Promoting the Retention of Prospective Teachers Through a Cohort for College Freshman

This article describes a cohort of freshmen planning to become teachers at Montclair State University (MSU) in New Jersey. The goals of the cohort are to identify freshmen, especially students of color, with an interest in becoming teachers, to provide them with a supportive community as they make the transition from high school to college, and to increase their retention at the university and in teacher education as a result of this early support. A study of the cohort highlights six salient elements—identifying prospective teachers in their first year in college, creating a sense of community that supports them in the transition into higher education, supporting their adjustment to the university environment, building confidence in their academic skills, socializing them into the teaching profession, and mentoring students who feel competing pressures from home, peers, and school.