What marks a high-quality induction program?

The New Teacher Center at the University of California, Santa Cruz has found that the most effective induction programs use a comprehensive system of support marked by:

• High-quality, carefully selected mentors;
• Expertly trained, fully released mentors;
• Authentic mentoring processes where teachers routinely reflect on their practices as measured against teaching standards;
• Rigorous and comprehensive use of an effective, research- based, formative assessment system;
• A standards-based seminar series for new teachers;
• Collaborative inquiry;
• District/site/professional partnerships;
• Supportive working conditions, including realistic workloads; and
• Administrative support.

What factors make high school induction distinctive?

Induction experts and existing research identify the following characteristics as being essential for high school teacher induction:

• Use mentors in the same subject area to help teachers develop deeper content knowledge.
• Inculcate ongoing literacy and numeracy strategies in novice teacher training. One out of every four secondary students has not yet mastered basic reading and math skills; secondary teachers must learn strategies for teaching literacy and numeracy across the curriculum for all students.
• Train mentors and new teachers to work effectively with English language learners.
• Ensure that teachers are given regular, structured time for induction activities, such as common time for planning and collaboration.
• Provide special assistance for teachers who have content knowledge, but nontraditional teaching preparation.
• Create a positive working environment and realistic workload; avoid assigning new teachers to the most difficult classes, making them commute to various classrooms throughout the day, requiring numerous teaching preps, and asking them to lead extracurricular activities.

Adapted from the Alliance for Excellent Education, 2004, pp. 20-21

Facts about the New Teacher Center

• Founded in 1998 by Ellen Moir, the New Teacher Center (NTC) at the University of California, Santa Cruz provides vital leadership across the country through advocacy for intensive teacher and administrator induction.
• NTC’s mission is to improve student learning by supporting the development of an inspired, dedicated, and highly qualified teaching force.
• NTC’s induction model was based on the work of the Silicon Valley and Santa Cruz New Teacher Projects that have supported more than 10,000 California novice teachers.
• Recent induction work in New York City has resulted in 339 trained mentors for nearly 6,000 new teachers. Partnering with urban, suburban, and rural districts in 34 states, NTC disseminates effective induction practices and technical assistance to K- 12 schools, including charter and small high schools.
• Learn more at www.newteachercenter.org.