Ashleigh Phillis | August 2024

Perfectly arranged desks. Whiteboard markers that still had their tips. Icebreaker exercises with my grade team. As a teacher, these were the details that signaled a new school year for me. Once everything was set up, my classroom became a place of hope for all that could be accomplished. Time with my colleagues sparked energy around all of the possibilities that the year might bring. As August has progressed, I have picked up on that same excitement from the schools I partner with in my work at EdFuel.

Whether students have already returned to the classroom or they’re slated to return soon, the school year is still young. This is when schools should identify how they can build on the momentum that comes with this critical time of year. In this blog, I will share a few best practices that help schools support their staff, particularly their new hires, as the year progresses. 

The First Few Weeks Count

The quality of onboarding impacts retention and in the current education landscape, where teachers are twice as likely to experience job-related stress or burnout, retention matters. Research shows that organizations that invested in their onboarding processes saw retention rates improve by 82%. If you read my colleague’s post last month, you have a framework for how to build a comprehensive and inclusive onboarding plan that focuses on the 5Cs – Compliance, Clarification, Culture, Connection, and Conviction.

But how do you know that your plan is working?

Collect and Use Data

Start with retention data

• If your organization conducts exit interviews, look back at the reasons people cite for leaving. Develop a plan to address any trends as the new year begins.
• If your organization conducts stay conversations, examine the reasons that staff cite for staying. Plan ways to highlight what motivates your staff to stay throughout the onboarding process and revisit these throughout the year. 
• Identify trends across demographic groups in your retention data. Build in additional support for the groups that experience the highest turnover. 

Survey staff

• Use times that all staff are together to gauge how staff are feeling. Disaggregate data by new hires and returning staff. 
• Plan to differentiate professional development beyond summer PD.
• Identify and plan for additional ways that you can continue to build on the 5Cs, especially Culture, Connection, and Conviction for all staff.
  • Revisit processes and systems that are unique to your school at key times to ensure new hires are reminded of how things are done (i.e. review the teacher evaluation process before observations begin)
  • Schedule team building activities throughout the year
  • Highlight how the school is working towards it mission and goals as the school year progresses
• Send new hires a survey about their experience with onboarding, recruitment, and ongoing professional development after summer PD. Follow up with a similar survey after the first 30 days, 60 days, and 90 days. 
  • Identify how you may need to adjust your organization’s onboarding plan based on feedback from new hires
  • Plan for follow-up professional development sessions based on what new hires need
  • Use survey data to build in strategic and differentiated support for new hires
    • Implement a mentor teacher program or buddy system
    • Establish professional learning communities or cohorts for new teachers

Plan Ahead for Next Year

• Use the data you’ve collected to reflect on your recruitment and hiring processes.
  • Identify what new hires are excited about. Build connections to that excitement in professional development sessions at least quarterly.
  • Understand why new hires chose to work at your school. Identify ways to feature those reasons during the recruitment process for the next school year.
  • Reflect on whether new hires feel the recruitment and hiring process accurately previewed working at your school. Adjust your recruitment and hiring process as necessary based on the feedback. 

Retention is the Outcome

The start of the school year is here and everyone is excited. What are the things that you can do that will help your staff continue to feel the same way as the year continues? Prioritize supporting staff, especially your new hires, maintain the positive energy, and reduce burnout. Let us know how we can support you in maintaining your onboarding and adjusting your onboarding plan as the school year begins or find additional resources on the EdFuel Talent Hub.