Examining the Mentoring Experiences of First-Year Teachers in Missouri
Published On: July 1, 2025
The US Department of Education released a report yesterday by, among others at the Regional Education Laboratory (REL) Central, PRiME’s own Kathryn Coleman, Collin Hitt, and Saint Louis University School of Education Dean, Gary Ritter.
The report examined features of early-career teacher mentoring for the purposes of understanding its effects on teacher retention within schools. The study was requested by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (MO DESE) toward the goal of improving teacher retention in Missouri.
The study found that more than half of first-year teachers met with their mentors multiple times per month, but the amount of time and specific activities of the meetings varied widely.
To read more, find the full report here.
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As Missouri students start a new school year, many will find familiar faces missing from the front of the classroom. This is because teacher turnover in the state remains stubbornly high – more than twice the national average.
Teacher turnover in Missouri is at 14.6 percent, according to research from the PRiME Center. Meanwhile, the national average is roughly 7 percent.