There continues to be a public outcry concerning the quality of education in our nation. These concerns have translated into numerous programs to improve teaching in the public schools, many of which have focused on mentoring for beginning teachers. The proliferation of programs has shown the need for research investigating the effectiveness of various mentoring programs. The literature provides extensive descriptions of these programs, but little empirical data exists for examining the outcomes resulting from the implementation of such programs (Klub and Salzman 1990). Research by Varah, Theune, and Parker (1986) and by Schlecty and Vance (1983) has shown that as many as 30 percent of beginning teachers do not teach beyond two years, and as many as 60 percent leave the profession during the first 5 years. Griffen (1985) reports that beginning teachers often lack competence in planning for instruction and in adjusting to the classroom environment. These two factors, teacher efficacy and teacher retention, can be used to direct a review of the existing literature and to separate the empirical studies of program outcomes from program descriptions. This review is needed to assess the effectiveness of mentoring programs. (Contains 38 references.) (Author/LL)