Insights From Novice Elementary Teachers Struggling to Implement Mandated Literacy Curriculum in Low-Performing Rural Schools

• In Event: Roundtable Session 1
  In Roundtable Session: Critical Initiatives in Preparing Beginning Teachers in Diverse Settings

Abstract

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand novice elementary teachers’ struggles with implementing a mandated literacy curriculum in low-performing rural schools. Nearly 50% of new teachers leave the profession within the first five years. Teacher turnover rates have a large impact on rural schools. These schools must achieve federally mandated requirements for Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) or incur severe penalties. Given the pressures of meeting AYP while staffing schools with novice teachers, rural school districts have responded by hiring literacy coaches, providing professional development, and adopting research-based curricula. Yet, many rural schools continue to struggle to meet AYP. This study revealed three major concerns of novice teachers and discusses implications for teacher induction, hiring practices, and teacher preparation.

Authors

• Joanne Carol Smith, University of Missouri - Columbia

• Jeni R. Davis, University of South Florida