Beginning Teachers’ Experiences Working in a Low-Performing School with a Non-District Affiliated New Teacher Support Coach

 Although most schools and districts today provide induction programs including assignment of mentors to beginning teachers, the problem of retaining teachers past their first three years remains a critical problem, particularly in low-performing schools. Research often excludes the voices of beginning teachers who are often written about instead of being allowed to express their own experiences. This qualitative study focuses on the North Carolina New Teacher Support Program, a Race-to-the-Top funded induction program that provides additional support to any beginning teacher hired in a high-needs school. The program provides teachers a new teacher support coach who is not affiliated with the district but instead an anchor university. This study examined the experiences of 14 beginning teachers working in low-achieving schools with the support of a coach. Findings suggest that that beginning teachers valued the support provided by their coach, and that this support had a positive impact on their development