A teacher induction program can cost less than the turnover it prevents, and its design decides whether it prevents any. Assign each new teacher a mentor teacher in the same subject or grade, protect time for them to meet, and train and pay the mentors.
This playbook is for district HR and induction leads who run the program across campuses. For what principals can do on their own campus, see What keeps teachers: a retention playbook for principals.
One in five new teachers changes schools or leaves within a year
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) follows up with teachers a year after a national survey. In its latest follow-up (opens in a new tab), covering 2020-21 to 2021-22, 80% of public school teachers with three or fewer years of experience stayed at the same school. Another 13% moved to a different school and 7% left teaching.
For a district, a teacher who moves to the district next door is a loss just like one who leaves teaching. And the early years are when plans are still forming. In RAND's 2026 survey of teachers, 27% of those with five or fewer years of experience said they plan to stay in teaching only "until a more desirable job comes along," compared with 3% of teachers with 21 or more years.
Mentored teachers stay at higher rates, though the evidence has limits
The clearest national data comes from an NCES study that followed teachers who started in 2007-08. Beginning teachers who had a first-year mentor (opens in a new tab) were more likely to still be teaching in every later year:
| Still teaching | Had a first-year mentor | No first-year mentor |
|---|---|---|
| Year 2 (2008-09) | 92% | 84% |
| Year 3 (2009-10) | 91% | 77% |
| Year 5 (2011-12) | 86% | 71% |
Source: NCES, Beginning Teacher Longitudinal Study, April 2015.
That gap is a correlation, not proof that mentoring caused it. Districts that assign mentors may differ in other ways.
The experiments are more cautious. A federal randomized study of 1,009 new teachers in 17 districts, published in 2010, found no effect on retention (opens in a new tab) from a more intensive induction program over four years. But most teachers in the comparison group already had a mentor, so the study compared a stronger program with the districts' usual one, not with no support. Teachers who got two years of the stronger program saw higher student scores in their third year, about 4 percentile points in reading and 8 in math, but only in classrooms with prior-year test scores; the effect disappeared in the larger sample without them.
A 2023 meta-analysis by Keese and colleagues in Educational Research Review, covering studies from 2010 to 2019, found small, statistically significant positive effects of induction and mentoring on retention, teacher efficacy and achievement.
The fair reading is this: a mentor helps, but a mentor on paper isn't enough. How you design the program matters.
Five design choices that matter in a teacher induction program
1. Match by subject and grade
A national study of first-year teachers in 1999-2000 (Smith and Ingersoll, 2004), summarized in a 2011 review of 15 studies (opens in a new tab) in the Review of Educational Research, found the strongest factors linked to staying were "having a mentor from the same field," common planning time with teachers in the same subject, and regularly scheduled collaboration. The weakest were a reduced teaching schedule, fewer preparations and extra classroom help. Principals can reinforce the match on campus; see the retention playbook for principals.
Matching is hardest for small departments and rural campuses. When there's no same-subject mentor on campus, pair across campuses and meet virtually, and give the new teacher a separate on-campus contact for daily logistics.
2. Schedule the time, don't just allow it
In a 2021 study of one large urban district by the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Northeast & Islands, 97% of new teachers who met with their mentor four to nine hours a month and 94% of those who met 10 or more stayed after one year, compared with 78% of those who met less than four hours. The study wasn't designed to show cause. For comparison, Texas law requires mentors to meet new teachers at least 12 hours a semester, which is two to three hours a month, below that four-hour line.
Put mentor time on the master schedule before school starts: a shared planning period, release days covered by substitutes, or a reduced load for mentors.
3. Choose each mentor teacher for skill, then train them
A mentor needs more than seniority. As the 2011 review notes, some researchers argue that "the mentors' knowledge of how to support new teachers and skill at providing guidance are also crucial." Select mentors who are strong teachers and can explain what they do, then train them in observation, feedback and coaching conversations before they start.
4. Keep caseloads small
A mentor who teaches a full load can't support six new teachers. Texas's PREP guidebook sets a useful benchmark: a mentor who teaches four or more hours a day takes no more than two beginning teachers, and a full-time mentor takes no more than 15.
5. Pay mentors
Mentoring is extra work, and a stipend recognizes it. State programs give a sense of the range, as of October 2026:
- Kansas: $1,000 per first-year mentee and $650 per second-year mentee (Kansas State Department of Education payments, 2024-25)
- South Dakota: $1,500 per new teacher who completes the statewide program (South Dakota Department of Education)
- Texas PREP: at least $1,000 per beginning teacher
Start induction at hiring, not in August
Induction begins with the offer. Name the mentor in the offer letter or welcome email when you can, and share the first-year support plan with candidates during interviews, so they know what support to expect before they accept.
A sample first-year calendar might look like this:
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| Before the first day | Mentor assigned and introduced; new teacher gets the curriculum, pacing guide and a campus walk-through |
| First 30 days | Weekly check-ins; mentor observes once and models one lesson |
| Each month | Scheduled meetings on the calendar; one observation with feedback |
| End of each semester | Mentor, new teacher and principal review goals and adjust the plan |
| Second year | Fewer meetings, more focus on planning and student data |
This calendar is an illustration, not a required model. Check your state's rules for minimum hours and length.
Compare the cost with the cost of turnover
The Learning Policy Institute (LPI) estimates what it costs a district to lose and replace one teacher, including separation, recruiting, hiring and training, but not lost student learning.
The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) puts quality induction at about $7,000 per new teacher per year, and estimates that a medium-sized district saves about $9,450 for each new teacher it keeps.
State rules vary, so check yours
In a June 2025 review, SREB counted 29 states that require induction for new teachers by law, seven (including Texas) that encourage it, and 12 with no statute on it. Most states leave funding to districts. According to the Education Commission of the States (2025), California requires all new teachers to complete a two-year induction program, and North Carolina requires every public school to run a state-approved three-year plan.
In Texas, PREP funding replaces the Mentor Program Allotment
As of October 2026: the Mentor Program Allotment was repealed on September 1, 2026, and 2025-26 was its final year. House Bill 2 (2025) replaced it with the Preparing and Retaining Educators through Partnership (PREP) mentorship program, which the Texas Education Agency (TEA) began funding in 2026-27.
- Funding: $3,000 for each first- or second-year teacher mentored, for up to 40 teachers per school system unless appropriations allow more.
- Required uses: a stipend of at least $1,000 per beginning teacher to the mentor, Texas Mentorship Training for mentors, and release time.
- Training cost: a one-time $500 per participant per pathway through an education service center (ESC).
- Next deadline: applications for the 2027-28 school year are due December 1, 2026 (opens in a new tab), with awards expected in February 2027. School systems already approved for PREP mentorship in an earlier cycle don't need to reapply.
Texas Education Code §21.458 still sets the rules for district mentoring, whether or not you apply for PREP. Assigning mentors is optional for most new teachers (it's required for teachers on a temporary career and technical education, or CTE, certificate), but a district that assigns them must:
- assign the mentor within the first 30 days of employment, for at least two school years
- match by campus, and by subject or grade level, "to the extent practicable"
- choose mentors with at least three complete years of teaching experience who have completed approved mentor training
- have mentors meet each new teacher at least 12 hours each semester
- schedule release time or a reduced load, with meeting time during the contracted school day
This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm with your district's counsel or HR policy.
Next step
Count this year's first- and second-year teachers by subject and campus, estimate next year's, and check each against your mentor list. Any subject or campus without a match needs a mentor recruited before August. Texas school systems new to PREP have until December 1 to apply. When you post the teaching roles those mentors will support, post them on EduJobs for free.
