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Educational Services Division

The Santa Cruz/Silicon Valley New Teacher Project BTSA Induction Program

Introduction

The Santa Cruz/Silicon Valley New Teacher Project (SC/SVNTP) is a collaborative effort among the University of California, Santa Cruz, Teacher Education Program, the Santa Cruz County Office of Education and approximately thirty-one school districts and five charter schools in Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, North Monterey and San Benito counties.

The primary goal of this consortium is to provide a program of support and assessment in which the advancement of skills and knowledge is a continuous flow from preservice through the first years of teaching and beyond.

The Program’s model assists and supports Participating Teachers as they enter the teaching profession through two years of induction. The focus is to improve Participating Teachers’ classroom practice, to ensure student academic success, and to develop reflective teachers who are responsive to the diverse, cultural, social, academic, and linguistic backgrounds of all students.

Goals

SC/SVNTP goals are to:

• Provide advisement and assistance to qualified Participating Teachers so they may complete requirements for their California Professional Clear Credential
• Develop teacher capacity as defined in the California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP) and BTSA Induction Standards 5 and 6
• Use formative assessment practices to inform support and guide teacher professional development
• Direct support toward improving student achievement
• Document teacher professional growth over time
• Model and encourage ongoing self-assessment and reflection
• Foster collaboration and leadership among teachers
• Build partnerships with district stakeholders to support Participating Teachers in their work with students

Key Elements of Participating Teacher Support

1. New Teacher Project Mentor (Advisor, Support Provider)

Participating Teachers have weekly on-site contact during and after school hours with a Mentor, who is an exemplary veteran teacher released full-time specifically to support a small group of teachers. Mentors observe and coach Participating Teachers during their first two years in the classroom, offer emotional support, assist with short and long-term planning, design classroom management strategies, teach demonstration lessons, provide curriculum resources, facilitate communication with the site administrator and parents, and provide assistance in regards to requirements for earning a Professional Clear Credential. Mentors and Participating Teachers complete weekly logs and keep interactive journals to enhance communication, problem-solve and reflect. Release time can be arranged by the Mentors to provide time for Participating Teachers to observe veteran teachers. Mentors maintain confidentiality and do not share any evaluative information with department chairs or site administrators.

2. Formative Assessment System

Participating Teachers and Mentors use the New Teacher Center Formative Assessment System (NTC FAS) processes and tools based on the professional development needs of the Participating Teacher. Participating Teachers and Mentors collaboratively assess teaching practice in relation to the California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP) and Induction Program Standards 4 (Formative Assessment System), 5 (Pedagogy) and 6 (Universal Access: Equity for All Students). Professional goals, analyses of student work, observations, lesson plans and weekly Collaborative Assessment Logs guide professional development and support activities. Together, the Mentor and Participating Teacher complete an Individual Induction Plan (IIP), which includes the District Goals/Individual Learning Plan (ILP) and an Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP) that outlines attendance at professional development events.

The Year-at-a-Glance sequence is:

• Assess and Understand Learning Context
• Set Professional Goals: Develop an Individual Learning Plan
  • Reflect on Context
  • Reflect on Professional Goals
• Examine Practice Through Inquiry (Plan–Teach–Reflect–Apply)
  • Reflect on Professional Goals

3. Professional Development for Participating Teachers

Based upon the California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP) and BTSA Induction Program Standards 5 and 6, professional development is designed to:

• Build a support network and ongoing professional dialogue amongst Participating Teachers
• Assist teachers with meeting the needs of a culturally and linguistically diverse student population
• Focus on content and pedagogy in classroom practice
• Support development of effective teaching strategies, particularly related to designing an effective learning environment, teaching English Learners, working with special populations, integrating technology, addressing student health and safety, and promoting equity in diverse classroom settings
• Provide a structure for applying learnings to practice and for reflecting on learnings and applications
• Provide content which will enable the teacher to demonstrate application of BTSA Induction Program Standards 5 and 6 in the classroom
• Integrate the CSTP and the BTSA Induction Standards as a foundation for professional growth

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