TEACHER INDUCTION PRECONDITIONS
- Precondition 1: Program Design
- Precondition 2: Mentor Assignment
- Precondition 3: One Hour Per Week of Mentoring
- Precondition 4: ILP Goal Development
- Precondition 5: ILP for Professional Growth
- Precondition 6: Early Completion Option
Precondition 1: Program Design
Each Induction Program must be designed to provide a two-year, individualized, job-embedded system of mentoring, support, and professional learning that begins in the teacher’s first year of teaching.
Description
The Rialto USD Teacher Induction Program is a two-year, individualized, job-embedded program. This program begins in the candidate’s first year of teaching, or after earning a preliminary credential. As teachers are hired, the credential analysts review their credentials, and if they meet the criteria, they will be placed in Induction. Then the credentials analyst forwards the eligible candidates' information to the Induction Program Specialist. After this time, they are immediately assigned a mentor who contacts the candidates via a welcome letter.
At the heart of the Rialto USD’s Induction Program is one-on-one weekly mentoring support provided by a trained Induction Mentor. This support will help candidates apply the California Standards for the Teaching Profession to improve their teaching practices. The program also offers professional learning opportunities provided by the Induction team, based on the candidate’s needs and Individualized Learning Plan (ILP). The expectation is that the Induction Program will enhance the candidates’ abilities to become highly qualified and effective practitioners. Current research findings indicate that the knowledge of teaching practices, student learning outcomes, standards-based subject matter content, and ultimately, the ability to reflect on one’s own practice are the strongest predictors of student success and teacher professional growth.
Precondition 2: Mentor Assignment
The Induction Program must identify and assign a mentor to each participating teacher within the first 30 days of the participant’s enrollment in the program, matching the mentor and participating teacher according to credentials held, grade level and/or subject area, as appropriate to the participant’s employment.
Description
The credential analysts send the Induction Program Specialist a list of eligible candidates. Candidates are then matched within the first 30 days of enrollment according to appropriate credentials held, grade level, and/or subject area. Communications between the Program Specialist and the Credential Analyst ensure that candidates are identified and assigned to a mentor with the closest matching credentials or mentors with prior experience.
Precondition 3: One Hour Per Week of Mentoring
Each Induction Program must assure that each participating teacher receives an average of not less than one hour per week of individualized support/mentoring coordinated and/or provided by the mentor.
Description
The Rialto USD Induction Program clearly communicates the expectation that each participating teacher will receive an average of not less than one hour per week of individualized support. This support/mentoring is coordinated and/or provided by the mentor. This expectation is written in the Induction Program Handbook. To track candidate support, Mentors and Induction Teachers develop a mentoring schedule for weekly meetings. These meetings are logged on their Induction Teachers' Program Support Log. Both Mentor and Induction Teacher acknowledge their participation in the meeting by signing the log at the end of each cycle.
This information is located in the Google Classroom for review and weekly monitoring by the Induction Teacher, Mentor, and Program Specialist. The program includes a survey question in the Mid-Year Survey that asks teachers how much time they are spending with their mentor. All of the data is reviewed and proves that participating teachers in the Rialto USD Induction Program receive an average of not less than one hour per week of individualized support/mentoring.
Precondition 4: ILP Goal Development
Goals for each participating teacher must be developed within the context of the Individual Learning Plan (ILP) within the first 60 days of the teacher’s enrollment in the program.
Description
Candidates in the Rialto USD Induction Program begin collaborating with their Mentors to develop their Individual Learning Plan (ILP) goals within the first 60 days of their enrollment in the program. The ILP is a collaborative process between the Induction Teacher and the Induction Mentor. The ILP is designed and implemented solely for the professional growth and development of the teacher. It is not used for evaluation for employment purposes.
The ILP Goal-Setting Process includes Induction Teachers self-assessing their implementation of the California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTPs). Teachers reflect on observation feedback from Induction Mentors, student outcome data, and site administrator input. After the self-assessment has been completed, Induction Teachers select their CSTP focus area(s) for their Inquiry Cycle. During weekly mentoring meetings, goal progress is monitored, and teachers are provided opportunities to reflect on their own growth. Induction Teachers are provided with Completion Calendars that include a timeline for completing the ILP goals and all other sections of the ILP. The Induction Team is responsible for and monitors the ILP process during weekly team meetings using the Progress Monitoring Document.
Precondition 5: ILP for Professional Growth
The ILP must be designed and implemented solely for the professional growth and development of the participating teacher and not for evaluation for employment purposes.
Description
Teachers and Mentors in the Rialto USD Induction Program are informed that the purpose of the Individual Learning Plan (ILP) is to support their professional growth and development and not for evaluation for employment purposes. At the Induction Orientation and Advisement Meeting, teachers sign the Induction Participation Agreement-Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that clearly states that the Induction process is confidential. Induction Mentors are required to sign a confidentiality statement acknowledging their agreement that their work with their teachers is confidential, and they are not to share opinions or judgments about their teacher with anyone except the program leadership. Site Administrators receive information at annual Triad Meetings to make them aware of the fact that Induction is solely for professional growth and not for teacher evaluation. We provide a biannual log that communicates with the site administrators the general nature of our weekly support meetings. The unit head’s signed assurances, submitted as evidence, ensure that the ILP is designed and implemented solely for the professional growth and development of the participating teacher and not for evaluation for employment purposes.
Precondition 6: Early Completion Option
An Induction Program sponsor must make available and must advise participants of an Early Completion Option for “experienced and exceptional” candidates who meet the program’s established criteria.
Description
It is the goal of the Rialto USD Induction Program to provide support and mentoring to each new teacher to help them earn their clear teaching credential. To this end, the Rialto USD Induction Program makes available an Early Completion Option (ECO) for "experienced and exceptional" candidates who meet the program's established criteria. The program advises participants of the Early Completion Option during the Induction Advisement and Orientation Meeting. Candidates who qualify for ECO must follow the application and evidence submittal process as outlined in the Induction Program Handbook. Applicants will be approved, accepted provisionally, or denied based on the criteria outlined in the Early Completion Option. Candidates who are approved complete the requirements of the Rialto USD Induction Program in one year.