Evaluating the Implementation and Impact of Michigan’s Mentoring and Induction Grants
Michigan has made a historic investment in supporting early-career educators through Section 27h of the State School Aid Act, strengthening statewide mentoring and induction systems. Mentoring and induction supports refer to structured programs that help new teachers, school leaders, and school counselors transition into their roles through guided mentorship, professional learning, feedback on instructional practice, and ongoing social and professional support during their first years on the job. These supports are widely recognized as critical to improving teaching quality and reducing early-career attrition.
By elevating educator voices from districts with and without Section 27h funding, this study clarifies how mentoring and induction grant investments can better serve teachers and learners.
- Melia Repko-Erwin
AIR is conducting a multi-year, mixed-methods evaluation to examine how districts design and implement mentoring and induction practices before and after receiving Section 27h funding. The study also assesses whether this investment is associated with improvements in educator retention and student academic outcomes.
The evaluation draws on multiple data sources, including surveys of district administrators, focus groups with mentors and early-career educators, and longitudinal analyses of administrative data, to capture implementation quality, variation across districts, and outcomes over time.
Educator retention is the primary focus of the evaluation, reflecting the role of mentoring and induction as a direct, early support for new educators. Student proficiency is examined as a longer-term, secondary outcome.
Findings from this work will inform continuous improvement of Michigan’s mentoring and induction systems and contribute to the broader evidence base on strengthening and stabilizing the educator workforce.
