Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios
Date of Award
4-10-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Granting Institution
Lynn University
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
Degree Program
Educational Leadership
Department
College of Education
First Advisor
Dr. Kathleen Weigel
Second Advisor
Dr. Jennifer J. Lesh
Third Advisor
Dr. Kelly A. Burlison
Abstract
The transition from preservice teacher preparation to full-time teaching represents one of the most critical and vulnerable periods in an educator's career, with research consistently demonstrating that nearly half of all teachers leave the profession within their first five years. Alternative certification pathways have emerged nationwide to address persistent teacher shortages, yet the quality and intensity of support embedded within these pathways, rather than the pathway type itself, most strongly predicts teacher retention and effectiveness. The Accelerated Induction to Teaching (AIT) program at an R1 University in Florida places teacher preparation candidates into unfilled teaching positions as teachers of record while completing certification requirements, providing intensive daily mentoring, structured observation and feedback, and collaborative professional learning. Despite more than two decades of successful operation, the program had not systematically evaluated which support components stakeholders perceived as most valuable or where gaps existed between current support and professional development needs. This participatory action research study, grounded in the New Teacher Center's comprehensive framework for effective teacher induction and mentoring, examined stakeholder perceptions of AIT program support components from three groups: AIT candidates, AIT mentors, and university supervisors. Data were collected through a confidential online survey incorporating both Likert-scale effectiveness ratings and open-ended qualitative questions, analyzed through descriptive statistics and thematic analysis.
Findings revealed that the weekly mentoring meeting, structured by a newly implemented Actionable Feedback Tool, was the most valued support component, with the post-observation conference emerging across all three stakeholder groups as the program's highest-value collaborative structure. Candidates identified professional learning relevance, developmental calibration of reflection tools, and the absence of structured peer connection as primary gaps. Mentors and supervisors identified administrator unfamiliarity with the AIT model and the need for sustained mentor professional development as systemic program-level gaps. Nine qualitative themes and eight actionable, evidence-based recommendations were generated for program improvement, establishing baseline data for ongoing evaluation and contributing to broader scholarship on building effective, financially sustainable alternative teacher certification pathways through quality mentoring.
Recommended Citation
Catto, T., & Moransais, K. (2026). From Assessment to Action: Evaluating Support Components in Accelerated Induction to Teaching Programs for Enhanced Candidate Satisfaction and Program Improvement [Doctoral dissertation, Lynn University]. SPIRAL. https://spiral.lynn.edu/etds/451
