DaytonDailyNews.com

WASHINGTON — A third of newly hired teachers leave during their first three years. Almost half leave during the first five years.

Districts that have adopted teacher residency programs, similar to what Gov. Ted Strickland is proposing for Ohio, have succeeded in changing those percentages.

In his State of the State speech on Wednesday, Jan. 28, Strickland unveiled a plan to require the teaching equivalent of a medical school student's residency before new teachers can accept the mantle of a professional.

The idea is not new. In cities like Boston, Chicago and Denver, teachers in so-called residency programs sign up for a four- or five-year residency. During year one, they spend the majority of time in the classroom with a veteran teacher, even as they work toward a master's degree. They get more independence during the following years. In return, they get free or dramatically reduced tuition toward a master's degree, providing they stick around and teach in the districts where they had their residencies.

In cities like Cincinnati and Toledo, fledgling teachers are paired with veterans who serve both as mentors and de facto bosses who offer job evaluations and training. Toledo calls their programs an "internship" rather than a residency program, but it's a more beefed up program than Ohio law requires.

The end goal: A better prepared teacher and, hopefully, one that sticks around.

In his speech, Strickland described the residency proposal as one that would pair lead teachers with new instructors, giving veteran teachers the opportunity to move up the career ladder without leaving teaching.

"Just as future doctors begin their careers under the watchful eye of an experienced colleague, we will give our new teachers the benefit of thoughtful guidance from an accomplished senior teacher," Strickland said.

Candidates could only earn a professional teaching license after their four-year residency is complete, Strickland said.

Keith Dailey, a spokesman for Strickland, said Ohio teachers can now establish tenure in three years.

"Under the governor's plan, it takes nine," he said.

Many of the details have to be worked out, he said, but under Strickland's plan superintendents would work in partnership with a chancellor of higher education, meaning it's possible education majors studying for their degree could be among the teachers in the program.

Sue Taylor, president of the Ohio Federation of Teachers, said the union is excited about the prospect of giving veteran teachers the opportunity for advancement within the profession.

"Our main goal as an organization is to develop the teaching profession," she said. "We see this as definitely a step in the right direction."

The state currently has a one-year entry program that pairs new teachers with veterans, she said. But how that program works varies greatly from district to district, and veteran teachers aren't given much more than the opportunity to act as a mentor.

Were Ohio to adopt Strickland's plan, it would be unprecedented among states, say education experts.

Barnett Berry, president and CEO of the Center for Teaching Quality, said he thinks it's doable, although college cooperation is essential. He said Ohio would have to dramatically reduce the number of education students in its public universities, focusing heavier resources on a smaller pool of would-be teachers.

In most current training programs, he said, "teacher credentialing doesn't prepare teachers sufficiently to go into a high-needs schools and doesn't provide support when they get there."

Teachers who go through residency programs are more inclined to stick around, according to a study Berry conducted.

Anissa Listak, executive director of the Urban Teacher Residency Institute, which aims to improve the quality and increase the number of residency programs, said 87 percent of the teachers in Boston have stuck with the program. In Chicago, it's 85 percent. Denver, now in its fifth year, has retained all of the teachers in the program, she said.

What is not clear, however, is what impact these residencies have on students. Anecdotally, she said, students seem to feel comforted to see a teacher return year after year. But it's too soon to know if it's reaping academic rewards.

"We've got to know at the end of the day that the teachers aren't just staying, but doing better, and that the kids are doing better," Listak said.

Others say the intentions are good, but putting such a program into practice will be tougher.

"On paper it's a good idea," said Bob Taft, former Republican governor of Ohio and now distinguished research associate for educational excellence at the University of Dayton. "The question is, how do you set it up so it is real?"