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Guidelines for Programs of Support
The specific nature of building level support will vary from school to school due to the diverse cultures and expectations within buildings. Various activities and relationships might be developed to assist new teachers in understanding the culture, expectations, procedures, and resources within the building and community. Research shows us that in buildings where such support is not provided, new teachers often leave the profession within the first five years of teaching. School planning teams might consider the following areas for support as they develop their building-level programs: CPDP IIIA: Orientation to the building, the resources available, the expectations for professional conduct, and the general culture of the building and community CPDP IIA: Collegial support in the form of mentors/coaches, teams, collaborative inquiry or study groups, and professional partnerships (e.g., common planning or lunch periods, shared teaching assignments, team teaching) CPDP IIIC: Ongoing assistance linked to the activities and expectations of the school (e.g., guidance in handling parent/teacher conferences or Open House events, in preparing grade cards and final exams, in communicating with parents and utilizing community resources, in managing extracurricular activities and participating in school functions that contribute to quality teaching and do not detract from the time needed to prepare for class) CPDP IE: Emotional and mental support needed as the new teacher negotiates simultaneous transitions (e.g., from the college environment to the professional world, from the role of student to that of teacher, from hometown to new city, from suburban life to urban school setting, from community living to apartment living, from single to married, and such) CONTENT-SPECIFIC SUPPORT IN STANDARDS BASED TEACHING: Programs supporting new teachers and their mentors/coaches need to focus on teaching practices that cross content areas (e.g., cooperative learning groups, effective behavior management, authentic assessment rubrics) and those that are research-based "best practices" for supporting student learning in a content or developmental area (e.g., using literature circles to foster engaged responses to literature, inquiry-based learning in science, or problem solving in math). The following areas should be included in any IPSB-recommended support program. Although ongoing opportunities for all teachers in these areas would provide strong professional development within the school, the Indiana Professional Standards Board (IPSB) recommends that during the first two years of teaching new teachers be given a series of opportunities to . . . CPDP IA: gain familiarity with the Indiana student and teaching standards for their own content and developmental levels (Indiana teaching standards available at Future Licensing - www.state.in.us/psb) CPDP IIIA: participate in collegial conversations about how the standards can be implemented and demonstrated in the classroom CPDP IIIC: research, discuss, and use "best practices" in their teaching, and reflect on their effectiveness for student learning in their own classrooms CPDP IIB: observe standards-based teaching modeled by master teachers in the same content area CPDP IIIC: analyze lessons in light of the standards and receive collegial feedback CPDP IIC: learn strategies for and practice critical reflection CPDP IIID: participate in ongoing inquiry-based data collection activities that are directed toward improving student learning Some schools may be able to provide content-specific support for new teachers by linking them with trained, standards-based mentors/coaches who are teaching in the same content area. Other schools may provide new teachers with this level of support by connecting them with teachers in other schools or districts, among consortiums of schools, or within K-16 partnerships (e.g., higher education). Other schools may include technological support through content-specific experiences using videoconferencing, distance learning, and electronic mentoring/coaching strategies. Please Note: Beginning teachers in 2001-2002 will not be required to complete a performance assessment portfolio. PORTFOLIO/PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT SUPPORT: Programs of support for new teachers (and perhaps their mentors/coaches) need to include opportunities for teachers to learn about and practice the performance assessment tasks that will be a part of their content-specific portfolio assessments. The following areas need to be incorporated into any IPSB-recommended support program. CPDP IID/IIIB: Teachers become familiar with the Indiana portfolio handbook, evaluation framework, and guiding questions of their own portfolio assessments OR the guidelines and criteria for evaluating the performance assessments used for their license. CPDP IIIB: Teachers practice the skills they need to
demonstrate in the portfolio. CPDP ID: describe the learners (e.g., features of the class as a whole, features of the highlighted students, the ways in which instruction is adjusted to meet the diverse needs of learners) CPDP IB: describe a cohesive unit of instruction (e.g., the Indiana Academic Standards for students, the activities and assessments, the learning expectations for these students, connections to prior and future units) CPDP IA: examine units for alignment of student standards with unit goals and activities, alignment of instructional practices with multiple assessment methods, alignment of learning expectations with knowledge of learners, and use of research-based teaching practices CPDP IIB: practice video taping lessons and discussing them with colleagues CPDP IIC: reflect on instruction and assessment CPDP IIIC: examine samples of student work and reflect on current progress of individual learners and future goals for these learners CPDP IA: explain choices of teaching materials and activities that focus on student achievement and use of standards-based practices to improve learning CPDP IIC: write reflections on lessons that comment on the teacher's role and the degree of student engagement in learning CPDP IIIC: practice various data collection methods (e.g., profiling learners, collecting samples of work, videotaping students interacting and engaging in learning, using surveys and other data to assess student perceptions) CPDP IIC/IID: Teachers participate in multiple experiences with colleagues and alone that help them improve their ability to reflect on their own teaching practices and how these impact student learning (It is imperative in these early years that teachers be encouraged to examine their own practices for opportunities to enhance learning rather than always looking at the behaviors of students when explaining performance.) Core Professional Development Principles, Indiana State Board of Education, www.doe.in.gov/asap/prodev2.html#anchor155967 |
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Indiana Department of Education |
