Under the leadership and direction of Kathryn Calabrese, assistant professor of education, collaborative efforts between the Springfield City Schools and Wittenberg University have taken on a new dimension.

For the last three years, using grants from the Ohio Department of Education totaling approximately $300,000 with in-kind support from Wittenberg and the Springfield City Schools, Calabrese has directed the design and implementation of a program, which trains and matches veteran teachers with entry-year teachers.

The program is in response to new teacher education and licensure standards adopted by the Ohio State Board of Education, which will require mandatory performance-based assessment of beginning teachers and an entry-year mentoring program starting in 2002.

“The number of new teachers is increasing each year,” Calabrese explained. Studies show that for teachers new to the field, 65 percent of those not mentored or supported dropped out before the fifth year, but, according to Calabrese, 95 percent of supported teachers stayed.

“In California, retention increased from 60 percent to 90 percent as a result of an induction program that trains mentors and entry-year teachers,” Calabrese said.

In addition to satisfying the state’s requirments, the goal of Calabrese’s program has also been to move entry-year teachers beyond survival skills and into focused professional growth while offering veteran teachers leadership opportunities and strategies for documenting their professional growth.

“The leadership opportunities will allow mentors to nurture and share their experience and expertise with those new to the profession,” Calabrese said.

“Entry-year teachers will have the opportunity to establish a professional relationship based on trust, support and safety, and receive the kind of focused assistance needed to help them successfully complete the performance-based assessment.”

For the 3-year pilot program, Calabrese recruited 75 veteran teachers in the Springfield City School system to serve as mentors. Most were matched one-to-one with an entry-year teacher in the same school.

Retention of mentors was about 60 percent the first year. The retention rate was much higher the second and third years, about 80 to 85 percent, as a result of changes to the program.

“One of the strengths of the program was our ability to use feedback from participants to improve subsequent years,” Calabrese said.

Beth Bertemes ’93, who has taught in the Springfield City Schools for seven years and who currently teaches kindergarten at Grayhill Elementary, recently served as a mentor.

“Although I’ve been teaching for a while now, serving as a mentor gave me a reality check,” she said.“I grew professionally, and it allowed me the opportunity to take a closer look at what I’m doing.

As a teacher, there is always something you can do better.” Calabrese hopes to have the program’s mentors eventually work with Wittenberg’s pre-service teachers in field experiences and student teaching.

“We are preparing for a new generation of teachers,” Calabrese said. “This next generation could be the one to instigate real change, and this is my way of being a part of it.”

The Ohio State Board of Education will now use the information from Calabrese’s program and similar programs to assist other districts as they initiate entry-year programs in order to comply with the state mandate.

— Karen Gerboth ’93