at Austin. The focus of this degree was on Public School Executive Leadership and the Superintendency. This degree was completed in December of 2004. In April of 2003, Ignacio accepted the position of superintendent of schools at Benavides Independent School District. Permanent Address: 505 S. Victoria St., San Diego, Texas 78384 This dissertation was typed by the author. 124

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