About
Background
Twenty-five years ago the modal category of experience in the U.S. teacher workforce was 15 years. Today, the modal experience category is first-year teachers, and one-quarter of the teacher workforce— both nationally and in North Carolina—has less than five years’ experience. This change in the teacher workforce raises concerns for three reasons. First, on average, beginning teachers are significantly less effective at raising student achievement than their more experienced peers. Second, beginning teachers are significantly more likely to exit the profession, with one-third leaving teaching during their first three years. The turnover costs school districts approximately $12,900 per departing teacher and often results in the hiring of beginning teachers to fill open positions. Finally, since beginning teachers are more likely to work in high-need schools, these impacts are disproportionately experienced by students most in need of high-quality teachers. In collaboration with the Council of Education Deans, the University of North Carolina included the North Carolina New Teacher Support Program (NC NTSP) as part of the state’s Race to the Top (RttT) proposal to improve the performance and retention of beginning teachers in the state’s lowest-performing schools.
Service to districts began in Race to the Top schools and have expanded since the conclusion of the Race to the Top in schools where anchor institutions of higher education and districts have identified needs, mostly due to:
- Existing university partnership presence
- High percentage of teacher turnover
- Low-performing status
- Focus or priority schools
- Schools with D or F school performance grade
Operations
The NC NTSP is a program of the University of North Carolina General Administration and fiscally and administratively coordinated by East Carolina University. NC NTSP services are administered through the state's public universities in collaboration with public schools and school districts. Teachers are served by experienced Instructional Coaches who understand their local community, the needs of beginning teachers, and quality instructional practice. As of the 2019-2021 year, the NC NTSP works in partnership with:
1. Appalachian State University
2. East Carolina University
3. Fayetteville State University
4. North Carolina State University
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
6. University of North Carolina at Charlotte
7. University of North Carolina at Greensboro
8. University of North Carolina at Pembroke
9. University of North Carolina at Wilmington
10. Western Carolina University
Management
NC NTSP is a program of the University of North Carolina General Administration and fiscally and administratively coordinated by East Carolina University. NC NTSP services are administered through the state's public universities in collaboration with public schools and school districts. Teachers are supported by experienced Instructional Coaches who understand their local community, the needs of beginning teachers, and quality instructional practice. East Carolina University fiscally and administratively coordinates NC NTSP and has identified the following positions needed to smoothly operate the program.