CSTP New Teacher Project Fall 2006 Laura Stokes Inverness Research Associates

1. Current status of district capacity to support new teachers:Summary themes from visits to participating districts and ESDs CSTP New Teacher Project Fall 2006 Laura Stokes Inverness Research Associates

2. Role of Inverness Research in Planning Year • Create framework for examining district/ESD capacity to support new teachers • Pilot framework through visits to all participating districts and ESDs • Provide feedback on current (baseline) status of capacity to project and funder

3. Inverness focus: The capacities that enable districts to create programs that effectively support new teachers Outcomes (e.g., New teachers who improve practice, stay in teaching as productive professionals Program components and activities (e.g. mentoring, other supports and opportunities) Standards for New Teacher Support Programs (hiring, orientation, mentoring, professional learning, formative assessment) CAPACITIES (e.g., culture, vision, leadership, knowledge, policy, infrastructure…)

4. Relevant and necessary capacities • Professional Culture • System of Curriculum and Instruction • Effective Leadership • Shared Vision • Relevant and Usable Knowledge • Congruent District Policy • Supportive External Environment • Dedicated Infrastructure for NT Support

5. Interviews conducted in 9 districts and 2 ESDs • 51New teachers (defined by districts; new to teaching and/or new hire) • 28Mentors • 18 Veteran teachers: coaches, potential mentors • 4Association representatives • 23Principals • 18School district administrators • 5ESD administrators/staff

6. Major Themes Related to Current (Baseline) Status

7. VIII. Dedicated Infrastructure for New Teacher Support • Large districts have funded, formal mentoring in place. Case loads vary. Similar training. • Some small districts have “semi-formal” mentors—designated, unfunded, occasional. • Some mentors have supports for their work. • Some districts have some procedural orientation for NTs, provide some summer content training if NTs hired early. • Other supports, when present, are informal, occasional, dependent on specific context. • No districts or ESDs have coherent system of support from hiring to Pro Cert.

8. I. Professional Culture • Varies by district, school, school level • Ongoing movement toward greater collaboration focused on curriculum reform; strong in pockets • Much more at elementary than secondary • Much more for reading and math than others • Some ongoing movement toward higher expectations for students, focus on achievement data • Re New Teachers: Most cultures characterized by overall helpfulness, friendliness, responsiveness • Large: Pressured from multiple reforms • Small: Pressured from multiple roles

9. II. System of Curriculum and Instruction • Elementary: • Standardized, strict reading and math curriculum typical; some movement in writing and science. Few other subjects taught. • Training often available to NTs in summer if hired in time. • Middle and High: • Varies greatly across districts, subjects/departments. Pockets of growing clarity through recent EALR/GLE-based alignment work. • High school much more individualistic, less explicit. • Most challenging areas (ESL, Spec Ed, Alternative schools…) often have least developed curriculum and resources.

10. II. System of Curriculum and Instruction, cont. • Large districts: • Where coaching exists, it is available to NTs along with others; viewed as key support. • Coherence between coaching and mentoring can be an issue. • Small districts: • New hires are often the main/only change agents • ESDs: • Seen as having specific assets for some curricular areas. • Access of NTs to them is an issue.

11. III. Effective Leadership • Districts appear well-administered: progressive, committed, with functional labor relations. • There are respected veteran teachers who are willing to serve as mentors. More in elem than secondary. • Formal responsibility for new teachers typically diffuse, if not absent. Some districts are moving toward designating a point person. (New teachers are not typically a designated sub-group of interest).) • Some small districts have not formed a NT program team because of staff overload.

12. III. Effective Leadership, cont. • Principal role regarded as key, given importance of school-level culture and supports. However, principals are swamped and vary in their involvement with, interest in NTs. • Teacher association more focused on conditions for established teachers than for new teachers. • Issues of authority and confidentiality related to performance evaluation, re-hiring, access to mentoring/pd supports are related to leadership roles (HR staff, principal, coach, mentor). They are significant but often minimally addressed and unresolved, except on case-by-case informal basis.

13. IV. Shared Vision • Appears to be little shared vision of (and little discussion related to) professional trajectory, including evolution from novice level to Pro Cert. • Minimal shared vision of full/optimal NT support program, with the exception of one small district. • However, there is a broadly shared assumption that mentoring will be the centerpiece. • Vision-forming conversations are swamped by pressure to act, plus daily-ness of teaching, running schools.

14. V. Relevant and Usable Knowledge Knowledge about how to support NTs • Mentor academies are a major asset and source of knowledge leading to shared mentoring practices. • There is some, but not pervasive, use of literature and other material available from CSTP. • Mentors’ and content coaches’ training and practices sometimes incongruent, sometimes compatible. • Some small schools with long-stable staffs have forgotten what NTs want/need to learn on the job. • Hew hires who have experienced mentoring in their first place of employment have useful knowledge from that experience; there is uncertainty about how to tap it. Knowledge of how NTs are developing as teachers • Some check-in strategies are in place, often informal. • Issues of confidentiality and communication are un-resolved.

15. VII. Congruent District Policy • Policies related to job openings, transfers, TOSA returns often create hiring challenges for NTs: late hires, multiple pink slips, multiple preps. With one exception, there is little or no discussion of whether to change related policies. • There is very little information about or support for Pro Cert; NTs feel confused and on their own. • Coaching resources are scarce and often not targeted strategically to NTs. NT coaching varies by principal’s discretion. • District-funded release periods for teacher collaboration are seen widely as in-school resource for NTs. • There is a shared general sense that districts and schools ought to have different and important roles for NTs but the discussions have not taken place.

16. VII. Supportive External Environment • State-provided mentor training is excellent. • Pro Cert requirement and ways to meet it seen as moving target, oppressive. Districts are uncertain how to help; NTs are confused. • State curriculum and assessment focuses get schools’ attention (seen in alignment efforts, teacher teams); this has significant derivative benefits for NTs • ESD access and value varies—geographic distances and specific expertise needed.

17. VII. Supportive External Environment, cont. • Professional subject-matter-based networks seem to be important content resources for teachers, especially those having to create their own programs (e.g. the only math teacher in a small school). • Large districts with progressive programs can also be training grounds for teachers moving to smaller areas. • Large and small schools alike want to find high quality NTs who are “the right match” for their communities and student characteristics.

18. The Special Capacity Issues of ESDs “Big question”: To what extent are ESD capacities congruent with those related to optimal support for new teachers? • Availability of assets (knowledge and expertise) relevant to NTs • History and nature of service relationships with districts, and the capacity to evolve in new ways • Deep “local knowledge” of different districts—especially the instructional programs and materials that NTs are using, and student characteristics • The ability to serve teachers from multiple districts in ways that suit their different contexts

19. Some final reflections • Most NTs (brand new and new to the school) were generous in their gratitude for those helpful colleagues down the hall, and for enthusiastic principals with open doors. • Most “brand new” NTs wish they had more support right at the beginning—orientation to procedures, help with their classrooms, having the instructional materials that are basic to doing their job well. More than insurance forms and room key… (Especially when they are hired in late August.) • NTs are individuals who need some customized supports close to their teaching assignments. Those in small schools need ready access to content-specific resources (especially other teachers of their subjects) outside their schools.

20. Some final reflections, cont. • Teachers who are early in their careers and who feel competent want some autonomy and authority to exercise their knowledge and creativity. • Many veteran teachers are eager to welcome new teachers, share materials, check in on them, and watch them succeed. • School leaders (principals, teachers) often see NTs as bringing in tremendous potential for positive change in culture and in instructional program.